Made in Germany: Your Business Magazine

Who does Berlin belong to? Real estate is a popular investment, and prices have tripled in the past 10 years. But not everyone can afford to buy - and rents are rising, too. That's put tenants and owners on opposite sides of the barricades.

One out of four jobs in Germany depends on export. Still, many Germans are opposed to a free trade agreement with the United States - even entrepreneurs. We meet two mechanical engineers who represent two sides of the debate.

The marketing slogan may have helped attract some of the city’s annual 12 million tourists and up to 50,000 new residents. But Berlin is 60 billion euros in debt and average earnings are less than in much of the country. What makes Berlin so popular?

Where to set up my start-up? For a long time, the answer was London, but since the Brexit vote, Berlin is hoping to surpass the British capital. In 2015 Berlin startup founders netted more than €2 billion from investors. But bureaucracy is a problem.

Criticism of globalization once came from the left. Now it's coming from the right in Germany, France and the US. More countries are putting up trade barriers. We speak with Manfred Elsig of the World Trade Institute at the University of Bern.

The critics of globalization used to come from the left. Opposition to free trade agreements is now coming from the right as well, for example, Germany's AfD Party, France's Front National or from US presidential candidate, Donald Trump. In the last two years, major developed countries have set up more than 200 new trade barriers. That's a danger, especially for an export nation like Germany, according to Manfred Elsig of the World Trade Institute at the University of Bern.

Germany profits greatly from international trade. Twenty five percent of the workforce is involved in export. But the voices of opposition and the images of protest dominate the public debate. Economic arguments have no effect. Made in Germany asks two mechanical engineers - a debate between those who are for and those against. Report by Joachim Eggers and Maximiliane Koschyk.

Many Berliners are sick of that sentence: it's the slogan the city has been using to market itself. Poor, but sexy! Arm aber sexy! 12 million tourists visit the capital every year, but many in Germany complain about the capital: which is considered a black hole for investment. Because Berlin is 60 billion euros in debt. In every other country in Europe, people in the capital earn more than in other cities. Not so in Berlin. Still, the city is growing rapidly...

For some time Berlin has tried to surpass London as Europe's favorite location for start-ups. The Brexit decision may have given the German capital the opportunity. In terms of investment, Berlin already surpassed London in 2015: just last year, startups generated 2.1 billion euros - 300 million euros more than London. But new entrepreneurs are having their doubts, too: bureaucracy and rigid regulations could wreck Berlin's startup boom. Report by Ashutosh Pandey.

Real estate is a favored investment in times of low interest rates. In growing cities such as Berlin, the square meter price for a flat has more than tripled in the last ten years. But real estate is not just about investment, it's also about the real people who live in the houses and flats - and not all of them have enough money to buy their homes outright. So tenants fight with owners: who does the city really belong to? Made in Germany shows both sides and what motivates them...