Halloren is Germany's oldest chocolate factory and with this new partnership, it reinforces its reputation as a provider of innovative confectionary.

PLAYBOY is the most successful male lifestyle magazine in Germany. "Everything that men love" is the central message, the range of topics and reporting is varied, cultivating and sets the standard. PLAYBOY gives its stance on important topical subjects whilst keeping its readers entertained. The editorial skill of PLAYBOY is reflected in erotic photography and sophisticated journalism and is an impressive branch in the events and online segment.

Carina Rey, deputy publishing director of PLAYBOY Deutschland Publishing GmbH: "With Halloren we have found a partner that lives by the philosophy of premium products and is extremely skilled in the chocolate sector."

"We are very happy to accept this challenge and we are sure that we can do justice to the high demands of a lifestyle product", says Klaus Lellé, CEO of Halloren Schokoladenfabrik AG. "The PLAYBOY brand matches our company's strategic focus on premium products and adds to our confectionary portfolio as manufacturers of the finest chocolate specialities".

The exquisite PLAYBOY chocolates will be showcased at the ISM confectionary trade fair in Cologne, which begins on Sunday, at the Halloren stand (Hall 10, Aisle E 041-049). Two editions will be presented: For Girls only..." with cappuccino, raspberry-prosecco and nougat flavour, "For Men only..."whisky, mocca-rum and espresso.

source: Halloren Schokoladenfabrik

During his visit, the diplomat signed the city guest book, known as the "Golden Book" of the state capital Magdeburg.

Philip D. Murphy visited Magdeburg today at the invitation of the US General Consulate in Leipzig to gain a first-hand look at the current technology and research projects in the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt. As part of his visit to Magdeburg, in the morning the ambassador visited the Rothensee waste incineration plant, the Fraunhofer Institute and the University Hospital. Here he learned about innovative technologies of industries of the future such as renewable energy, visualisation technology and microtherapy. This afternoon he will meet the state bishop Ilse Junkermann for talks.

The trained economist Murphy has been US ambassador to Germany since September 2009. Prior to this he held senior positions with US investment firm Goldman Sachs in the USA and Germany. In 2006 he was enlisted as treasurer for the US Democratic Party and as such played an important role in Barack Obama's 2009 presidential campaign.

Murphy is a close confidant of the President. In his adopted home state of New Jersey the democrat has devoted considerable time to social, community and charitable affairs and projects, particularly in the areas of civil rights, education, urban development and environmental protection. As an ardent football fan, he is a particular supporter of women's football. The diplomat is married and has four children. In his capacity as ambassador, he focuses his efforts on the younger generation in order to guarantee the future sustainability and continuance of the transatlantic relationship.

Philip D. Murphy is the sixth US ambassador to be immortalized in the Golden Book of the state capital. Previous entries were Vernon A. Walters on 4 March 1991, Robert M. Kimmit on 24 February 1992, Charles E. Redman on 13 March 1995, John E. Kornblum on 14 October 1999 and Daniel R. Coats on 30 May 2002.

Magdeburg cultivates good and intense relationships with the USA. Among the numerous existing contacts and friendships is the city partnership with Nashville, Tennessee, which has been in place since 2003. Youth exchange programmes and cooperation in various areas of society such as theatre, music, history and politics have already taken place as part of the partnership.

As well as employees of both city administrations, associations, companies and numerous private individuals, the Magdeburg-based German-American Dialogue Centre has played a central role in advocating the city partnership.

There is also lively exchange between the USA and Magdeburg on academic levels. The Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Science has links with five American partner universities and Otto-von-Guericke University with eight. The main focus of the cooperation is on student exchanges, summer schools and also joint research projects.

The USA is also present in Magdeburg sport. One of the top FCM goals scorers, Christopher Wright, comes from the United States.

In terms of economic cooperation with Germany, the USA is most interested in environmental technology and renewable energy. As these are also the key sectors of Magdeburg, there is potential here for further exchange and cooperation possibilities.

Background information on the Golden Book of the state capital Magdeburg:

The Golden Book has existed since 1931. It was established during the term of office of Mayor Hermann Beims. City magistrates were the first to sign the book on 10 May 1931.

