The iron will and vision of one enterprising man once laid the foundation for a company history unlike any other that has achieved worldwide recognition and renown. The company's founder Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin and his brilliant colleague Claude Dornier with his Do X are known the world over as pioneers of the aerospace industry to this day. For the economic region of Lake Constance, this success story is of central importance. Zeppelin and Dornier are the driving forces behind an industrial and technological development that has put the region of Lake Constance on the map as a significant hub and marketplace of ideas for successful entrepreneurs and business
concepts. Here, ideas become reality.

This pioneering industrial and technological history has given rise to numerous industrial sectors and firms that still exist today; companies that are successful on the global market and help to shape the image of the region substantially. More than 50 companies have emerged directly from the activities surrounding Zeppelin and Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH. Companies like ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Zeppelin Mobile Systeme GmbH, MTU
(Motoren- und Turbinenunion Friedrichshafen), EADS Astrium and many more are global market leaders, generating billions in profits. The Zeppelin Group alone earns some 1.8 billion euros in revenues today in its 190 locations around the world.

Zeppelin and Dornier wrote history. Even today, entrepreneurship, creativity and foresight are key drivers for scientific and economic progress in the region. The Zeppelin and Dornier Museums in Friedrichshafen are home to the most significant collection of objects from this unique technological history. Visitors from all over the world come to Lake Constance to follow in the footsteps of these pioneers.

The Geberit group with headquarters in Jona (Canton of St.Gallen) is the European market leader in sanitary technology. Geberit has a global presence with representatives in 41 countries and some 6,000 employees worldwide. Since 1874, the company founded by Caspar Melchior Albert Gebert has been a pioneer in the industry,
constantly setting new trends with its innovative system solutions in the field of sanitary systems and piping systems. The company’s largest production site after its headquarters in Jona, is in Pfullendorf (district of Sigmaringen) with 1,500 employees. The sanitary systems product range comprises four product lines: installation
systems, cisterns and mechanisms, faucets and flushing systems, as well as waste fittings and traps. The piping systems product range encompasses two product lines: building drainage systems and supply systems.

As early as the beginning of the 20th century, the “Phoenix,” the first wooden cistern system in the world developed by Geberit, enabled houses to be fitted with toilets, bringing about an astonishing improvement to hygienic conditions and thus the quality of life at the time. Leo Gebert is also considered the inventor of the valve-based toilet flushing mechanism that is still used today. This spirit of innovation continues to define the company.

For decades, Geberit has proved that long-term business success is compatible with environmentally-friendly and socially responsible policies. The company was rewarded for its efforts in 2010 by coming tenth among the 100 most sustainable companies worldwide at the World Economic Forum in Davos, an accolade awarded once a year. The magazine Wirtschaftswoche even nominated Geberit as the most sustainable company in the world in 2011. Corporate citizenship also plays an important role at Geberit, both in global aid projects and with regard to its own employees.

The company’s new, ultramodern logistics centre in Pfullendorf was presented with the Logistics Prize in 2011 by the German Logistics Association. The company’s efforts to centralise and restructure its logistics have paid off: from 2009 to 2010, it reduced its inventory by 28 percent, cut its logistics costs by 15 percent, and slashed the average processing time for a customer order by a good quarter from 4.3 to 3.2 days in Europe.

When people talk about Lake Constance, they usually mean the greater whole. After all, it is the landscape, the countries and above all the people around the lake that make the region what it is. Three million people live and work around Lake Constance. The region extends over four countries, several cantons, districts and federal states. Nowadays, regions are in competition with each other in many respects, vying with each other to attract companies. Qualified specialists choose those cities and regions that offer them the best perspectives for both their professional and private goals. As a holiday destination, we are also up against palm beaches, mountain resorts and short city breaks. The region of Lake Constance can succeed in this competition in particular if it positions itself as an all-rounder with a distinct brand. As a business venue, it boasts a balanced mix of small and medium-sized companies and global players. As a holiday destination, the wealth of cultural treasures and the friendliness of the people here make it appealing. And as a location for research and education, its close links to innovative companies make it distinctive.

But to be able to communicate the region’s many advantages efficiently, we need an umbrella: a regional brand. One that pools the communicative efforts of all involved partners. It should also symbolise the longstanding, cross-border cooperation by the EU’s Interreg programme, the International Lake Constance Conference and other
networks around the lake.

