Logistics network Leipzig-Halle
At the world's biggest logistics trade fair, the transport logistic Munich, mid-May the Logistik Netzwerk Leipzig-Halle e. V. will also have an exhibition booth alongside the Saxony-Anhalt logistics initiative. "We're going to showcase our state as a quick region for quick logistics“, says the chairman of the network, Toralf Weiße. The fast tempo does not correspond with the swift increase in the number of members. Set up in 2008 with 20 members mostly within the vicinity of Leipzig/Halle airport, the network now has almost 90 members. Nowadays there are also members from Görlitz (Saxony), Magdeburg (Saxony-Anhalt) or Amsterdam (Netherlands).
According to Toralf Weißes, the logistics region of Leipzig-Halle offers unique speed advantages for its operations and for access to their clients. According to Weiße this includes short reaction times of the public authorities for licensing procedures. "Because we are the quickest in Germany“, says the Halle branch manager of Simon Hegele GmbH. Meanwhile well-equipped infrastructure also enables high speed operations. The combination of airports and well-developed motorways is particularly suitable for the transportation of time-critical goods. In recent years these good framework conditions have already led to much investment along the motorways, especially in the automotive and logistics sectors. He cites BMW, Porsche, Amazon and the air freight hub of DHL as leading examples. However, he points out that away from the busy motorways the picture does not look as good by any means. "They threaten to bleed places and countryside dry", he points out, referring to the consequences of the demographic changes. In his opinion the impending shortage of skilled labour threatens to slow the logistics industry down in Central Germany. The personnel in demand ranges from traditional warehousemen to university graduates. The problems in recruiting young workers are, in his opinion, not just crucial for the Leipzig-Halle region, but also for the whole of Germany. A working group of the network is charged with the task of closing the gaps in young trainees being recruited. Under the motto "fast logistics which know no boundaries“, the network members, together with employment agencies in Leipzig and Halle/Saale, strive to increase the employment opportunities of young adults by promoting language skills and international exchange and mobility projects. As an example, Weiße says that this also includes internships with Dutch cooperation partners. The network therefore assumes the operative control of projects for cooperating with the companies, transfers and public relations. The association also strives for increased employment security and continuance of employment in order to keep experience skilled workers in the region even in "turbulent times" or even to win them back. There is currently a project underway which trains junior staff to lead smaller teams. This is particularly note-worthy because post-crisis, the demand for young skilled workers is rising significantly. In particular this affects lorry drivers and truck drivers, but not only them. The demand for logistics services is increasing at the same rate as the demand of companies for logistics properties in the vicinity of Leipzig-Halle. It's considerable, explains Weiße. The results of a survey carried out in 2010 by the network showed that the business development corporations of the districts of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Leipzig, North Saxony, as well as the cities of Halle/Saale and Leipzig in the 2010 requests of logistics companies for office, production and storage areas reached in the region of approximately 740.000 m². It's clear that the willingness of companies to invest is increasing again, comments Weiße on the results of the survey. "What is particularly pleasing", he says, "is that potential investors recognise and appreciate the location advantages of our region and that's why they are including Leipzig-Halle as a suitable location option in their future plans."
The network members have taken on a lot to keep it this way. As well as recruiting young skilled workers, there are five more working groups concentrating on internal information and communication, on outward and inward combined marketing, on attracting investors, on know-how transfer and promoting innovation, as well as on cooperation within the industry. Since the network doesn't just count logistics service providers, suppliers and shipping agents as members, but also local authorities, chambers, educational institutions and human resources consulting agencies, positive solutions should be expected because the network succeeds in connecting individual interests into one common interest, explains the chairman of the network.
This common interest refers to the outward presentation of the region and the network. This is why it is not just taking part in the transport logistic trade fair in Munich with an exhibition booth but also participating in the industry trade fair TransRussia in Moscow at the end of April. Alongside this, an overseas office of the logistics network will be opened in the Russian capital. With the support of the Saxony-Anhalt Chamber of Foreign Trade, an overseas office was already opened in the Chinese port city of Shanghai at the beginning of the year. The network also maintains a further overseas office in Singapore. "This means we are entering the most important growing markets in the world. These are boost investments in the future“, says Weiße assuredly. The Netzwerk Logistik Leipzig-Halle was established in September 2008. It currently has 87 members. They employ more than 14.000 staff. Their annual turnover is 1.3 billion euro.
Contact
Netzwerk Logistik Leipzig-Halle e. V.
Toralf Weiße
Chairman
Terminalring 13
04435 Flughafen Leipzig/Halle
Tel. + 49 (0) 341 2241980
Fax: + 49 (0) 341 2241981
Email: mail@logistik-leipzig-halle.net
