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Groningen (NL) – Oldenburg (D)

Twin City Portrait:

Urban Innovation Partnership in the European Union

Prof. Dr. Gerd Schwandner January 29, 2015

168 km, 1:42 h

133 km, 1:21 h 50 km, 0:37 h

109 km, 1:09 h

168 km, 1:44 h

159 km, 1:35 h City of

a short portrait Very brief History

The oldest document referring to Groningen's existence dates from 1040 Groningen was the regional power of the northern Netherlands, a semi-independent city-state and member of the German Hanseatic League In the 13th century, Groningen was an important trade center The most influential period of the city was the end of the 15th century The city´s de facto independence ended in 1594 when joining the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands In 1672 the city was attacked by the bishop of Münster, Bernhard von Galen But every year, the city of Groningen celebrates its victory as a local holiday (with music and fireworks) on August 28. as „Gronings Onzet“ Groningen

is the major city of the Northern Netherlands with a population of 196,000, the seventh largest city in the Netherlands. has a university, a university of applied sciences, a school for fine art and design, an academy of music is also at the leading edge in the development of research, innovation and entrepreneurship. hosts several festivals like the Eurosonic Noorderslag pop music festival, the Noorderlicht photography festival and the Noorderzonn performing arts festival. wide range of museums, especially the Art Museum is the shopping destination for the Northern Netherlands Groningen's This administration consists of the municipal council and the (the and aldermen).

The Municipal Council

The municipal council appoints the aldermen, who form the municipal executive together with the Mayor.

The municipal council is responsible for policy- and decision-making, monitors whether the objectives set by the municipal executive are met.

The Municipal Executive

The municipal executive ensures the day-to-day government of the city. The municipal executive prepares plans on which the municipal council has to take decisions. It provides the implementation of decisions taken by the municipal council and it also takes many practical decisions. The municipal executive is also responsible to the municipal council for the consequences of the policies followed.

The Groningen municipal executive consists of the Mayor and five aldermen (2015).

The Mayor

The Mayor is chairman of the municipal executive. He is a member of the municipal executive, but not of the municipal council. In addition he is an independent administrative body within the municipal administration. The Mayor is responsible for public order and safety in Groningen. He also gives the city a face, like the King gives the Netherlands a face.

The Mayor is appointed by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander !!

The city council has 39 members.

D 66 (social-liberal ) 9 seats, PvdA (social-democratic) 6 seats SP (socialist party ) 6 seats VVD (center-right) 3 seats GroenLinks (left green) 4 seats Stadspartij (local party) 3 seats CDA (christian conservative) 3 seats ChristenUnie 2 seats Students and City 2 seats Party for the Animals 1 seat

Architecture

Martini Church (1482) Groninger Forum

The Groninger Forum is a project with a planned completion in 2017. The east side of Groningen's Grote Markt was destroyed in World War II, and was replaced with buildings that have long since lost their appeal. The Groninger Forum is a new institute that will overlook the Grote Markt instead of the current buildings. It is a centre for knowledge and culture, containing the archives and a debate centre. The cultural cinema Images, the public library, and parts of the Groninger Museum will also find a place in the Groninger Forum. with a 390-lot car park and 1500-lot bicycle park below it To find a design for the new building, 7 possible models were created by different architects. The citizens of Groningen voted on their favourite design, which led to a top three, from which the municipal council chose one.

Groninger Forum Groningen Art Museum (1994)

Groningen Economy

Health Sciences Energy Creative Industry

UMCG University Hospital UMCG

The University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) was established in 2005 as a joint activity of the University of Groningen and the Academic Hospital Groningen (AZG). At present, the UMCG is one of the largest hospitals in the Netherlands and the largest employer in the Northern Netherlands. More than 10,000 employees are involved in medical education and perform cutting-edge scientific research, focused on ‘healthy and active ageing’. Research and education at the UMCG are funded through the University of Groningen, and the Faculty of Medical Sciences functions as an integral part of the University. More than 3,400 students of the University of Groningen study Medicine, Dentistry or Human Movement Sciences, while more than 340 physicians are doing their specialty training at the state of the art facilities of the UMCG.

Earthquake Jan 6, 2015

Gasunie is one of the largest gas infrastructure companies in Europe.

1,731 employees (end of 2013), The Dutch State is the only shareholder. Income in 2013 1,527 billion Euro Results after taxes 464 million Euro dividend 325 million Euro

Creative hotspot 9000 m2 Het PALEIS, bottom-up initiative:

Flexworking/Co-working spaces 24 Start-up workshops max 2 yrs, low rent Fablab Conferences/meetings facilities Appartments (sale,rent) Gastronomy: cafe,restaurant,hotel with artist-in-residence rooms

CCC reloaded : CREALAB September 2013 - March 2015

CCCreloaded:Crealab 2013-2015 : supporting entrepreneurs in developing innovative ideas, services, and products in order to stay competitive innovation boost for SME’s from cross-overs between the ‘traditional’ and creative sector, with in Groningen focus on sustainability: energy and biobased materials

