Client: Association for Economic Development
Participants in the project: 50 representatives from business, industry, trade and administration to date
Period: 2023 - 2024 -2025
Contact: Thomas Huber, consultant for the structure of the overall process and moderation of the workshops
Description:
In the shadow of the big cities, smaller towns often struggle for their economic future. But it doesn't have to stay that way, as a remarkable project in a city with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants impressively demonstrates. Under the title “Zukunftsarbeit Wirtschaftsstandort”, an innovative approach is being taken here to specifically promote the economic strength and attractiveness of the location. The special feature: It is a comprehensive, strategic process that attempts to involve all relevant stakeholders and relies on systematic, fact-based analysis.
The focus is on intensive cooperation between a “core working group”, consisting of local business representatives, and a “resonance group”, in which other decision-makers and opinion leaders from regional politics are represented. The project is supported by external experts who contribute new perspectives and proven methods from other regions. Existing potentials and challenges of the location were analyzed and discussed in several workshops and excursions.
The procedure has a clear structure and - despite the time constraints of those involved - sets clear priorities: First, the current strengths and weaknesses of the location were determined in a well-founded inventory. Given the heterogeneous composition of the groups, this step was extremely important in order to create an overall picture and understanding of the region and city that was shared by everyone.
On this basis, the participants developed scenarios and visions for the economic future of the city. Particular attention was paid to the “megatrends”: digitalization, sustainable energy, new mobility concepts and artificial intelligence were not only seen as challenges, but also as opportunities for the location. These trends could be used to promote innovative business models and support existing companies in their transformation.
The process itself is very dynamic. The working groups include representatives from different sectors and institutions who contribute their experience and ideas. Intensive discussions are held not only to find common ground, but also to exploit differences in order to find the best solutions. The dialog is accompanied by our external moderation, in which we ensure that all perspectives are taken into account and that the focus always remains on the common goal.
A key result of the project is the development of a clear vision of how the business location should develop over the next five to ten years from the perspective and with the broad agreement of all those involved. Specific guidelines are currently being defined for the promotion of certain sectors that are already strong in the city or have great potential for the future, such as viticulture and the creative industries. At the same time, it was recognized that targeted investments in digital infrastructure, in a business-friendly administration and in attracting and retaining qualified specialists are of crucial importance for the competitiveness of the business location.
However, the project goes beyond the purely economic perspective. It sees economic development and quality of life as two sides of the same coin. In the workshops, there were intensive discussions on how the city can be made more attractive not only economically, but also as a place to live - whether through an improved transport and energy transition, the expansion of educational opportunities or the promotion of culture and leisure activities.
The special thing about this “work for the future” is the comprehensive participation of all relevant stakeholders, which made it really clear that it was not a case of “us versus them”, but rather a reconciliation of old strengths with new opportunities for the future.
The immediately urgent short-term needs and necessary measures are also discussed.
However, the long-term perspective is much more important. Instead of focusing on quick successes, a sustainable development process is being initiated here that will make the city fit for the challenges of the future. It is an encouraging example of how even smaller cities can shape their future with confidence and purpose - and become model regions for innovative economic strategies in the process.
This initiative shows that a sustainable economic strategy begins with a clear plan and the courage to break new ground. The city proves how many committed representatives from business and politics there are locally, with whom you can achieve great things even as a small location if you tackle it properly.
