Digitisation and Renaissance of the Manufacturing Industry in Major Cities: The Case of Berlin

Abstract

The rise of digitisation will cause a major upheaval in the manufacturing industries, bringing changes to traditional industrial location patterns as well. In order to understand the direction these structural changes are taking, this paper analyses the start-up activity in the industrial sector. The frontrunners are metropolitan regions and in particular major cities such as Berlin or Munich. Furthermore, detailed analysis of the city of Berlin shows higher and stable concentrations of new industrial companies in inner city locations. This spatial pattern requires the proactive application of legal planning instruments for mixed land use, which contributes to the integration of hybrid spaces and clean and green factories in the inner city.