Magdeburg’s outstanding motorway and train connections make the capital city of the German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt a central traffic junction for the major cities of Hamburg, Berlin, Hanover, Leipzig and Dresden. With its ideal connections to road, rail and water transport routes, the region has established itself as one of the most important intersections for traffic, logistics and distribution in eastern Germany. Both producers and shippers benefit from the fact that Magdeburg is located in close proximity to procurement and business markets. The city also boasts an ideal location at the crossroads of Europe's north-south and east-west axes that is perfect for the long-distance transportation of goods in inland water vessels, via lorry or via freight train. The Otto von Guericke University and the Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences work together with the logistics companies in the city on a multitude of research projects. On top of this, Magdeburg is also home to the Saxony-Anhalt Galileo Test Bed. This development laboratory and test bed for localisation, navigation and communication in transportation and logistics is considered to be one of the most state-of-the-art integration platforms and test environments for applied transportation and logistics research in Germany.

The Port of Magdeburg

covers the second largest area of any inland port in Germany and has developed into a logistics partner and systems service provider for multimodal transport chains. The port complex is located by the Elbe/Elbe-Havel Canal waterway junction and the A2 and A14 motorways. The low-water lock in the Rothensee junction canal helps to ensure that the Port of Magdeburg maintains a water depth of four metres 365 days a year, irrespective of the varying water levels of the river Elbe. The City of Otto is therefore home to the only port that does not depend on the rise and fall of the water levels on the Middle and Upper Elbe. Ships that dock at the port can make the most of its electricity and renewable energies, while a hybrid locomotive is used to transport goods and merchandise in the port area. Alongside the “GREENPORT Magdeburg”, the site is also home to a number of important logistics companies and logistics-related industries.

The Rothensee Industry and Logistics Centre (ILC)

With a total area of approximately 307 hectares, the Rothensee Industry and Logistics Centre (ILC) in the north of the city is the largest industrial site in Magdeburg and one of the largest logistics centres in Saxony-Anhalt. It is situated at the crossroads of the city's most essential traffic and transportation arteries. More than 30 industrial and logistics companies have been experiencing successful business development in the Rothensee location for many years. The ILC offers investors fully developed building plots with areas ranging from 2000 to 250,000m² that are perfectly designed to attract manufacturers looking to relocate to or establish themselves in the area.