For the first time, cluster activities are being initiated and implemented jointly by the cities of Mannheim and Heidelberg as well as the Rhein-Neckar district.
In addition to the two cities and the district, large companies, small and medium-sized companies, start-ups and universities are members of the association. A total of 17 founding members signed the association’s statutes at the founding meeting.
Greentech Cluster Mannheim: 17 founding members present the association’s statutes at the founding meeting.
The aim of the association is to help shape the region’s development into a hotspot for the greentech industry. Specifically, it is about initiating and driving forward innovation projects, networking partners to enable collaborations, promoting the industry’s visibility through joint events, trade fair appearances and public relations work, supporting start-ups in the industry and company settlements, and specifically acquiring funding.
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“By founding the Green Industry Cluster eV, we are combining our strengths with the aim of creating a leading region for green future technology. Together we want to make a decisive contribution to the transformation of the regional economy towards climate- and environmentally friendly value creation. This is particularly important in our industrial region. Environmental protection, economic growth and prosperity must not be contradictory, but must be thought of together,” explains Mayor Christian Specht.
“Environmental and climate protection have long been important to me personally and to us in Heidelberg. Here we have companies, scientific institutions and consulting institutions with excellent competencies in the future fields of GreenTech and bioeconomy. This expertise helps us to better meet the challenges of the energy transition and climate change. “I am pleased that we are now pooling our experiences in partnership with Mannheim and the Rhein-Neckar district in the Green Industry Cluster association in order to use synergies and leverage potential,” said Mayor Eckart Würzner about the founding of the association.
Stefan Dallinger, district administrator of the Rhein-Neckar district, emphasizes: “A strong urban-rural balance is also essential for building an efficient regional circular economy with green solutions and green production. We are therefore happy to help shape the range of new network structures and promote further cooperation in the region with our local companies. Together we can further strengthen Rhine-Neckar as an important location for the green tech industry. Maintaining economic strength in the context of the current transformation processes is more important than ever today. The cluster is a step towards showing perspectives to small and medium-sized companies and founders.”
New Greentech Cluster started in Baden Württemberg: Minister Hoffmeister Kraut in Mannheim. Photo: Katja Bartolec
The founding members of the Green Industry Cluster eV
BAMO IER GmbH, Chemical Works Kluthe GmbH, Frenvi GmbH, GAS Society for Waste Disposal and Urban Cleaning mbH & Co. KG, City of Heidelberg, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, InnovationLab GmbH, Lean Knowledge Base UG (limited liability), City of Mannheim, mg: mannheimerGründungsschulen gmbh ( Next Mannheim), MINDUPPERS, Orth Recycling GMBH, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Softwarekontor Gesellschaft für Informationsmanagement und Verwaltungs mbH, SRH Hochschule Heidelberg, Südzucker AG, Vision Domes GmbH (in alphabetical order)
Green Industry Cluster of the Mannheim Economic Development Agency
The development of the regionally operating Green Industry Cluster eV has been a key focus of the employees of the Green Industry Cluster, which is located in the Department of Economic and Structural Development, over the past two years. The Green Industry Cluster emerged in 2022 from the update of the “economic policy strategy” of the city of Mannheim.
It combines two of Mannheim’s strengths: Mannheim is a production location and is therefore faced with the task of the century of driving forward socio-ecological and economic transformation without losing its own identity, jobs and added value.
The task of the century to advance socio-ecological and economic transformation
At the same time, an analysis of the company population by the RegioClusterAgentur Baden-Württemberg showed that numerous existing companies are already very well positioned in the seven greentech lead markets. The combination of a strong production location and a strong greentech location founded the Mannheim cluster activities in the area of green industry.
The Green Tech Innovation Center will also be a physical location for the implementation of green technologies in the former music park by 2026, which will be converted to be sustainable and energy efficient by then. The center’s target group includes start-ups, scientific institutions, companies and citizens as well as intermediary target groups that are intended to bring together innovation promotion and climate protection in an integrated concept in a green context.