Opportunities for German Companies in Connecticut
Connecticut and Germany have long operated under the same industrious and productive culture. Connecticut, and its capital of Hartford, specifically, is known as the Insurance Capital of the World and was once nicknamed the Arsenal of Democracy for its high-quality defense manufacturing industry, which still exists to this day. Both Connecticut and Germany are synonymous with quality, a fact that has led to a rapid increase in German investment in Connecticut in recent decades, especially in the advanced manufacturing and life sciences industries. These economic ties have led to stronger cultural and educational ones, with programs like the Baden-Wuerttemberg – Connecticut Exchange for university students and the German School of Connecticut’s (designated a German Center of Excellence by the American Association of Teacher of German) Corporate Language Program ensuring that stronger bonds between our two locations continue to be forged.
Connecticut boasts an incredibly dense and productive population, with productivity on par with world leaders such as Switzerland, Singapore, and Qatar1. Connecticut and Germany are among the world’s most developed states, sharing a near identical Human Development Index score (which captures life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators). As a result of these similarities, Germany plays an outsized role in the economy of Connecticut. Germany accounts for the #1 largest source of foreign direct investment in the state, with more than 14% of all foreign direct investment in Connecticut coming from Germany2. Connecticut-based subsidiaries of German companies currently sustain the 3rd highest source of foreign employment in the state3, with more than 14,100 jobs4 supported by the more than 70 German companies located here5. Germany is the #1 export destination for Connecticut companies6, with more than $2.1 billion in goods exported to Germany in 20226. In fact, more than 14% of all Connecticut goods exports are sent to Germany7.
Notable German Companies with Major Operations in Connecticut
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An Advanced Manufacturing Powerhouse
Connecticut is one of the premier centers for advanced and precision manufacturing in the United States. The state's manufacturing prowess is rooted in our aerospace and defense industry, with thousands of supply chain and component firms supporting the production of jet engines, helicopters, and nuclear submarines among others. Industry stalwarts like Pratt & Whitney, the Lee Company, and Hanwha Aerospace have made the state the most productive aerospace center in the U.S., exporting more aerospace products to Germany than any other country. As the state with the #3 most aerospace employment per capita8 and the #1 location in the U.S. for aerospace worker productivity9, it's true that nothing flies without Connecticut.
A booming shipbuilding industry centered around General Dynamics Electric Boat’s nuclear submarine shipyards in Groton has resulted in Connecticut’s southeastern corner being named one of the top 10 manufacturing hubs in the nation10. Due to these valuable supply chain companies and State Pier New London – one of the only unobstructed deep water ports in the northeastern U.S. – the area has also become a nucleus for the U.S. offshore wind industry, serving as a staging and assembly point for multiple projects.
Key Facts About Connecticut
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The Home for Biomedical Research & Development
Connecticut’s industriousness extends beyond manufacturing into life sciences as well, where the state ranks as one of the top medical device manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and research and development locations in the United States. Anchored by university partners like Yale University (the #2 university in the country18) and the University of Connecticut (UConn) and major international companies like Boehringer Ingelheim and Pfizer, Connecticut’s life sciences ecosystem has boomed in recent years, with New Haven – the home of Yale – ranking #9 in the nation for life sciences growth19 and Stamford ranking #1 for 5-year job growth in physical, engineering, and life sciences research and development20. In addition to New Haven and Stamford, life sciences clusters can also be found around Farmington (centered around the UConn Health Center) and Groton (centered around the defense industry and blue technology).
Boehringer Ingelheim U.S. Headquarters in Ridgefield, CT
1The World Bank, GDP current USD, 2022, Bureau of Economic Analysis, GDP current USD, 2022, AdvanceCT calculations, CT GDP per capita adjusted downward for consistency with The World Bank’s United States GDP estimate, uses U.S. Census PEP, 2022; 2U.S. Department of Commerce, 2024; 3Global Business Alliance, 2023; 4Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023; 5Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023; 6Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, 2024; 7U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration, 2023; 8U.S. Census Bureau,, 2022; 9Lightcast, 2023; 10New London #10 among small size hubs, Business Facilities, 2023;11Lightcast, 2023; 12STEM Location Quotient, Lightcast, 2022; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET definition; AdvanceCT calculations; 13Lightcast, 2022; 14WalletHub, 2024; 15Lightcast, 2023; 16National Science Foundation, 2021; 17TEConomy/BIO, 20222; 18Forbes, 2023; 19Business Facilities, 2023; 20among MSAs with 500+ industry jobs, Lightcast 2022
