Actually, Hamburg and Bremen are likely to be the least successful states in Germany with the larger southern states (Bavaria, e.g.) usually taking the lead whe

Actually, Hamburg and Bremen are likely to be the least successful states in Germany with the larger southern states (Bavaria, e.g.) usually taking the lead when it comes to economic strength and wealth. And while there might be some sort of engineering tradition, that doesn’t mean said tradition is a prerequisite to form a diverse economy. The real lesson here is probably that, while size is not a sufficient prerequisite for economic stability, it might well be a necessary one.