The entries from the period between 1931 and 1949 can not longer be traced. From 1949 to 1985 there was a memorial book that was signed by visitors to the city. Since 1985 the Golden Book has carried on the tradition of 1931. Signing the book is a great honour bestowed upon visitors to the city or persons who make an outstanding contribution to Magdeburg.

Persons who have signed the Golden Book include politicians, such as former Presidents of the Federal Republic of Germany Richard von Weizsäcker, Roman Herzog and Johannes Rau; the long-standing Federal Chancellors Dr. Helmut Kohl and Gerhard Schröder; the former Presidents of the German Bundestag Prof. Dr. Rita Süßmuth and Wolfgang Thierse; former Federal Ministers, such as Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Theo Waigel and Wolfgang Tiefensee; former State Premiers such as Gerhard Glogowski, Oskar Lafontaine and Wolfgang Böhmer, as well as numerous ambassadors from around the globe.

Furthermore, other personalities to be immortalised in the Golden Book include former Attorney General of Germany Monika Harms; the long-standing chairman of the German Jewish Committee Ignatz Bubis; former and current Mayors of Magdeburger partner cities such as Werner Steffens and Dr. Gert Hoffmann (Braunschweig), as well as Bill Purcell (Nashville); honorary citizens of Magdeburg Igor Belikow, Heinz Gerling and Dr. Willi Polte; former mayors and city councillors of Magdeburg such as Bernhard Czogalla, Dieter Steinecke, Susanne Kornemann-Weber, Werner Kaleschky, Beate Bröcker and Dr. Klaus Puchta; honorary city councillors Frithjof Berfelde, Prof. Reinhold Krampitz, Rainer Löhr, Martin Hoffmann, Gerhard Heinl, Johannes Rink, Eberhard Seifert, Hans-Werner Brüning, Gerald Grünert and Walter Meinecke; honorary municipal councillor Prof. Adolf Lingener, as well as 21 former Magdeburg citizens of the Jewish faith, including the writer Nomi Rubel.

In previous years other persons to be honoured with an entry in the Golden Book included the son of Ernst Reuter, Edzard Reuter; long-standing bishop Leo Nowak; Austrian Gertraud Knoll who was awarded the "Das unerschrockene Wort" prize of the Luther cities; Magdeburg citizen Horst Linowski who was pursued and imprisoned after the popular uprising of 17 June 1953; the first German in space Sigmund Jähn; the UN Messenger of Peace and chimpanzee researcher Jane Goodall; successful athletes such as Olympic champions Dagmar Hase, Andreas Ihle, Manuela Lutze, André Willms and Mark Zabel; members of SC Magdeburg handball team; football "Kaiser" Franz Beckenbauer; world boxing champions Natascha Ragosina, Regina Halmich and Sven Ottke, and the President of the German Football Federation Dr. Theo Zwanziger.

Other entries to enhance the Golden Book of the state capital Magdeburg include artists and performers such as actor Heinz Rühmann; world-famous Jewish pianist and honorary citizen of Magdeburg Menahem Pressler; Telemann prizewinners Prof. Dr. András Székely and Nikolaus Harnoncourt; glass designer Reginald Richter; former musical director Roland Wambeck, as well as particularly dedicated citizens such as former chairman of the association Magdeburgische Gesellschaft von 1990, Hans P. H. Schuster, who passed away in 2010; chairman of the senior citizen group Siegfried Brosza and Dr. Rotraud Tönnies of the Olvenstedt citizens' initiative.

Source: State Capital Magdeburg

On balance the assessment of the current business outlook did indeed worsen by 6 points compared to the November survey but business expectations increased by 16 points (see table), whereas this had declined twice in previous surveys.

In November, a quarter of the companies evaluated the outlook for the next six months as "rather poor" or "poor"; now this proportion is only 18%. However, by the middle of last year, overall the current balance values in the manufacturing industry were yet to catch up with the high expected values. Only manufacturers of consumer goods are currently achieving this, which is also the only branch to assess the current business outlook more favourably than in November, while the other main groups report a decline. Regardless of size, the companies are united in their assessments of the economic situation in eastern Germany. They consistently evaluate the current situation as worse than in November, however the expectations are considerably better. Furthermore, the companies with fewer than 50 employees entered the new year with more momentum, compared with the start of 2011.

