Both associations will work together in the future, particularly in the areas of technology leadership, knowledge transfer, innovation promotion and skilled workers. This was agreed by Frank Bösenberg, Managing Director of Saxony e.V. and Markus Rustler, Spokesman of the Board of Directors of Wirtschaft für ein Weltoffenes Sachsen e.V. (Business for a Cosmopolitan Saxony).

With more than 350 members, the Silicon Saxony association is one of the largest microelectronics and IT clusters in Germany and Europe. Silicon Saxony connects manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, colleges/universities, research institutes, public institutions and industry-relevant start-ups in the business location of Saxony and beyond. “The expertise of Silicon Saxony as the largest high-tech network in Saxony and at the same time the largest driver of innovation in the Free State is of enormous importance for securing the future prosperity of the people in Saxony,” says Markus Rustler, spokesman for the board of the Wirtschaft für ein Weltoffenes Sachsen association.

Since its foundation, Wirtschaft für ein weltoffenes Sachsen e.V. has seen itself as a network that promotes cosmopolitanism, internationalization and equal opportunities in the labour market in order to secure prosperity in Saxony. “For economic success in the Free State, the economy needs well-trained skilled workers who are not available through its own young talent. Wirtschaft für ein Weltoffenes Sachsen is specifically committed to the integration of foreign skilled workers. An effort that helps the companies in Silicon Saxony to be economically successful,” says Frank Bösenberg, Managing Director of Silicon Saxony.

Both associations hope that the strategic cooperation will enable them to pool their interests in the areas of technology leadership, knowledge transfer, innovation promotion and skilled workers and thus make their voices heard even more at a political level and in public.

“Technology leadership and knowledge transfer create successful value creation” is one of the strategic guidelines of the association Wirtschaft für ein Weltoffenes Sachsen. Both associations underlined their interest:
Saxony is already an efficient technology location with established structures that network business, science and the start-up scene. With an established university scene and a disproportionately large number of non-university institutions, Saxony is well placed to position successful innovations on the market. The monetary exploitation of innovations in regional value chains is not always realized.
The coronavirus crisis has also led to a digitalization boost in Saxony’s SMEs. The associated opportunity to establish new flexible working models will change the working world of companies and employees to the benefit of both sides.

With the focus on establishing Saxony as a technology state, requirements for existing job profiles are also changing and new job profiles will emerge. Wirtschaft für ein Weltoffenes Sachsen knows the needs of its member companies and is well networked in economic and research structures. We support the definition and establishment of new job profiles.
Saxony should become a driver of innovation for important future topics. Saxony’s economic players want to use and expand existing structures in leading industries and corresponding research expertise in order to promote future technologies in a targeted manner. Regional economic cycles and value chains are to be strengthened.

Saxon companies are positioning themselves as innovation leaders. The open-technology innovation and validation funding along the entire value chain from invention to production is intended to strengthen competitiveness.
Expiring or exhausted EU funding is to be compensated by state funds in order to ensure continuity.

Wirtschaft für ein Weltoffenes Sachsen and Silicon Saxony are committed to the simplification, flexibilization and digitalization of administrative and approval procedures in order to speed them up. The focus is on supporting small and medium-sized businesses in international competition and promoting future-oriented innovations.
Saxony’s economic players are creating regulations that link investment funding to long-term cooperation at the location. The funding regulations for innovations that originate in Saxony should be changed so that the value creation for these innovations is located in Saxony in the long term. Wirtschaft für ein Weltoffenes Sachsen facilitates the bundled exchange of interests between business, research and politics together with Silicon Saxony.