The region Berlin-Brandenburg is leading in respect to innovative information- and communication technologies. About 3,700 companies with more than 38,000 employees offer IT solutions for all sectors and public administration. This development is enforced by the close connection between business and science within several specific network activities. The region Berlin-Brandenburg also shows a high number of universities and higher education institutions, offering information technology related study programmes. Research facilities like the Hasso-Plattner-Institute in Potsdam, the Fraunhofer-Institutes and the Konrad-Zuse-Zentrum in Berlin are leading in the development of technological progress in the information and communication field.