Excluding seasonal influences, the decline of both assessments of the situation, as well as the ambitious expectations are subdued. Furthermore, in the seasonally-adjusted course it is also evident that since summer of last year, the expected values in East German industry declined to a lesser degree than the assessment of the situation and that both components consistently maintained the level achieved for some months, whereby the expectations grew slightly.

The economic assessments given by the individual branches partially differ from the overall picture. The intermediate goods industry signal a high level of business activity and on an even keel. For manufacturers of investment goods, the assessment of the situation, excluding seasonal effects, declined for the second time, and the outlook remained unchanged. Above all, business in the automotive industry is not good at the moment and expectations have fallen.

The opinion in the consumer goods industry is quite different. The branch is in upswing, both the situation and the outlook are assessed very positively. The buying sentiment of consumers is obviously continuing after the Christmas trade, despite all crisis scenarios.

Source: Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH)

Brussels, 9 February 2012. The Investment and Marketing Corporation Saxony-Anhalt mbH starts its symposium OPTIMIZE YOUR LOGISTICS. ACT SUSTAINABLE. MOVE FORWARD. today in the state representation of Saxony-Anhalt in Brussels. Invitations have been made to company representatives from the Benelux states as well as representatives from the worlds of business and politics of the central German state.

Saxony-Anhalt has a lot to offer in the area of logistics – it is the hub of central Germany. The federal state scores points thanks to its central position in the European single market and its superb transport connections. Today, it is common knowledge that Saxony-Anhalt has such an excellent infrastructure and therefore considerable local advantages. From this location, companies can reach their customers all over the world – via the roads, railways, the air and waterways. The regions around Magdeburg, Halle/Saale and Dessau are already home to sector giants such as EDEKA, the Otto Group and pharmaceuticals chain Rossmann. With Leipzig/Halle airport Saxony-Anhalt also has an international logistics hub with freight operations 24 hours-per-day.

"The investments made over recent years are now paying off," explains Minister for State Development and Transport of Saxony Anhalt, Thomas Webel. The state now offers the ideal conditions for the logistics sector because the state government has focused on intelligently linking the different modes of transport with each other. "We will also stick to our strategy in the future: maintaining a complex appreciation of the processes, anticipating and shaping the trends and hence enabling interesting synergy effects," ensures the Minister.

With the continuous growth of the logistics sector, technologies surrounding the creation of environmentally sound and resource efficient logistics processes are getting more and more important. The key question is, how an ideal balance between economic and ecological efficiency can be achieved and how sustainable commercial value can also be created at the same time. The symposium will not only link up representatives from business, the academic world and politics from the Benelux states and Saxony-Anhalt, it will also inform on location profiles, markets, innovation potentials and investment opportunities, and will cover these questions in the context of sustainable logistics.

The specialist presentations will highlight the importance and potential of the logistics location of Saxony-Anhalt to the visitors and guests. Thomas Webel, Minister for State Development and Transport, will discuss Saxony-Anhalt as a logistics hub for Central and Eastern Europe, Dr. Carlhans Uhle, Managing Director of IMG, on the choice of location in terms of sustainability, and Astrid Schlewing, Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission, will discuss sustainable logistics in the context of the white paper. In addition to this, Wolfgang Schnabel, Supply Chain Director of Dow Oelfinverbund GmbH, will discuss sustainable logistics in the chemicals sector. Prof. Dr.-Eng. Klaus Richter, Head of Material Flow Technology and Systems of the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF, will present a project on the city logistics of the future.

Saxony-Anhalt pictures itself as a prominent investment location in Orlando. From 6th to 10th February 2012, the Investment and Marketing Corporation Saxony-Anhalt will represent the German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt at the world's biggest specialist conference for batteries in mobile and stationary applications, the AABC Conference.

How can batteries be intelligently used in electric vehicles? Saxony-Anhalt is not only a front runner in the area of renewable energies – more than a third of the generated power already comes from renewable sources. The state is also able to exhibit future forward potential in other areas such as fuel cells. The Saxony-Anhalt based company FuelCon has made a name for itself internationally with its test benches for fuel cell systems, for instance.

