Future of Remscheid: Unity of the mayoral candidates for a strong economy

Future of Remscheid: Unity of the mayoral candidates for a strong economy

These days, everyone of rank and name is meeting in Remscheid. The spirit of Bergisch cooperation was clearly noticeable when IHK President Henner Pasch spoke about the reopening of Burg Castle on September 8th. Here, attention was drawn to the region's significant challenges and the expansion of the economy was discussed. At a discussion event in the Schützenhaus, organized by the Bergische IHK and the Economic Juniors Remscheid, six mayoral candidates came together to present their visions for the future of city politics.

The group around moderator Thorsten Kabitz enjoyed lively interest. Around 80 entrepreneurs were invited to listen to the thoughts and ideas about the development of Remscheid. The participants, including Sven Chudzinski (FDP), Dr. Michael Knapp (AfD), Markus Kötter (CDU), David Schichel (Alliance 90/Greens), Bettina Stamm (echt.Remscheid) and Sven Wolf (SPD) agreed that strengthening the economy is the top priority. In particular, the provision of sufficient commercial space was seen as essential in order not to endanger economic development. All candidates committed themselves to promoting Remscheid as an important industrial location and not to lose sight of the municipality's burdensome old debt burden.

Concrete suggestions for Remscheid

Markus Kötter wants to make Remscheid more family-friendly and is committed to more affordable housing and the urgently needed modernization of daycare centers and schools. Sven Wolf, on the other hand, sees the need to strengthen the education sector right from the start and calls for more intensive cooperation between the major Bergen cities in the area of ​​tourism. David Schichel called for the expansion and improved networking of bicycle routes in the city triangle. There was also agreement regarding the planned outlet center, although Bettina Stamm was skeptical about the economic benefits.

With digitalization as a central topic, Sven Chudzinski expressed the view that artificial intelligence creates new opportunities for administration. Also prominent was the point of view of Dr. Knapp, who advocated not completely abandoning analogue processes. This discussion was found to be extremely stimulating and many listeners felt motivated to continue the topics.

Regional cooperation in focus

The Bergische Structural and Economic Development Company mbH is in the background of these discussions. This organization, founded to initiate and organize regional projects in the cities of Remscheid, Solingen and Wuppertal, pursues targeted goals in the areas of economic development, structural development and tourism. The company sees itself as a valuable interface and driver of regional cooperation. Those involved are committed to the highest level of cooperation and promotion of the local economy and development, as can also be read on the city of Remscheid's website.

“The Bergische Gesellschaft” focuses on intermunicipal economic development and positions the region externally. This creates the basis for making optimal use of all resources and further deepening cooperation in the Bergisch city triangle. This will be crucial in the future in order to master the challenges of change, be it through digitalization or changes in the market, and to successfully implement regional projects.

Combining different approaches, it can be said that Remscheid is on the right track, but only by working together can the challenges of the coming years be overcome. The region has a lot of potential and the candidates’ plans are an essential step towards a prosperous future.