Hamburg is Germany’s second largest city and Europe’s third largest port. Known for its cosmopolitan feel and iconic bridges and canals, the city has also grown to be one of the science and research hubs in Europe where some very important work is being done every day. The city has been making great progress under the leadership of mayor Peter Tschentscher who assumed the office in the spring of 2018. Tschentscher was born in Bremen and grew up in Oldenburg in Lower Saxony, where he also attended gymnasium. He went on to study medicine and molecular biology at the University of Hamburg, earning his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1995. He served as State Minister of Finance in Olaf Scholz’s first and second cabinets from 2011 until 2018. Hamburg has already established itself as one of Europe’s most dynamic transportation and logistics hubs. The topics of mobility, energy, foreign trade, shipping and tourism have traditionally played a big part in Hamburg, owing in part to its geographical location. However, in the recent past, the city has been paying a lot of attention to climate change, innovations, green energy and smart city policies. In October 2021, Mayor Tschentscher officially presented the world’s first train that operates by itself in rail traffic. With the driver present in the train only to supervise the trip, all other parts of the journey such as shunting and turning the train around is done without on-board personnel. To further portray the level of effort the city has been putting into mobility innovations, it may be enough to say that automated drones will soon be used in the Port of Hamburg, making a significant number of operations smoother and more effective. Mayor Tschentscher said Hamburg is the north’s capital of mobility thanks to it being the world’s third-largest location for civil aviation, a major port city and one of Europe’s railway hubs, among other things. The ITS World Congress, the most important international industry convention in the field of Intelligent Transportation Systems, took place in Hamburg in 2021. The event was held under the slogan “Experience Future Mobility Now”. Given the amount of contribution Hamburg makes to the establishment of pioneering mobility and transportation options, the German city made a truly perfect host city for this major event. Even though Hamburg is primarily known for its highly diverse industrial sector, mayor Tschentscher also makes sure cultural activities are not overlooked. In 2024, Hamburg will become home to Europe’s largest digital museum,  which will also be the largest climate-neutral museum in Europe. This confirms the image of Hamburg as the city in which things are always done in an innovative way. Led by mayor Tschentscher, this vibrant German metropolis is growing in every sphere and keeps going above and beyond. (photo credit: Hamburg official website)