The state initiative "Electric mobility, Light and Intelligent – an initiative for Saxony-Anhalt – ELISA" launched in January this year. With this initiative, the regional government has got together with the economic and science sectors to concentrate and accelerate all existing activities in the area of electric mobility, as well as create new ones. The intention is for Saxony-Anhalt to become a leading production and research location for drive technology and energy carriers within five years.

Another example of innovation from Saxony-Anhalt is the IKAM research institute which applies trends in the automotive industry. Batteries and fuel cells for electric vehicles are tested in Magdeburg.

Use your fair attendance and visit Saxony-Anhalt at Booth 410.

About AABC

The AABC 2012 is positioned to be the most significant EV-PHEV-HEV industry event of the year. In 2011, 900 attendees and 95 exhibiting companies joined AABC.

With its 600 kilometres of navigable inland waterways, 18 harbours and transhipment centres, 11,000 kilometres of road and one of the most extensive railway networks in the world, Saxony-Anhalt is in a strong position, and not just in terms of infrastructure.

We, the Saxony-Anhalt logistics initiative “Logistik.Initiative” and the Investment and Marketing Corporation Saxony-Anhalt - The Economic Development Agency of the German Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt – are writing to invite you on a fact-finding trip: central Germany, a logistics hub. We will be presenting the region’s specialist logistics solutions, advanced infrastructure and excellent partnerships between science and industry.

The focus will be on both synergies for existing businesses and the benefits of businesses moving to the region to complete value chains within the sector.

From transport telematics to tracking technologies, scientists in Saxony-Anhalt continue to work on making logistics processes for industry both more reliable and more efficient.

On 21 and 22 February 2012, we will be presenting a number of companies to representatives of the press who will gain an insight into everyday operation. Participants will be given an exclusive tour of research and production sites operating in the logistics sector in Saxony-Anhalt.

Participation in the press trip is free of charge. If you have any queries, please contact: Mandy Bunge, tel: +49 (0)391-567 7070 or mandy.bunge@img-sachsen-anhalt.de.

We hope to see you there, and look forward to receiving your registration by 16 February 2012 at the latest.

Minister President Dr. Reiner Haseloff officially launched the new regional initiative "Electric mobility and lightweight construction" in Magdeburg today. With this initiative, the regional government has got together with the economic and science sectors to concentrate and accelerate all existing activities in the area of electric mobility, as well as create new ones. The intention is for Saxony-Anhalt to become a leading production and research location for drive technology and energy carriers within five years. Officially, the regional initiative is known as "Electric mobility, Light and Intelligent – an initiative for Saxony-Anhalt – ELISA".

"If we want to safeguard the great significance of the automotive industry for the future and not lose any share in the market," underlined Haseloff, "then Germany must develop into a leading supplier and a leading market for electric mobility. This has confronted us with new challenges in Saxony-Anhalt, as we want to participate in and benefit from electric mobility, the market of the future."

The Minister President referred to the particular importance of the automotive components supply industry for Saxony-Anhalt, with more than 18,000 people currently being employed in the sector at around 250 companies. "The transfer from internal combustion engines to electric drive trains brings with it many new challenges for them too."

Minister for Science and the Economy, Prof. Dr. Birgitta Wollf explained that electric mobility was much more than simply lifting up a car and installing a new electric motor. "It is really about re-inventing a part of the car and that's where we in Saxony-Anhalt want to be leading the rest of the field through our many component suppliers and service providers." Wolff sees opportunities not only in usage, but also in research and production. "The most important element here is that we focus on our strengths such as new materials, lightweight construction and energy storage. Our universities and component suppliers play a leading role in this area. The regional initiative will spur on development and should also secure as large a proportion as possible of future EU research subsidies for Saxony-Anhalt. Energy efficiency, electric mobility, new materials and lightweight construction are the subjects that will be in the limelight during the next EU structural funds period."

Dr. Klaus Klang, State Secretary for Regional Development and Transport, considers the coordinated realisation of electric mobility to be an essential task. "We have to develop practical concepts in order to integrate electric mobility into the daily lives of our citizens. The careful utilisation of our resources and requirements concerning the protection of our environment leave us no alternative."

