Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: New campaign for industrial settlements started!

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: New campaign for industrial settlements started!

Something is happening in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania! The state government today launched a new advertising campaign that is intended to bring a breath of fresh air to industrial settlements. Under the motto “Growth is in our nature”, the state is to be presented nationally and internationally as a modern business location. Economics Minister Wolfgang Blank supports the initiative and emphasizes the availability of industrial space and access to important markets through the Baltic Sea ports. This could be the long-term solution to the current, weak industrial base in the region, which lags significantly behind compared to other federal states stern.de reported.

The campaign is being implemented by the state economic development agency Invest in MV and, with a budget of around 450,000 euros, is primarily intended to use digital channels, social media as well as trade fairs and industry conferences to attract new investors and skilled workers. The plan is to run the campaign over an initial period of two years. Managing director Thomas Einsfelder names the maritime industry, renewable energies and the healthcare industry as the main target sectors. The aim is to exploit the potential of the Scandinavian countries, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands in particular, as can be seen from the report by ndr.de emerges.

Long-term challenges

But the challenges should not be underestimated. The industry in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has experienced a significant decline in the last five years. From a purely statistical perspective, the number of companies in the manufacturing sector with more than 50 employees fell from 325 to just 282. The number of jobs also fell, by a whopping 7.5 percent. A location concept entitled “Industrial State Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 2030” has so far had little effect, and that is a point that State Secretary Jochen Schulte emphasizes. He also calls for better framework conditions for the use of green electricity, especially near wind and solar parks.

The economic situation in Germany represents an additional challenge. According to Statista Germany only took 27th place in the World Competitiveness Ranking 2023, which shows that there are both positive and negative location factors. Companies in Germany complain about high bureaucratic burdens and a high tax burden, which make the framework conditions for new settlements more difficult. This not only affects large corporations, but also small companies that are increasingly under pressure in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

As Schulte notes, industrial settlements take time and are often a long-term process. The success of the new campaign will therefore not be visible until mid-2027 at the earliest. The state government has high hopes for this new start in order to win back lost jobs and strengthen existing value chains in key sectors.

So the question remains: Will Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania be able to turn things around? Only time will tell the answer, but one thing is certain: the initiative is a further step towards positioning the state as an attractive business location again.