The regional brand “Fourcountryregion Bodensee” was officially launched on 13 September 2011 in conjunction with several highlights. The brand was unveiled by the 14 project partners aboard the ferry Tábor in a spectacular event with 300 balloons in the brand’s colours of orange, red and violet. At the same time, a film presenting the brand had its world premiere, as did the biggest Lake Constance panorama picture of all time by Achim Mende, attached to the side of the ferry. Over 100 guests from Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Principality of Liechtenstein celebrated “beyond borders” on the lake.

“Our new face, the regional brand ‘Fourcountryregion Bodensee’ suits us. Like us, it is dynamic, interesting and varied – in all respects. Its four colours stand for the four countries in the region – grouped around the region’s heart, the lake,” District Administrator Frank Hämmerle (Constance) describes the new regional brand. District Administrator Lothar Wölfle (Bodenseekreis district) emphasises: “With the regional brand, we have finally created a symbol of what is so special about the region of Lake Constance – our now traditional cross-border cooperation.”
All speakers at the launch praised the combined effort of the four countries in the project, represented by partners from the areas of tourism, business, politics and science, Baschnegger Ammann Partner (the agency from Vorarlberg responsible for developing the regional brand), as well as Lorth Gessler Mittelstaedt GmbH (film production).

The regional brand was unveiled by all project partners together. The new film presenting the regional brand shows how the brand developed and introduces the region’s gems: High-tech companies, research and educational institutions, wonderful scenery with top destinations for days out, cultural highlights and of course the lake
all compete for attention. Together with the new homepage www.vierlaenderregion. com, the film represents the new regional brand for the time being – until it has been printed on all the flyers and brochures in the region, which will boost its impact. “The launch of the regional brand is a unique opportunity for the region of Lake Constance to achieve the glory it deserves as a location for business, science and tourism. The fact that it comes top in all the
relevant rankings is further proof of this,” Thorsten Leupold, CEO of Bodensee Standort Marketing GmbH, summarises the enthusiastic response of guests at the launch.

For further information on the regional brand “Fourcountryregion Bodensee” and on licenses for its use, see: www.vierlaenderregion.com

Friedrichshafen on the shores of Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg in the border triangle between Germany, Austria and Switzerland is the birthplace of the Zeppelins and a popular destination for tourists from Germany and abroad. Friedrichshafen has some 59,000 inhabitants. Traditionally, it is an industrial town in which people work whose daily life demands a high level of qualifications. The town is home to leading corporations like ZF, Zeppelin, MTU or EADS. The international airport connects the economic region of Friedrichshafen to international air traffic. The town has also made a name for itself internationally as a location for trade fairs. A further considerable sector of the economy is tourism.

With a view to the future, the home of the Zeppelins is increasingly making its mark as a centre of education. Education is the key to long-term success, both for individuals and for the economy and society. The educational landscape in Friedrichshafen has changed dramatically in recent years. The town not only invests in its infrastructure, but also finances after-school care to enable employees to reconcile the demands of a career and family. In this way, it helps to promote Friedrichshafen as a business venue.

It also puts money into developing its schools: At the beginning of the 2010/2011 school year, the lower secondary-level schools (Hauptschulen) were transformed into “Werkrealschulen”. Friedrichshafen is home to numerous private schools that round off the choice of education. In addition, it supports educational programmes for children, for example it organises "knowledge workshops” and the “Children’s university”. Learning should be
fun for all ages. Friedrichshafen’s kindergartens for pre-school children follow the motto “fördern und fordern” (challenge and encourage). It is never too early to start learning independently.

To make life-long learning as exciting and attractive as possible, the town offers a wealth of opportunities. Reading is not only a good way to learn facts, it also helps to improve children's vocabulary and expression. k42, the media house on the lake in the middle of town offers a vast reservoir of knowledge that can be consumed on site or taken home.

Friedrichshafen is making a name for itself in the region as a town of education. Some 750 young people study at the Friedrichshafen campus of the Cooperate State University and 850 at Zeppelin University (ZU), a private, officially recognised university on Lake Constance. Zeppelin University was the first private university to be given the right to award doctorates by the state of Baden-Württemberg. This puts Friedrichshafen in a league with
other university towns in Baden-Württemberg. The Fallenbrunnen,  a former barracks, are being converted into a commercial park and university campus for the Zeppelin University and the Cooperative State University. To keep the “grey matter” active, the Friedrichshafen adult education college vhs offers a wide range of courses for all ages.