Background:

The overall coordination of the "Electric mobility and lightweight construction" regional initiative will be undertaken by the offices of Sachsen-Anhalt Automotive e.V., who have also carried out analysis of the potential of electric mobility in the federal state. The following areas have been identified as particularly promising:

• New components with materials/lightweight construction, motor drives and power electronics.
• Energy carriers with the focus on fuel cell and battery test systems
• Information and communication technology with mobile data services, e-energy and smart grids
• Power supply  
• Further training and qualifications

The following projects are the principal items on the agenda for the next two to three years:

• The development of a complete lightweight axis concept
• Range extenders
• Innovative concepts for lightweight seats for city cars
• Manufacture and implementation of an innovative wheel hub motor
• Endurance test centre for fuel cells and batteries

These five projects comprise an estimated € 66m, of which € 35m is coming from investments.

The aim of the National Electric Mobility Platform is to have one million electric cars on the road in Germany by the year 2020. Important challenges lies in the development of technology components in the energy storage and power electronics areas. Saxony-Anhalt has good to excellence research and development potential in this area, including the "HarzEE-mobility" pilot project, the automotive research department of the Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg and its "Galileo Test Field" for transport and logistics research into electric mobility. In addition there is also the plastic processing and materials research potential concentrated around the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM Halle and the state- and federal government-funded IKAM Institute for Automotive Expertise in Magdeburg and Barleben which is due to open at the end of March.

The “BioEconomy” initiative in Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony is one of the five winners in the third Leading-Edge Cluster Competition run by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The project, which focuses on the chemical use of biomass, is therefore now to receive up to 40 million euros of funding from the national German government over the next five years. Private industry will provide a matching sum.

“BioEconomy” has over 60 partners from science and industry, including chemical companies such as Total AG and Linde AG and scientific organisations such as the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP in Leuna, the biomass research centre Deutsche BiomasseForschungsZentrum and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig. A total of 24 initiative entered the competition; 11 made it to the final.

“Saxony-Anhalt’s success in the Leading-Edge Cluster Competition gives the state as a whole, and the chemical centre of Leuna in particular, a leading role in the national and international bio-economy,” said Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister of Science and Economic Affairs, Prof. Birgitta Wolff, as she welcomed the decision announced by the BMBF today and congratulated the project partners. “Renewable resources are the future, and in the chemical industry, the use of biomass will play a key role in the long term as fossil fuels are finite. The “BioEconomy” leading-edge cluster and the Fraunhofer CBP in Leuna, an institute unique in Germany, give Saxony-Anhalt the potential to be an economic and technological leader in this field.” The region’s head start in using sustainable raw materials instead of or as a supplement to petrochemical resources will, Prof. Wolff believes, create key competitive advantages. “What is more, there is also the potential for spin-offs and attracting more businesses from the chemical, timber, engineering and plant manufacturing industries.”

Background:

The bio-economy sector includes all business segments which process biogenic resources using physical, chemical or biotechnological methods to produce primary, intermediate and end products. The BioEconomy Leading-Edge Cluster is centred in the federal states of Saxony-Anhalt (Südharz timber region, chemical hub) and Saxony (Leipzig and Dresden)

Further information can be found at: www.bioeconomy.de

The CBP was set up as a joint initiative of the Ministry of Economy Affairs, the Fraunhofer Institute and the business organisation InfraLeuna. A bio-refinery with a total of five processing plants is to be constructed by mid-2012. At this 2000 m² site, partners from science and industry are to research the use of sustainable resources on an industrial scale. Around 50 million euros are being invested in the core CBP project. The state of Saxony-Anhalt is providing 20.1 million euros, and an additional 6 million euros as initial funding for the Fraunhofer Project Group. The CBP is being set up and operated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB (Stuttgart) in partnership with the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT (Pfinztal).

BioEconomy is not the first initiative from Saxony-Anhalt to be awarded Leading-Edge status by the BMBF: “Solarvalley Mitteldeutschland” was one of the winners in the first competition in 2008.

Representatives of business, politics and science from the central German state will be providing information on business locations, markets, innovation potential and investment opportunities. Ongoing modernisation of the state’s infrastructure over the past 20 years has created an ideal framework for efficient and sustainable logistics.

The symposium offers manufacturers and carriers an excellent opportunity to obtain in-depth information and to network.

You are invited to report on the event.

Symposium

OPTIMIZE YOUR LOGISTICS. ACT SUSTAINABLE. MOVE FORWARD.

