Leipzig/Halle Airport region joins forces to attract investors – the airport and development agencies sign a cooperation agreement covering more than one federal state
Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG (MFAG), Wirtschaftsförderung Sachsen GmbH (WFS) and Investitions- und Marketinggesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH (IMG) have signed an extensive cooperation agreement in order to strengthen the position of the “Leipzig/Halle Airport Region” in the long term. The aim of the agreement is to market “airea – the Airport Region in Central Germany” as a joint economic area across different federal states and internationally and make even more effective use of its potential to attract investors and enable firms to set up their business here.
The three companies will cooperate in attracting investors and pool the expertise of their firm settlement experts and skilled sector teams. Among other things, they are aiming to create a common approach to attracting and supporting investors, setting up and expanding a network of international cooperation partners, marketing industrial areas in close cooperation with the regional development agencies – as well as providing concentrated services in the field of logistics concepts, support for developing the workforce and encouraging companies to come to the region. Searching for specialist workers, information about subsidies and funding topics as well as helping companies find their way with public authorities/approval procedures as part of investment projects will be other main focal areas.
Those involved will also work closely with Germany’s national economic development agency, Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI). The three companies want to explicitly attract other network partners in future, which can then make a contribution towards marketing the airport region on an international scale.
Götz Ahmelmann, the CEO of Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG comments, “The Leipzig/Halle airport site is growing with a huge degree of dynamism, as the numerous successful efforts to attract companies have shown during the last few years. It’s crucial in terms of international competition that we cooperate closely in marketing operations across the different federal states. The Central German economic region is stronger if we pull together. This cooperation arrangement will help expand the existing value-added chains and attract new, innovative companies. I’m convinced that we’re doing exactly the right thing with the agreement that we’ve now signed.”
Martin Dulig, Deputy State Premier and the Economics Minister in the Free State of Saxony, emphasises, “When facing global competion with regard to business sites, cooperation beyond national boundaries is becoming more important than ever. Adopting a purely regional approach doesn’t help anyone. Particularly in Eastern Germany, we need to be able to pool our strengths to advance the region, think on a bigger scale and have an open mind. Intel’s future chip factory in Magdeburg will also strengthen the Saxon high-tech Silicon Saxony network. The jobs market far beyond Halle benefits from Porsche, BMW or Beiersdorf in Leipzig too. Bosch in Dresden or Tesla near Berlin are other large industrial projects that exert a powerful influence on the region, are reindustrialising Eastern Germany and are creating prosperity for future generations.”
Sven Schulze, the Minister for Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry in the State of Saxony-Anhalt, says, “Leipzig/Halle Airport is a leading cargo airport in Europe and is an important regional factor for the core Central German region around Leipzig and Halle. Well-known companies and international enterprises operating in the logistics, automotive, e-commerce and electronics sectors have therefore settled near the airport. It’s therefore correct to cooperate on a wider scale in this dynamic setting in future and dovetail economic areas with each other. We’re also creating excellent conditions to attract more firms to this region in future, a region that is affected by structural change.”
Thomas Horn, the Managing Director of Wirtschaftsförderung Sachsen GmbH (WFS), adds, “Global competition for decisions regarding investments and attracting international corporations makes it necessary for us to pool our expertise and make use of synergy effects to market joint regional economic areas, as we intend to do for the region in Central Germany near Leipzig/Halle Airport. We believe that this cooperation will give use greater international visibility and presence in attracting companies and gaining investors.”
Thomas Einsfelder, the Managing Director of Investitions- und Marketinggesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH, Magdeburg, comments, “Corporations with international operations, innovative medium-sized enterprises and young start-ups will find perfect site conditions for investments and growth here at the heart of Europe. They include excellent infrastructure, highly qualified specialist workers, a rapid transfer of innovations between the academic and business worlds and proximity to the markets all over Europe. Joint marketing is also designed to spread this appeal to other sectors and help the Central German lignite regions, which are affected by structural change, to attract replacement investments.”
You can find more information here: www.airea-central-germany.de
About Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG
Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG has three subsidiaries: Leipzig/Halle Airport, Dresden Airport and PortGround.
Leipzig/Halle Airport handled 669,886 passengers and approx. 1.6 million tonnes of air freight in 2021. This makes it Germany's second-largest cargo airport. The airport is connected to the A9 and A14 motorways and has a railway station that forms an integral part of the central terminal. This ensures that passengers from Central Germany and beyond can reach the airport directly.
Dresden Airport handled 331,384 passengers in 2021. A link to the A4 motorway and a local railway station in the terminal ensure that passengers from the catchment areas in Saxony, southern Brandenburg, the north of the Czech Republic and western Poland can easily reach the airport and leave it again.
PortGround offers ground, freight and other extensive handling services at Leipzig/Halle and Dresden Airports round the clock.
The two airports belonging to Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG registered 90,518 aircraft movements and handled 1,001,270 passengers in 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
About Wirtschaftsförderung Sachsen GmbH (WFS)
Wirtschaftsförderung Sachsen GmbH (WFS) was founded in 1991 as a public company in the Free State of Saxony and has been largely working in three major areas of responsibility since that time. It provides regional advertising services for Saxony and offers comprehensive advice to potential investors, ranging from their basic idea to completing a settlement project. WFS also supports Saxon companies in their efforts to export goods and services and paves the way for cooperation agreements with companies outside Saxony. It aims to open up new sales opportunities for the Saxon economy and create jobs in the federal state. One important bedrock for WFS’ effective work is its strategic orientation towards key sectors in Saxony. Recognising relevant technology trends for the future and including them in its business of attracting companies and encouraging sales as well as regional marketing are an area of expertise that WFS has been continually developing for several years.
About Investitions- und Marketinggesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH (IMG)
Investitions- und Marketinggesellschaft mbH (IMG) is Saxony-Anhalt’s business development agency. Operating on behalf of the Ministry of Economics, Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry in the State of Saxony-Anhalt, we market Saxony-Anhalt as an economic and science region and are also responsible for tourism marketing directed at people in Germany and abroad. Attracting companies to the State of Saxony-Anhalt is actively supported and backed by IMG. Operating on behalf of the state, IMG helps companies based here with their investments too, if necessary. We accompany you as a partner. Our services are confidential and free of charge.