Around 600 participants from across Germany gathered this year at the Regional Policy Annual Conference in Halle (Saale) to discuss the future of regional economic development.

As part of the federal competition "Zukunft Region" Beate Träm and Josephine Runge also attended on behalf of the STAY2GROW project and presented the initiative at their own information stand.

The conference provided an ideal platform for exchanging ideas with representatives from politics, business, academia, and regional development. The central focus was on how investments, innovation, and targeted funding programs can stimulate new economic dynamics in regions and enable long-term, self-sustaining growth.

In addition to more than 20 workshops, the program also included company visits. Particularly valuable for us once again was the networking meeting of projects within the “Zukunft Region” competition. In this setting, we were able to share experiences, gain new insights, and jointly further develop ideas.

The exchange once again demonstrated how important cross-regional networks and cooperations are for the development of future-proof regions.