09. Februar 2012, um 14.00 Uhr,

EU representative office of the German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt Boulevard St. Michel 80 | 1040 Brussels, Belgium

Your discussion partners will be:

• Thomas Webel, Minister of Regional Development and Transport of the German federal state Saxony-Anhalt
• Dr. Carlhans Uhle, Managing Director, Investment and Marketing Corporation Saxony-Anhalt
• Wolfgang Schnabel, Supply Chain Director, Dow Oelfinverbund GmbH
• Astrid Schlewing, Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Richter, Head of Material Flow Technology and Systems, Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF

The Investment and Marketing Corporation Saxony-Anhalt (IMG) organises a press trip à la "The Journey of a Parcel through Saxony-Anhalt".

We invite you to join us on this journey to become familiar with businesses and people whose heart beat for the logistics, trimodality and carriers of Saxony-Anhalt.


Please diarise the following event:

Press Trip "Saxony-Anhalt's logistic masterstrokes"

February 21st - 22nd 2012.


If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.


Contact:

Mandy Bunge
Project Manager International Press & PR
Phone: +49 (0) 391 567 70 70

Following the LifeScience Alley Conference & Expo, the Investment and Marketing Corporation Saxony-Anhalt invited selected guests to the Van Dusen Mansion in order to discuss experiences, to network and to pave the way for future collaborations.

Please find some images of the event below.

Together with Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt is aiming to become a 'Display Window' for electro-mobility in central Germany'. At yesterday's meeting, the state government agreed to the shared proposal from the Minister of Science and Economic Affairs, Prof. Birgitta Wolff and Minister of Transport Thomas Webel, and empowered them to submit a declaration of intent regarding support for the state by the federal government.

This would enable the partners from Saxony-Anhalt to apply for funds from the federal government for the introduction of electro-mobility. In this context they are also being assisted by the State Premier of Saxony-Anhalt, Dr. Reiner Haselhof, and Thuringia's Head of Government, Christine Lieberknecht, who expressly support the project in central Germany and who are pressuring for funds from the federal government.

Starting in October 2012, the German federal government is to make a total of 180 million Euros of support funds available for three to five German 'Display Window Regions'. This is to facilitate the demonstration of developments in science and industry in the area of electro-mobility in order to make this future technology tangible and to develop it further with practical tests. This should provide key support to the federal government's goal of putting one million electrically powered vehicles on the road in Germany by 2020.

From 2012 to 2015, the total volume of the projects planned in Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia should encompass more than 100 million Euros, of which half is accounted for by each state. In Saxony-Anhalt, partners from science and industry and municipalities will provide approximately 22 million Euros. The state of Saxony-Anhalt will provide up to 9 million Euros for support measures, particularly for purchasing electrically powered vehicles and a corresponding charging infrastructure in the cities of Magdeburg and Halle (Saale). In each state, in total, more than 40 million Euros of support funding is to be acquired from the federal government. A substantiated draft proposal is to be submitted in this context until 16 January. The federal government will make a final decision on the regions being supported in March/April of this year.

Both ministers highlighted the high strategic importance of electro-mobility from industrial, research, transport, environmental and urban planning perspectives. "A Display Window for electro-mobility is an excellent platform for presenting the great ideas and products from our local companies and research organisations in this area," explained Minister Wolff. This technology of the future offers opportunities to the industrial and innovation location of central Germany and would enable the connection of modern mobility concepts with environmental sustainability. "By combining electro-mobility with renewable energies and building and urban design, the vision of energy efficient, low emission, electrically mobile cities can become a reality" added Minister Webel.

The model of the 'Central Germany Display Window' is the energy efficient, low emissions, electrically mobile city. Its goal is to link living spaces such as workplaces, living and leisure together through electro-mobility and in doing so, develop suitable solutions for 'urbanised areas' which are located neither in large metropolitan regions nor classified as being rural areas, and which are home to over a third of the population of Germany. In this context the application envisages four thematic areas:

Environmentally-oriented logistics and transport

This theme is the electrically mobile transport of goods to and in urban areas. New logistics and vehicle concepts as well as intelligent freight management systems should be developed in the context of a planned prioritisation of electro-mobility in Erfurt and Magdeburg.