City of Oldenburg

A short portrait

• Population Growth since 1990: Oldenburg: 15 % Germany: 3 % 165000 • Germany’s City of Science 2009 (Ranked 4th nationwide 1990 - 2009) • Named Germany’s most business- • Second highest predicted population friendly city in 2009 ( 2nd in 2014) growth• Founded among about German 1032 cities AD until 160000 (by Wirtschaftswoche journal) 2020: +6.4% • First documentary reference in 1108 • Ranked 11th among Germany’s most • Today’s population: 160,272 • dynamicReception cities of inCity 2010 Rights in 1345 155000 th (Ranked(by Handelsblatt 47 nationwide) journal) (Ranked• Former 3rd in Capital Lower Saxony) of county, a duchy, rd • Rankeda grand 3 duchy among and Germany an independent’s most dynamic cities in September 2011 150000 republic (until 1945) (by Capital journal) • Belonged to • Ranked 4th, 2nd,10th among Germany’s Denmark (1667-1773) most dynamic cities in 2011, 2012, 145000 Russia (1773) 2013 respectively France (1810-1813) (by Wirtschaftswoche journal) • Part of the Federal State of Lower 140000 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 Saxony (since 1946)

Oldenburg Local Government Municipal assembly with 50 members (5 year term 2006 – 2011, 2011 - 2016)

SPD 17 seats,

Green Party 14 seats

CDU 10 seats

The Left 3 seats

Citizen Party 2 seats (faction with CDU)

Pirates 1 seat (faction with The Left)

Liberal Party 1 seat

Citizen Party 1 seat (faction with Liberal Party)

NPD 1 seat

Mayor, directly elected by popular vote (8 year term -2006-2014) seat and vote in the assembly, head of the administration, 3 Councillors, elected by the municipal assembly (8 year term)

Oldenburg wins spectacular in Jena Feb 2008 Steering committee

Core team Media committee Scientific

advisory board Project office / Marketing- Project heads committee

Project leader council

Project head Project head Project head

Project 1 Project 2 ... Project 16 Sechzehn Leitprojekte schaffen Struktur My interest is in the future, because I am going to spend the rest of my life there. Woody Allen

Tradition

step2025 Urban Development Strategy Übermorgenstadt. Opportunities for Oldenburg

• Oldenburg is a renowned brand for renewable energies like wind energy, solar power, bio mass, geothermic energy.

• OLEC covers the whole production chain: Fundraising, Energy production, Grid integration and distribution, Power storage, Weather forecasts

• OLEC enables synergy effects, and encourages co-operations and joint ventures.

• Investors can get in touch with the whole energy sector in one go.

• Ranked 66th among Germany’s 100 largest companies (2012) (27th end of 2014)

• Ranked 4th among Germany’s energy suppliers)

• Total revenue: 8.9 Billion € (2013) Total employees: 9.162 (2013)

• International strategy, subsidiaries in Poland and Turkey

• R&D focuses on renewable energies, energy efficiency, electromobility

• Other fields of activity: Communication Technology Consulting

• One of the most advanced research centers in Europe

• Investment of approx. 40 million €

• Inauguration in August 2009

• Work space for up to 50 international experts and scientists to work (interdisciplinary) on solutions for the “next energy”

• Including a group of scientists from the Fraunhofer- Gesellschaft

• Key issues: electric cars, next- generation batteries, grid integration, power storage, energy efficiency

• Started in 2011

• Largest solar park of Lower Saxony

• Size: 86 hectares - 29 hectars in Oldenburg - 57 hectars in Wiefelstede

• 34,7 Megawatts

• 33 Mio. kilowatt hours/year

• Energy supply for 10,000 four-person- households

• Saving of 19,200 tons of carbon dioxide/year.

Tradition 2013 Happiness Map 2011 Economic Dynamics Map 10 Good Reasons for Oldenburg

Joining Forces

A few examples

Botschaft Groningen (Embassy of Groningen) April – June 2014)

Partner 4 you

Lamberti Market (D) – Flower Market(NL)

China Groningen – Oldenburg – China

Starts July 2007

„Friends of Friends“

Partly compensation of scale differences

Joint delegations, working together

Synergy

Tri laterale partnerships (Xi‘an, Tianjin)

trilateral Partnership s

European Medical School

• Founded 2012 • First new faculty of medicine in Germany for more than 20 years • First international faculty of medicine with German participation. • Interdisciplinary, innovative, international research and education • Massive support by politics and economy of the northwest

Oldenburg Hospital

Medical Campus • Former industrial plant by the now-defunct AEG AG

• Production of small motor units for washing machines

• 3,500 employees in 1975 424 emloyees in 2005 0 employees today

• Conversion of area and buildungs for medicine and health related research facilities and companies

• Coherent urban development -> Medical Campus -> Medial Cluster

Erepenning Stad voor burgemeester Oldenburg

Schwandner krijgt de Erepenning voor de manier waarop hij de stedenband tussen Oldenburg en Groningen in zowel de breedte als de diepte heeft versterkt. Verder hebben zijn contacten in onder andere China Groningen geholpen om daar vaste voet aan de grond te krijgen.* Thank you very much for your attention