Eine Frau und ein Mann zeigen auf eine Weltkarte.

Economy and Regions

Ein Mann und eine Frau stehen mit Arbeitskleidung vor zwei Computer-Bildschirmen mit technischen Zeichnungen.

Economy and Regions

Innovation and competitiveness are built in the Regions

Industrial transformation, innovation, and growth cannot be imposed. They arise where stakeholders work together and regions are capable of action. Anyone who wants to secure the economic future must develop regional strength in a targeted manner.

Germany is engaged in intense debate about economic renewal, industrial transformation, and investments in the future. What matters is not so much what is decided politically, but where, how, and by whom it is implemented. Competitiveness does not arise in the abstract, but in concrete terms in companies, networks, and regions.

Economy: Low Growth requires Priorities – Transformation of the World of Work

The German economy is currently experiencing a period of low growth and limited momentum. Investment remains cautious, productivity gains are lower than in recent years, and key industrial sectors are facing profound upheaval. This also raises many questions for the world of work: How will digital technology change our work? Will it become more demanding, easier, or more monotonous? Will there even be any work left for humans when robots, artificial intelligence, and smart machines take over everything? Every technological revolution destroys jobs, but it also creates new ones, often ones that could not have been imagined before.

At the same time, it is becoming apparent that the next phase of growth will not occur across the board, but rather in places with the appropriate commitment and conditions.

Regions that are currently investing specifically in innovation, skills, and cooperation will benefit from this. Economic recovery is therefore less a question of timing than of preparation and consistent implementation.

Regions as the Operational Level of Transformation

Economic and structural policy goals have an impact where people work, innovate, and produce. Companies and regions are the operational level of various aspects of transformation. Well-connected stakeholders, functioning cluster initiatives, and resilient cooperation structures determine whether innovations are scaled successfully or fail to gain momentum. Access to regional networks is particularly crucial for small and medium-sized enterprises in order to develop and apply new technologies, products, and processes and tap into new markets.

Examples of Successful Regional Development

In industrial regions, cluster initiatives demonstrate how companies can jointly establish new value chains, for example in climate-neutral production processes, the circular economy or digital industrial applications. In rural areas, regional innovation networks secure skilled workers, strengthen start-ups, and retain industrial expertise locally. Successful regions are not necessarily the largest ones, but rather those that organise cooperation strategically and implement it consistently.

Implementation as the Critical Success Factor

Political ambitions and funding resources are available. The decisive factor is implementation. Programmes need to be coordinated, stakeholders engaged and measures managed effectively.

Without clear processes, practical experience and close regional engagement, even well-funded initiatives risk losing their impact.

Our Role

As regional offices and project management agency, we translate political objectives into implementable projects and programmes. Through studies and accompanying research activities, we analyse how technological developments are changing work and skills requirements and how the future of work can be shaped successfully.

We structure programmes, connect stakeholders and create reliability in complex development and transformation processes. In doing so, we help regions unlock their potential, strengthen cluster initiatives and ensure the long-term competitiveness of industrial locations.

In short: Ideas create impact when regions are well organised.

Studies and reports

Publications

Study: Cooperation as a key to success?
Study: Mechanical and plant engineering: A strategic component of the European battery ecosystem
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Title page of the study
Study: How companies can meet the growing demand for skilled workers in European battery cell production
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Cover New Digital Work
New Digital Work – Digital Sovereignty at the Workplace
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Contact

Please get in touch!

Portraitfoto Marc Bovenschulte

Dr. Marc Bovenschulte

Head of Department Industrial Policy and Foresight

marc.bovenschulte@vdivde-it.de +4930 310078-108

Portrait Ernst Andreas Hartmann

Dr. Ernst Andreas Hartmann

Head of Department Education, Science and Humanities

ernst.hartmann@vdivde-it.de +4930 310078-231

Portrait Gerd Meier zu Köcker

Dr. Gerd Meier zu Köcker

Head of Department Regional Transformation and Economic Development

mzk@vdivde-it.de +49 711 658355-11

Portrait Claudia Ritter

Dr. Claudia Ritter

Head of Department Transformation in SMEs and Industry

claudia.ritter@vdivde-it.de +4930 310078-360

Projects on this topic

An overview of current projects

European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis (ESCA)

The European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis (ESCA) originates in the European Cluster Excellence Initiative initiated by the European Commission. ESCA heads a European network of cluster experts who implement a three-step quality audit for cluster and network organisations. Thus far, more than…