Saarbrücken is the economic heart of the Saarland and is also an influential university city and research centre. Home of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence and the Max Planck Institute, it is where the latest developments in talking computers, intelligent systems and 3G mobile telephone technology are made. The number of IT firms is growing and there is an increasing focus on nanotechnology and biotechnology.

Within a radius of 100km Saarbrücken has a potential catchment area of four million consumers. Every year the Exhibition Centre stages around 13 trade fairs and exhibitions. Some of these are hosted for third parties and some organised by the trade fair company itself. It specialises in car exhibitions for the general public as well as hobby and consumer fairs.

Saarbrücken Exhibition Centre is situated close to the city and is only five minutes by car from the border with France. The Saar-Lor-Lux region is served by a variety of airports: Saarbrücken, Zweibrücken, Frankfurt Hahn, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Luxembourg. On a main railway line between France and Germany and with a comprehensive network of autobahns, Saarbrücken is easily accessible from almost anywhere in Europe.