The VDE as one of the largest European unions for the sectors and professions in the area of electrical and information technologies provides an international expert platform for businesses, students and young professionals that focuses on science, standardisation and product testing.

The German Association for Small and Medium-sized Businesses (BVMW) is the largest voluntarily organised union of the Mittelstand in Germany. In the framework of its alliance of associations it represents the interests of about 270,000 businesses that employ over 9,000,000 persons. The approximately 300 representatives of the BVMW engage in a daily dialogue with the Mittelstand at the regional, national and international level.

The Chambers of Commerce and Industry Cottbus, East Brandenburg and Potsdam, as statutory self-governing bodies of the business community in their respective districts, are champions for the overall interests of all the businesses pertaining to them. In the framework of a cooperation agreement the Chamber of Commerce and Industry East Brandenburg supports, through a division of labour, mainly the Cluster Metal; in doing so, it is directly involved in the work processes of the Cluster and coordinates the involvement of the other two Chambers of Commerce and Industry in the activities of the Cluster.

The Chambers of Crafts of Cottbus, Frankfurt/Oder and Potsdam support their members in overcoming their everyday challenges and thereby make a substantial contribution to the competitiveness of the enterprises and to the economic sector “craft trades”. They pick up on future trends and offer varied potential solutions ranging from training, further education and advanced training through operational consulting all the way to new applications for technological innovations. Important allies in the activities of the Cluster are the appointees for innovation and technology of the Chambers of Crafts. In the framework of a cooperation agreement the Chamber of Crafts Frankfurt/Oder supports, through a division of labour, mainly the Cluster Metal; in doing so, it is directly involved in the work processes of the Cluster and coordinates the involvement of the other two Chambers of Crafts in the activities of the Cluster.

is the economic development agency of the state of Brandenburg where the Cluster management as a neutral coordinator supports the innovation and cooperation endeavours of the metal sector.

The German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association as one of the most important industrial associations in Germany represents the interests of a high-tech sector with a very broad and extremely dynamic product portfolio. The Association’s work, which is being carried out also at a regional level in state offices, is based on the exchange of experience and views among its members on current technological, economic, legal and socio-political topics related to the electrical industry. This results in the drawing up of common positions.

is an open union consisting of partners from the fields of science and economy with special expertise in metal lightweight design and hybrid lightweight design. The network provides support in the search for lightweight design solutions, potential partners, suppliers and research institutes and it also provides information on suited funding programmes.

is a platform for the exchange of information and experience between the businesses of the sector. At the same time the ME offers ideal opportunities for establishing contacts with the higher education institutions and research institutes in Berlin and Brandenburg (and for strengthening them step by step). The network was established in 2007 in the framework of the network strategy of Brandenburg’s Ministry for Economic Affairs and since 2010 it has been operating under the leadership of the “Union of the Metal and Electrical Industry in Berlin and Brandenburg” (VME).

is a platform for the exchange of information and experience between the businesses of the sector. At the same time the ME offers ideal opportunities for establishing contacts with the higher education institutions and research institutes in Berlin and Brandenburg (and for strengthening them step by step). The network was established in 2007 in the framework of the network strategy of Brandenburg’s Ministry for Economic Affairs and since 2010 it has been operating under the leadership of the “Union of the Metal and Electrical Industry in Berlin and Brandenburg” (VME).

The Metalworker’s Industrial Union (IG Metall) is the largest single union in Germany; it is the worldwide largest organised worker representation and unites employees from the sectors of metal-electro, steel, textiles-clothing, wood-plastics and ICT. Within the district of IG Metall Berlin-Brandenburg-Saxony, regional administrative bodies have been established in Cottbus, Ludwigsfelde, Potsdam, Oranienburg, East Brandenburg and South Brandenburg, which serve as initial points of contact.

The “Network Metal” of the county Barnim as an association of metal processing businesses with joint interests continues the important tradition of this location. The network aims at establishing mutual communication and an exchange of information among businesses as well as at uncovering the so-far untapped potential for cooperation and synergies in order to strengthen the economic standing of the location.

has been working since 2007 to raise the profile of the steel and metal processing sector in Brandenburg and Berlin. profil.metall is based on four regional networks of the metal industry encompassing over 100 businesses that employ approximately 10,000 persons and generate a turnover of €2.5 billion; it works together with seven universities of applied sciences/higher education institutions and Fraunhofer institutes.

The VDI supports, promotes and represents engineers, natural scientists and computer scientists; in doing so it acts as an organizer and as a network. Professional skills and the transfer of knowledge at a high level are of key importance in the VDI and very valuable to entrepreneurs, employed persons and companies when creating new innovations or implementing them. In addition, the VDI members of the Regional Association (“Bezirksverein”) Berlin-Brandenburg act as multipliers of technological knowledge.

The Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA) is one of the most important association service providers and the largest sector network of the capital goods industry in Europe. Its regional representation in eastern Germany, the VDMA East, sees itself as the on-site voice of the sector. It provides varied services for its mostly mid-tier member businesses; it is also a very vocal institution that represents the interests of its members vis-à-vis state and communal politics, and its comprehensive network facilitates a joint advancement of important topics. In Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt as well as in Thuringia approximately 350 businesses, plants and subsidiaries benefit from these services.

The Union of the Metal and Electrical Industry in Berlin and Brandenburg (“Verband der Metall- und Elektroindustrie in Berlin und Brandenburg“; VME) is a voluntary and solidarity-based union of businesses from the largest industrial sector within the joint economic area Berlin-Brandenburg. As it is in charge of free collective bargaining it supports the labour conditions and economic conditions of its member businesses and, in doing so, it fosters the overall competitiveness of the metal and electrical industry.

The Working Group Metal and Electrical Industry (ARGE MEI) originated in 2005 and was previously known as the Network Metal Industry Finsterwalde-Lauchhammer. More than 60 businesses from the sector of the counties Elbe-Elster and Oberspreewald-Lausitz as well as of the federal state Saxony-Anhalt are active in the group. The regular entrepreneur meetings always take place at one of the member businesses.