Lahr acts as an important economic, logistical and regional fulcrum given its central location between the two business regions of Freiburg and Offenburg/Ortenau. As an associate member of the Freiburg business region, Lahr is located within the “Dreiländereck” region at the borders of Germany, France and Switzerland. As full member of the Offenburg/Ortenau business region, Lahr is at the same time part of a business region characterized by above-average growth, product diversity and the toughest quality standards.

Lahr serves as cross-border residential and trading area, and thus also acts as an interface to France, with an important bridging function to France. The Lahr business region benefits from a prime location in the upper Rhine valley which offers a variety of leisure and relaxation possibilities between the cities of Strasbourg and Freiburg.

Lahr also offers outstanding connections to regional and cross-regional transport networks. Lahr lies at the interchange between the major North to South and East to West trade routes. Good road and rail connections and the Black Forest Airport Lahr give Lahr everything it needs to serve as a cross-border business region.

A feature of the surrounding region is the huge potential offered by a bi- and tri-lingual workforce brought up in a common cultural area. Around 12,000 people commute to Lahr every day, forming a strong connection between the city and its surrounding communities, with France and with the region as a whole. In the fields of education and research, the European Confederation of Upper Rhine Universities (EUCOR) has created a framework to foster and intensify cross-border cooperation.