Berlin. The Chairman of the Board of Management of
BMW AG, Oliver Zipse, and the Head of BMW Motorrad, Dr. Markus
Schramm, in the presence of the Federal Chancellor of the Federal
Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz and Berlin’s Governing Mayor Kai
Wegner, opened BMW Motorrad Welt in Berlin yesterday, 28 September
2023, as the highlight of the brand’s anniversary celebrations. This
took place exactly 100 years to the day after the first BMW
motorcycle, the R 32, was presented at the Berlin Motor Show on 28
September 1923.
The ceremony was attended by 150 guests from politics, business
and the press. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of BMW
Motorrad and the opening of the BMW Motorrad Welt, the company makes a
donation of 100,000 euros. As an international brand with a production
site in Berlin, this amount benefits both an international institution
such as UNICEF and local and regional charities in Berlin and Brandenburg.
The highlight of the opening ceremony was not only the
presentation of the best custom bikes based on the BMW R 18 model
family as part of the BMW Motorrad Customizing Championship, but also
the world premiere of the new BMW R 1300 GS, which continues the
success story of the GS series.
“Today, BMW Motorrad is more innovative and diverse than
ever. BMW Motorrad Welt perfectly embodies and presents our claim:
Technological innovations that inspire people. Over the past eight
years, we have invested more than half a billion euros in training and
further education as well as state-of-the-art production technologies
at the BMW Group Plant in Berlin. This is not only an endorsement of
Berlin as a traditional location, but even more a clear commitment by
BMW to Germany as an industrial location,” says Oliver Zipse,
Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG.
“When we celebrate 100 years of BMW Motorrad today, we are
of course celebrating 100 years of German industrial history, 100
years of development and innovation, 100 years of global competition,”
said Olaf Scholz, Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of
Germany at the anniversary celebration. “The industrial country of
Germany thrives on women and men who choose a career in industry. I
was able to get an idea of how they work here last December.
Craftsmanship meets high-tech, digitalization in education and
training, employees with a wide variety of backgrounds, all of whom
are passionate about 100-year traditional crafts, that impressed me. I
am happy that with today’s opening of the Motorrad Welt, BMW is also
enabling many curious people to discover what is being created here in
Berlin thanks to your work.”
BMW Motorrad and the BMW Group Plant Berlin: a long-standing
joint success story.
BMW Motorrad Welt is located
adjacent to the BMW motorcycle plant in Berlin-Spandau and thus
exactly where the heart of the BMW Motorrad brand beats. BMW
motorcycles have been manufactured in Berlin since 1969. Every day,
900 motorcycles and premium
e-scooters roll off the assembly
line on almost 230,000 square metres and in partly listed buildings.
BMW Motorrad Welt now moves into its new home in one of the historic
brick buildings.
“The BMW Group Plant in Berlin is one of the most
steeped-in-tradition and at the same time most innovative industrial
locations in Berlin and the region. It is an essential part of the BMW
Motorrad success story. Almost the entire BMW Motorrad model range is
manufactured in Berlin. From here we control the manufacturing in our
international production network. It fills us with pride that we are
reaffirming our commitment to Berlin with the opening of BMW Motorrad
Welt at the production site,” emphasises Helmut Schramm, Head of
BMW Group Plant Berlin.
“BMW Motorrad and the innovation capital Berlin — that’s a
perfect match, and we’re proud that Berlin is part of the company’s
100-year success story. The plant at Am Juliusturm is a poster child
for Berlin as a location; the employees at the BMW Motorradwerk
provide proof every day that the answers to the mobility issues of our
time come not only from China or Silicon Valley, but in fact from
Berlin-Spandau as well. With the newly opened Motorrad Welt, Berlin
will have one more attraction in the future — a real gift for the
100th anniversary of the major brand ‘Made in Berlin'”, explains
Kai Wegner, Governing Mayor of Berlin.
“With BMW Motorrad Welt, our brand finds a home directly
where our motorcycles are manufactured in Berlin. The term home is
associated with strong emotions – just like BMW Motorrad Welt Berlin.
It is our Home of the Brand. On an area of around 1,000 square metres,
it offers a holistic brand experience that connects BMW Motorrad with
its community in a lively and highly emotional way,” says Markus
Schramm, Head of BMW Motorrad, describing the cornerstones of BMW
Motorrad Welt Berlin.
Interactive presentations and glimpses behind the
scenes.
The interactive presentation of current BMW
Motorrad vehicles is one of the central components of BMW Motorrad
Welt Berlin. Special exhibitions – on the subject of customizing, for
example – as well as selected highlights from the BMW Motorrad Gear
& Garment Collection and Original BMW Motorrad Accessories round
off the experience at BMW Motorrad Welt Berlin.
Thrilling live broadcasts or a meet & greet with prominent
motorbike VIPs are just as much a permanent fixture at BMW Motorrad
Welt as are art exhibitions, living room concerts, autograph sessions
with well-known artists and the Motorcycle Cinema. BMW Motorrad Welt
offers a variety of different activities for the general public,
motorcycle fans and all BMW Group employees.
From Monday to Friday, visitors can also experience the
fascination of state-of-the-art vehicle production at BMW Motorrad by
going on tours of the plant. In addition, a guided tour of the plant
grounds and through the production halls offers a rare opportunity to
take a look behind the scenes of two-wheeler production and to
experience the passion and team spirit of the Berlin plant at first hand.
BMW Motorrad Welt as an emotional platform for events,
including rental options.
With its spacious and
emotional room concept, BMW Motorrad Welt in Berlin offers a wide
range of possibilities for events of all kinds. Be it conferences,
interactive workshops, meetings, closed room events or celebrations –
BMW Motorrad Welt Berlin offers the right, extraordinary setting. In
addition, the BMW Motorrad Welt facilities can be rented externally.
Next weekend, 30 September to 1 October, BMW Motorrad Welt will
open its doors to the public. With a colourful entertainment
programme, live music and gastronomic highlights,
BMW Motorrad
Welt invites everyone who is interested to be part of the grand
opening weekend. Admission is free.
The regular BMW Motorrad Welt opening hours.
Mon – Sun: 10.00 am – 7.00 pm.
Public holidays: Closed.
You will find press material on BMW motorcycles and BMW Motorrad
rider equipment in the BMW Group PressClub at www.press.bmwgroup.com.
In case of queries, please contact:
Dominik Schaidnagel, Communications BMW Motorrad
Tel.:
+49-151-601-50181, Dominik.Schaidnagel@bmw.de
Christine Graeber, Press, Public Relations and Employee
Communications BMW Group Werk Berlin
Tel: +49-151-6030-2225, Christine.Graeber@bmw.de
Tim Diehl-Thiele, Head of Communications BMW Motorrad
Tel:
+49-151-601-57505, Tim.Diehl-Thiele@bmw.de
Internet: www.press.bmw.de
E-mail: presse@bmw.de
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI,
Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading
premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides
premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production
network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has
a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2022, the BMW Group sold nearly 2.4 million passenger
vehicles and more than 202,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit
before tax in the financial year 2022 was € 23.5 billion on revenues
amounting to € 142.6 billion. As of 31 December 2022, the BMW Group
had a workforce of 149,475 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the
future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and
efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from
the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.
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