business promotion

Forschungsgebäude der Hochschule Aalen

Wirtschaftsförderung Ostalbkreis – Target Future

With around 24,000 companies from a wide range of industries and of various sizes, the Ostalbkreis district is a thriving location that continues to be strong in production. The Prognos Institute’s Future Atlas 2022 rates the district as one of the top growth regions for future industries in Germany with high economic potential.

The team of the Ostalbkreis Economic Development Office-European Office-Contact Point Women and Career consistently aligns its activities with the „goal of the future“ and the creation of optimal framework conditions for companies, start-ups and skilled workers. In the network of companies, chambers, associations, university and research institutions, municipalities as well as authorities and institutions on regional, state, federal and EU level, a lot is moved. This also includes advice on settlement issues and funding opportunities.

Due to the transformation in the economy and society, diverse adaptation processes are being implemented in order to remain competitive as a location in rural areas compared to urban centers in the future. „One of the great strengths of the district and the region is to bundle interests and to jointly develop concepts, projects and solutions,“ says the head of economic development, Andrea Hahn. This is reflected in numerous successful competition participations, cooperations and lighthouse projects to strengthen the business location.

Bild in der Vogelperspektive auf dem man 5 Menschen sieht die um einen Tisch herum sitzen und arbeiten

NiO – Lighthouses with European appeal

Together with its regional network partners, the Ostalbkreis is continuously involved in the structural support of the EU and the state of Baden-Württemberg. With the innovation strategy NiO „Sustainable innovations in the Ostalbkreis – future ideas for people & the environment“, the district has again successfully applied in the state competition RegioWIN 2030 for the EU funding period 2021 to 2027. Funding from the state and the European Regional Development Fund can be used for implemented and emerging lighthouse projects. In 2014, the eule gmünder wissenswerkstatt opened as an exciting and experimental research center for schoolchildren. In 2015, the innovation center at Aalen University INNO-Z followed to support start-ups on campus, which has since been expanded to include the InnoZ-AAccelerator. In 2018, the European Training and Transfer Academy for Young Adults (EATA) started operations in Ellwangen. Young people from European countries with high youth unemployment as well as young refugees with good prospects of staying receive language training here and are prepared for an apprenticeship or a profession in parallel. In 2020, the Center for Technology for Sustainability – Resource Conservation, Environment, CO2 Reduction (ZTN) was able to open a research building at Aalen University that focuses on the future topics of sustainable mobility, resource efficiency and renewable energies. With the AI Workshop for SMEs, another lighthouse has been added at Aalen University since January 2023, through which companies and start-ups receive targeted support on their way to new AI-driven products.

In addition, the Center for Human Resource Development ZHUM and the Creative Hall Assisted Living at Schwäbisch Gmünd University of Education are development and testing sites for future fields such as Economy 4.0 and digitally supported improvement of the quality of life in old age.

LEADER

The Ostalbkreis is 2023 – 2027 with 30 municipalities involved in the EU funding instrument LEADER. LEADER stands for „Liaison entre actions de développement de l’économie rurale“, which means „Linking actions for the development of the rural economy“.

The local LEADER action groups Jagstregion, Schwäbischer Wald and Brenzregion are responsible as associations for the implementation on a regional level. EU funds for co-financing projects come from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). In addition to projects from the leisure and cultural sector, tradesmen are also supported in their projects. LEADER projects by businesses include the construction of a new brewery brewhouse, the equipping of a mobile village store or the conversion of a pharmacy to create sustainable premises.

www.jagstregion.de

www.leader-schwaebischerwald.de

www.brenzregion.de

Contact point woman and careers

As an element of securing skilled workers, the Contact Point Woman and Career Ostwürttemberg – Ostalbkreis exists for women and companies in the region with its four counseling locations in Aalen, Bopfingen, Ellwangen and Schwäbisch Gmünd. As part of the Skilled Workers Alliance Ostwürttemberg, the contact point cooperates with various players in a strong network. The services offered by the state-funded “Kontaktstelle Frau und Beruf” in the form of individual counseling sessions and events are aimed at women who want to get help to help themselves on all career issues. Women with a migration background receive targeted support in an annual mentoring program.

The contact point is also the point of contact for companies on female recruiting, the promotion and recruitment of female specialists and executives, and the development of a diversity-oriented corporate and organizational culture. After all, well-mixed teams are a strong innovation and success factor for the Ostalbkreis.

www.frau-beruf.info

www.frauundberuf-bw.de

Zwei Personen lesen gemeinsam in einem Laptop

Europe Direct EUROPoint Ostalb: The direct line to the EU

The EUROPoint Ostalb is the information center of the region Ostwürttemberg around the topic EU. As part of the EUROPE DIRECT network of the European Commission, EUROPoint informs and advises citizens on current EU topics and funding programs and offers events, exhibitions and projects to promote discussion about the EU. The forwarding of opinions from the citizenry to EU institutions and the provision of free information materials are also part of the range of services. EUROPoint is your local Europe!

www.europoint-ostalb.de

Rural development program and top in the countryside

The Rural Development Program (ELR) is one of the most successful structural support programs for the rural regions of Baden-Württemberg and a true success story in the Ostalbkreis. In the years 2019 to 2022, more than 16 million euros from the ELR flowed into the Ostalb. The aim of the program is to strengthen the quality of life in rural areas in many ways. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 100 full-time employees are supported, e.g. in the case of a business expansion, new establishment, relocation or reactivation of brownfield sites. The special line „Spitzen auf dem Land“ („Top in the countryside“) offers particularly attractive funding opportunities from state and EU funds to innovative companies in rural areas that demonstrate technological leadership in their industry or product. The Economic Development Department offers advice and research on these and other funding programs.

Contact:

Landratsamt Ostalbkreis

Stabsstelle Wirtschaftsförderung – Europabüro – Kontaktstelle Frau und Beruf

Stuttgarter Straße 41 / D-73430 Aalen

Telefon (+49)7361 503-1214

wirtschaftsfoerderung@ostalbkreis.de

www.ostalbkreis.de

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