© freepik@mindandi
© freepik@mindandi
WESt - Wirtschaftsförderungs- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft Steinfurt mbH (Steinfurt Economic Development Corporation)
The Steinfurt Economic Development Corporation has set itself the task of ensuring that the district of Steinfurt continues to gain importance as a business location in the future. In doing so, it has defined strategies for four fields of action that form the focus of its work: Entrepreneurship, digitalisation, securing skilled workers and location profiling.
Wirtschaftsförderungs- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft Steinfurt mbH (WESt) was founded in 2000. The sole shareholder is Beteiligungsgesellschaft des Kreises Steinfurt mbH, a subsidiary of the district of Steinfurt. The managing director is Birgit Neyer.
Birgit Neyer, Managing Director© WESt
Birgit Neyer: "What is at the core of economic development".
"The task of economic development is to anticipate future opportunities and risks for companies and to take appropriate measures to ensure that companies can seize the opportunities and arm themselves against the dangers. For this reason, one focus of our work is to create access to the important topic of digitalisation. We are also working on setting up the structures in the district of Steinfurt with commercial sites, broadband and other infrastructure in such a way that our companies find the best framework conditions here in the long term."
The tasks of WESt GmbH
Digitalisation
Supporting companies on their way to digitalisation
- Building digital infrastructure: 3 hub:satellites as spaces for the digitisation strategy in companies
- Imparting know-how: #Chefsache - series of events
- Digital advisory and funding programmes: Making them known to companies and promoting applications
- E-Government: Strategy of the district and cooperation with the municipalities
Skilled workers
Ensuring access to skilled workers for companies
- Company Plus Family competition: Good concepts for employee retention in companies are rewarded
- zdi-Zentrum Kreis Steinfurt: MINT promotion at the company-school interface
- CSR Competence Centre in Münsterland: Developing new concepts for companies
- Attracting skilled workers from abroad: organising talks between companies and regions of the world, e.g. Barcelona
- zdi robotics competitions
- Crowdfunding campaign for robotics systems
- Mobile robotics rental system for pupils in the Tecklenburg region
- zdi pupil laboratory: Learning workshop 4.0 at Rheine vocational college
- Practical workshops for teachers
- MINT rallies for pupils
- MINT workshop
- zdi-BSO-MINT: 41 funded courses, e.g. 3D printing
Entrepreneurship
Creating ideal framework conditions for founders and companies
- Knowledge transfer from the university to companies: TRAIN (Transfer in Steinfurt), GRIPS (Start-up and Innovation Park Steinfurt)
- Networking events: Entrepreneurial breakfasts, topic-related workshops
- Start-up events: New input and networking
- Start-up and subsidy advice - also on site
- Advice from business seniors
- Business angel network
- Information on funding and advisory programmes
Location profiling
Making the residential and business location more attractive
- Broadband expansion: 158 million in subsidies for expansion in outlying areas, support for municipalities in tendering procedures
- Commercial sites in the district of Steinfurt: Münsterland commercial site exchange, commercial site monitoring (in planning)
- Lobbying and public relations work for the business location: Infrastructure development (e.g. Lappwaldbahn rail transport), Expo Real.
- Land reactivation/re-use: example coal region Ibbenbüren
A special feature is that WESt mbH operates a Europe Direct Centre. It provides information to citizens and businesses alike and organises events. After all, the connection with Europe is also one of the reasons for the region's prospering economy.
