5 Coworking Spaces in Wuppertal

About Wuppertal

Known for its "Schwebebahn" (think suspension monorail) dating from 1901, Wuppertal is a city in the west of Germany in the North Rhine-Westphalia region. It sits in the Wupper Valley east of Dusseldorf with a population of approximately 350,000. Cloaked in steep slopes, vast woods and lush green parks, Wuppertal is the greenest city in Germany with two-thirds of the city area being "green" space. From anywhere in the city it will only take you ten minutes to walk to a woodland path or a public park. In amongst this green serenity you will now find coworking venues catering to its' locals who like to live in their own bubble of clean air and lush surrounds.

Once Wuppertal was one of the largest industrial regions in Europe and it is still home to industries such as textiles, metallurgy, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and the like. A quirky fact is that "Asprin" originates from here and was patented in 1897 by Bayer. Both the European Institute for International Economic Relations and the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy are based in the city.

Germany's startup scene is thriving with opportunities given to creative souls to pitch their ventures to investors at "Startup Germany" that went on tour at the instigation of the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad. The startup scene is a bit of a mixed bag with almost 30% of startup staff not being German.

There are a few hurdles to overcome such as red tape hassles, language barriers and the fact that most founders wish to hire skilled foreign workers. Eight out of ten German startups wish to go international but legal systems and regulations may be inhibitors in this regard. Despite these niggles, coworking spaces are overflowing with creatives in collaborative mode, whilst mingling with a vibrant community of greenies.