Renewable energies and infrastructure

In this area, innovative solutions should be developed for controlled charging, stationary storage, smart grid and vehicle telematics. In this context, in the 'Electro-mobility for Federal Motorways' project, rapid charging stations offering electricity from renewable sources close to motorways should be built at service stations on the A 14, A 4, A 71 and A 9 motorways.

Mobility management

The goal in this area is the linking of existing transit and local transport systems (car sharing, railway) with local electro-mobility offers to create a 'green chain of mobility'. In this context a nationwide platform for route planning with a ticket system is to be developed. A completely integrated E-mobile-car hire facility will then follow as a subsequent development.

Living and urban development

This theme is the integration of electro-mobility and buildings technology (smart-grid, smart-home) in houses and districts in Erfurt, Weimar, Jena and Halle. In this way, solutions should be developed on a mass scale for normal citizens.

In addition to this there are also set to be technologically-based cross-cutting projects, such as innovative charging and network infrastructures, areas in which Saxony-Anhalt has particular strengths.

The focal points of the Display Window in Saxony-Anhalt are the cities of Magdeburg and Halle (Saale), and the cities of Erfurt, Weimar, Jena and Gera in Thuringia, which are set to develop a comprehensive and high quality charging infrastructure and, with their municipal enterprises, make a key contribution to developing their own electro-mobility fleets. In this context, the public utilities and transport firms, all transport consortiums, local transport service Nahverkehrsservice Saxony-Anhalt GmbH and national energy companies have all agreed to work together.

Key project partners to the Display Window project also include the universities in Central Germany such as the Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, the TU Ilmenau, the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, the Bauhaus-University Weimar and the Erfurt University of Applied Sciences. Furthermore, in both states, a wide range of research organisations are also focusing on electro-mobility such as the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operations and Automation (IFF) and the Institute for Automation and Communication (ifak) in Magdeburg and the Thuringia Innovation Centre for Mobility (ThIMo) at the TU Ilmenau and the Fraunhofer Application Centre for System Technology (AST). The companies involved are mainly small and medium-sized companies from different branches in the Display Window area.

A considerable amount of work has already been done in the area of electro-mobility in Saxony-Anhalt in recent years. This includes the development of the Institute for Competence in AutoMobility (IKAM) in Magdeburg and Barleben, the 'Harz.EE-mobility' project, as well as the Galileo test site at the Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg on electro-mobile transport and logistics research that is part of the state initiative on 'Applied transport research / Galileo-Transport'.

As contributions from the national government and the EU are set to fall, investment funding in Saxony-Anhalt is to concentrate more businesses which focus on research and added value. Adherence to social and pay standards is also to play a greater role in future. This was the approach outlined by the state’s Minister of Science and Economic Affairs Prof. Birgitta Wolff at yeaterday's cabinet meeting, at which she presented the planned changes to the state regulations for the “Verbesserung der regionalen Wirtschaftsstruktur” fund (GRW), a regional business infrastructure development programme run by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. The changes are to take effect on 1 February 2012.

“By revising the funding guidelines, we are now placing an even greater emphasis on qualitative criteria. For example, not only the number of jobs a company is to create but also how qualified and permanent these jobs are, and how much they will contribute to the development of an innovation economy, will in future be even more important in determining the level of funding,” stressed Wolff. “The changes are also designed to address a new financial situation, as generous funding from the national German government and the EU is to be reduced in the near future.” Prof. Wolff added that chambers of commerce and industry associations had been consulted beforehand and proposed amendments discussed with them.

The level of investment funding will in future consist of a basic rate (of between 5 and 35 percent, depending on the size and location of the company) and possible additional grants of up to 15 percentage points. Maximum potential funding will therefore remain at between 20 and 50 percent. Additional grants will be available for commitment to a collective agreement as defined in the Tarifvertragsgesetz [German collective agreement act] (5 percentage points), the establishment of the company headquarters in Saxony-Anhalt (5), an undertaking to take on at least half of all trainees and apprentices (5), research and development work (3), implementation of voluntary environmental measures (3), creation of qualified jobs (2) and partnerships with local higher education institutions (2).

