Jena is a vibrant and fast-growing hub for the high-tech industry. With international players setting up, the city is internationally known as Germany’s “Optics Valley.” The secret of Jena’s success is rooted in its heritage as the cradle of Europe’s optical and photonics industry. Carl Zeiss, the world-famous lens and camera producer, began his pioneering work here in 1846. More than a century later, after the reunification of Germany in 1990, the internationally renowned company ZEISS re-established its base in Jena. The city is also home to iconic glass manufacturer Schott and global photonics manufacturer Jenoptik.

For a small university city in Germany, with a population of just 100,000, Jena is attracting a lot of international attention. Companies such as US global manufacturing services group Jabil Circuit, Israel’s technology group Orbotech and Switzerland’s ground-breaking engineering group Feintool have invested strategically in the region, which has enjoyed unprecedented growth in the last years. Today in 2025, more than 100 companies dedicated about optical and photonic technologies, many of them “Hidden Champions” and global players within their specific portfolio, have rendered Jena a famous high-tech location in the center of Germany which is unique concerning its sheer density of enthusiasts and experts in optics and photonics.?