Verbund regionen.NRW sets strategic course for 2026
Closed meeting strengthens joint positioning of the regions in state, federal and European policy
The regionen.NRW association set out strategic guidelines for 2026 at its annual closed meeting in Soest on Thursday and Friday and discussed key areas of regional policy work.
Board member Andreas Grotendorst took part in the meeting on behalf of Münsterland e.V. "North Rhine-Westphalia needs strong regions in order to successfully tackle the major issues of the future. By working together, we can learn from each other, coordinate our efforts and achieve more together, both in our own regions and in politics at state, federal and European level," said Grotendorst.
A key topic was the future European budget from 2028, against the backdrop of which the participants discussed the position paper drawn up by the association. It was jointly agreed to address relevant political decision-makers. The aim is to bring the interests of the North Rhine-Westphalian regions into the ongoing negotiations in a united, timely and effective manner and with a strong common voice.
In addition, the closed meeting also focussed on the political year 2027. regionen.NRW intends to actively contribute its positions and demands to the state political debates in view of the upcoming state elections in May. This is intended to strengthen the importance of the regional levels of action as well as the role of the regions in the transformation of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Another focus was on the external visibility and communication of the association. The next highlight was the spring reception of the regions on 17 March at the state parliament in Düsseldorf. Under the motto "Strong regions - strong transformation. How do the federal government, state, local authorities and business finance the local future?", regionen.NRW focused on the issue of financing regional transformation processes and emphasised the joint responsibility of all levels of government and the business community.
The further development of internal cooperation was also on the agenda. The aim is to deepen strategic coordination within the network, sharpen common thematic areas and further expand the role of regionen.NRW as a coordinating platform.
Further information
The regionen.NRW association has been in existence since 2013. It strengthens cooperation between the regions and consolidates strategic cooperation with the state government. The association comprises the Zukunftsagentur Rheinisches Revier and the nine regional development organisations: Region Aachen Zweckverband, Bergische Struktur- und Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft mbH, Regionalmanagement Düsseldorf - Kreis Mettmann, Region Köln/Bonn e.V., Münsterland e.V., Standort Niederrhein GmbH, OstWestfalenLippe GmbH, Regionalverband Ruhr and Südwestfalen Agentur GmbH. The office is located at Münsterland e.V.