The key changes in detail:

• Funding is only to be granted for direct job creation; funding will no longer be granted merely to secure jobs.
• “New jobs” do not include posts filled by temporary staff, employees under contracts for work or part-time/short-term workers earning less than the lower social security threshold [geringfügig Beschäftigte].
• Sites at which temporary staff make up more than 20 percent of the total workforce are not eligible for funding.
• The following sectors: bioethanol, other substitute transport fuels, power fuels, recycling, print products, construction material production and wholesale are to be excluded from funding in addition to the existing exclusions.
• The standard rate of funding for commercial and tourist infrastructure projects is 60 percent (or up to 80 percent in exceptional cases where the project is of particular benefit to the state).
• The maximum award per funding application is 10 million euros (previously 40 million euros).
• The total investment must be at least 70,000 euros.
• Funding for payroll costs (for example in the service sector) will only be available for gross annual pay of at least 36,000 euros (previously 25,000 euros).

The basic funding rate in the “phasing-out region” (the City of Halle and the districts of Burgenlandkreis, Landkreis Mansfeld-Südharz and Saale­kreis) is now 25 percent (small businesses), 15 percent (medium-sized businesses) or 5 percent (other sites). Southern Saxony-Anhalt has been one of the phasing-out regions since the beginning of 2010. Phasing-out regions are regions in which the gross domestic product (GDP) in the 2000-2006 funding period was less than 75 percent of the overall EU average (formerly Objective 1 regions) and is still less than 75 percent of the GDP average of the EU Member States of the time, but which has risen to over 75 percent of the overall EU average as a result of the 2004 EU expansion. The basic funding rate in the remaining urban and country districts is 10 percent higher.

Background:

Overall, 4211 investment projects in Saxony-Anhalt have received total funding of around 3.75 billion euros from the GRW regional development fund since the year 2000 (total investment: 15.62 billion euros). These included 3574 projects in the commercial sector (funding: c. 2.62 billion euros; total investment: a good 14.13 billion euros; nearly 182,000 jobs created or secured) and 637 infrastructure projects (funding: c. 1.13 billion euros; total investment: a good 1.49 billion euros). Investment funding in Saxony-Anhalt will continue to play an important role in future in creating new jobs. Saxony and Thuringia also tightened their funding regulations in 2011; the existing regulations in Brandenburg are currently being revised.

In acquiring the company, ElringKlinger is looking to strengthen its activities in the field of exhaust gas purification technology. Thawa operates primarily as a supplier and production partner to Hug Engineering AG, a Swiss exhaust treatment specialist acquired by ElringKlinger in May 2011.

Based in Elsau, Switzerland, Hug is being further developed into a center of excellence for exhaust treatment technology and filter substrates within the ElringKlinger Group. In this context, it is to serve primarily as a research and development site.

In the case of new incoming orders, the Thawa plant in Thale is to be used primarily for the production of housings as well as for the so-called canning of diesel particulate filters and catalytic converters, alongside other production processes. Services previously outsourced to Swiss suppliers operating within this area are to be performed within the Group at the more cost-efficient site in Thale. Acting as an "extended workbench" for Hug Engineering AG, Thawa is to be expanded in order to accommodate the automated manufacture of larger volumes at serial production level. As part of the measures implemented for the purpose of integrating the exhaust treatment business of Swiss-based Hug into the ElringKlinger Group, significant cost items will thus be transferred to the euro area. As regards Hug Engineering AG's sales revenues, which are generated predominantly within the euro zone, foreign exchange losses arising from the euro/Swiss franc exchange rate will therefore be scaled back. This, in turn, reduces the impact of foreign exchange effects on the company's operating margin.

Thawa GmbH has fifty employees in total. In fiscal 2011, the company generated sales revenue of EUR 3.9 million. Inclusion in the scope of consolidation of the ElringKlinger Group is to take place as from January 1, 2012.

Due to increasingly stringent emission standards worldwide, engines are being equipped with more extensive exhaust aftertreatment technology. This applies not only to mobile installations in transport vehicles, locomotives and shipping vessels but also to stationary applications. Operating within the ElringKlinger Group, Hug Engineering AG is currently expanding its business with original-equipment customers within the commercial vehicle industry, focusing in particular on exhaust gas purification systems for large trucks. Combined with ElringKlinger CleanCoat coating material for soot reduction, Hug diesel particulate filters are being marketed in the commercial vehicle sector as well as the segment for off-road vehicles and stationary systems.