In this interview, Christian Zaum, Düsseldorf's Head of Economic Affairs, talks about the importance of markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), economic neighbourhoods, and new dynamics in the state capital's business environment.

When he visited the city in 1811, the French emperor Napoleon is said to have called Düsseldorf ‘Le Petit Paris’. This marked the beginning of a wonderful friendship that continues to this day — including on an economic level.

From digital delivery logistics in the Netherlands and the IT ecosystems of a major European wholesaler to the premiere of a leading global trade fair in the Persian Gulf: players in the region are showing that trade encompasses much more than the mere transfer of goods. It is an integrative system of innovation and cooperation, and Düsseldorf is at the heart of it.