The city of Pforzheim is the economic and cultural centre of the northern Black Forest region. The city counts as one of the most important business locations in the German state of Baden-Württemberg and boasts a unique combination of core expertise in the fields of jewellery and watchmaking, metal working and precious metals, precision engineering, and design and information services.
The traditional jewellery and watchmaking industry founded more than two centuries ago established the reputation of Pforzheim as the Goldstadt. Regardless of the economic upheavals of today and changes brought about by globalisation, Pforzheim remains the manufacturing location for approx. 70% of German jewellery goods and is a production centre for almost half of the watches "Made in Germany".

The city of Pforzheim also enjoys considerable expertise in a number of other areas and presents itself as a modern and future-oriented centre for production and services with a high concentration of high tech companies and an innovative and competitive group of Mittelstand (medium-sized often family-owned) companies. Based on traditional industries, the city of Pforzheim has become an attractive business location for companies in the fields of fine stamping, precision engineering, medical engineering, dental technology and toolmaking. In the meantime, these areas have formed manufacturing clusters, and there are plans to selectively promote and support the respective companies.

The tradition of gold and jewellery is also one of the main reasons for the wide range of expertise Pforzheim has in the area of design. The University of Pforzheim and private service providers are leaders in the world of jewellery and fashion design, industrial design, and transportation design. The city of Pforzheim combines economic power and creativity in an ideal way and therefore provides attractive conditions for a business location. The IT sector, which is still growing, completes the comprehensive nature of Pforzheim as a business location which means that the right conditions already exist for a successful business future in the city.