The 2019 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) by the economic research and consultancy firm Startup Genome compares the startup region of the Rhineland with startup hotspots such as Paris and Tel Aviv. Thousands of data sets from founders, companies and over 300 partners worldwide were evaluated for the report, which aims to capture and analyze the global startup ecosystem and to investigate the growth and development of specific sectors in the startup scene as well.

According to the report, the Rhineland has become one of the fastest-growing and most attractive locations for advanced manufacturing and robotics startups. A majority of the young companies focus on innovative technologies for business customers. The reasons for the Rhineland coming out on top included an excellent university and research landscape, as well as nearness to corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises, and to so-called hidden champions .

These figures reflect the surveys of 235 young companies carried out by Digital Hub Cologne : For startups from the Cologne region, revenue with business customers is the main focus.