Prognos study confirms positive economic development for the region

MÜNSTERLAND. The Münsterland is a region of the future. That and more is what the Future Atlas of the renowned economic research institute Prognos, the current edition of which was published last Friday, says. Together with the regions of East Westphalia-Lippe, Emsland as well as Mainfranken and Donau-Iller in the south of Germany, the Münsterland has made an important leap in the ranking: it has left the solid midfield, where the opportunities outweigh the risks, and now counts among the regions where the future opportunities outweigh the risks, the study says.

Klaus Ehling, chairman of Münsterland e.V., is pleased with the result: "The Future Atlas reflects a development that we as a region have actively promoted in recent years. We show that the combination of town and country, modernity and tradition, down-to-earthness and new ideas is a real asset that we can also use with self-confidence in a nationwide comparison. Urban-rural regions are a model of success."

Every three years since 2004, the Future Atlas has examined the sustainability of German regions - using selected macro- and socio-economic indicators - and compares them in a nationwide ranking. Overall, the city of Münster and all districts in the Münsterland have improved their rankings compared to 2019, in some cases considerably. After ranking 25th in 2019, Münster now ranks 19th in the nationwide comparison and is thus ahead of major cities such as Frankfurt, Bonn or Hamburg, for example. The district of Borken improved from 188th to 132nd place, the district of Coesfeld from 165th to 152nd, the district of Steinfurt from 144th to 116th and the district of Warendorf from 194th to 139th. A total of 400 cities and districts are listed in the ranking. The ranking is based on indicators from the four thematic fields of demography, labour market, competition and innovation as well as prosperity and social situation.

The study certifies that the up-and-coming medium-sized regions such as Münsterland are growth engines for the German economy and provide stability in times of crisis. The future is also emerging outside the metropolitan regions. Klaus Ehling underlines this statement: "The small and medium-sized enterprises in the Münsterland are very agile and have a special proximity to the market." He cites the strong cooperation, the focus on the sector-specific strengths of small and medium-sized enterprises and the high attractiveness for skilled workers as an important basis for the future viability of the region: "The Münsterland offers skilled workers a lot of potential for living, living and working. We score with a high quality of life and in our medium-sized companies employees can often realise their potential in a very self-determined way. In addition, there is a mix of industries that includes many of the future industries mentioned in the study. This is where a large proportion of the jobs of the future are created." This is why the region is going in the right direction with the Onboarding@Münsterland service at Münsterland e.V. and is securing skilled workers through targeted advice and communication.

"The study shows that our course is the right one and we hope that the next study in three years will also certify that our claim 'MÜNSTERLAND. THE GOOD LIFE' hits the mark." As goals for the future, Ehling points to the "Münsterland Integrated Action Concept", which is a joint strategy paper for the region that sets out development goals for the Münsterland economic region for the coming years up to 2030. Under the title "Transformation Münster.LAND: sustainable - cosmopolitan - digital", it identifies the four fields of action innovation and digitalisation, start-ups and business succession, ecological transformation as well as regional marketing and attracting skilled workers as guidelines. "This is where we are strong, this is where we need to become even stronger," says Ehling.

https://www.muensterland.com/wirtschaft/wirtschaftsstandort-muensterland/daten-fakten-zahlen/zukunftsregion-muensterland/