Security as a Location Factor in Frankfurt

This week, I attended an event organized by the Economic Council of the CDU at UBS in Frankfurt. The Swiss bank is the anchor tenant on the top floors of the Opernturm. Sükriya Aclan (UBS) opened the evening. The discussion was moderated by Hans Joachim Reinke (Union Investment), who serves as the spokesperson for the Frankfurt/Main section of the Economic Council of Hesse.

With insightful contributions from Martin Rößler, State Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior for Security and Homeland Protection, and Stefan Müller, Chief of Police in Frankfurt, the focus was on a topic that goes far beyond local issues: security as a location factor.

Frankfurt competes with cities like London, Paris, and Zurich as a financial and real estate hub. The quality of a location is defined not only by infrastructure, accessibility, or urban amenities. Security is also an essential competitive factor. Only where people have trust can sustainable value be created, capital be invested in the long term, and talent be retained.

For example, the current planned sale of the Opernturm at a purchase price of around €900 million underlines that security is a highly relevant factor for the real estate market. Those who invest in Frankfurt rely on a city that must be positioned for the future, not only economically but also in terms of security, both in the analog and digital realms.

My thanks go to the Economic Council of the CDU and UBS for providing the platform for this exchange in an exceptional setting at the very top of the Opernturm, with a view across Frankfurt.

Ronny Kazyska

Ronny Kazyska with Hans Joachim Reinke (Union Investment), Stefan Müller (Polizeipräsident Frankfurt) & Martin Rößler (CDU)