Model Capital Region Berlin-Brandenburg Legal Notice Editor: Joint Berlin-Brandenburg Planning Department Lindenstraße 34 a 14467 Potsdam Referat GL 9 www.metropolregion-berlin-brandenburg.de Editorial Office: Planungsgruppe 4 GmbH Joachim-Friedrich-Straße 37 10711 Berlin Layout: UVA Kommunikation und Medien GmbH Karl-Marx-Straße 66 14482 Potsdam Printing: Brandenburgische Universitätsdruckerei und Verlagsgesellschaft Potsdam mbH Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24–25 14476 Potsdam This brochure has been published by the Joint Berlin- Brandenburg Planning Department. It may not be used by parties or candidates for the purpose of election campaigning. Forwarding its contents to third parties for the purpose of campaigning is also prohibited. Potsdam, August 2006 3 Foreword 5 Berlin and Brandenburg Issue a Model 6 We Complement Each Other 8 In the Midst of Europe 10 We Are Cosmopolitan 12 A Strong Capital for the Region 14 Knowledge is Our Raw Material 16 Our Economy is Innovative and Flexible 18 We Live Culture 20 Quality of Life is Our Strength 22 We Take Responsibility 24 Developing the Model The Capital Region Berlin-Brandenburg has already become reality in many of the sectors that hold great potential for the future. Both states are already reaping the benefits of networking in science and advanced technologies, in the film and media industries and in the health-care sector. They have strong international appeal and are perceived as one unified region. Berlin and Brandenburg have been working together for some time, not only in business development, but also in many other administrative areas. Together we are a high-growth knowledge and science region with a high quality of life for all its residents. This is largely the result of our mutual efforts in recent years. Now both governments have resolved to implement a model for our next years of co-operation in developing the Capital Region. It was created with broad public participation and will serve as a guideline for everyone grappling with the future challenges facing the Capital Region Berlin-Branden- burg. We know that we can only hold our own in the national and international competition for jobs and investment, for chances for development and the future, by facing them together. This is why we intend to use the respective strengths of both states to combine our forces and to create the future of the Capital Region by involving the people who live there. Historical experience has shown that Berlin cannot be a metropolis without the region. And in this constellation Brandenburg, with its own economic, scientific and cultural development, profits from the strong appeal and internationality of Berlin at its centre. Everyone is invited to make an active contribution to the future of the Capital Region Berlin-Branden- burg. Berlin and Brandenburg: Together we are stronger. Klaus Wowereit Matthias Platzeck Governing Mayor of Berlin Premier of the State of Brandenburg 3 4 Berlin and Brandenburg Issue a Model ■ Together, Berlin and Brandenburg are ■ As a modern region, Berlin and Brandenburg stronger. That is why we are combining want to co-operate as closely as possible to forces to develop the Berlin-Brandenburg devise an efficient administration that is in region into a strong, competitive European touch with the people. The citizens assume metropolitan region. responsibility for themselves and for their community. ■ Berlin and Brandenburg have a shared future, ideally in one state. They must ■ We call ourselves “Capital Region Berlin- work together to develop strategies and Brandenburg”, because we are convinced to master the coming economic and that the federal capital at our centre will demographic changes. open up special opportunities for the entire region. ■ We want to strengthen our strengths. We want to support the existing potentials in ■ This model is to serve as a mutual all areas of the region and apply them to framework guiding all citizens, politics, the sustained development of the entire administration, business, the organizations region. supporting education, science and culture, and all public and social organizations. ■ Work is the essential prerequisite for quality They are the ones who will bring the model of life. We are lobbying to secure existing to life. workplaces in the region and to create new employment. ■ We want to offer women and men equal opportunities, to improve conditions for women to pursue careers and to place a high priority on reconciling the career with the family. 5 We Complement Each Other We are ... We want ... ■ a region full of diversity and vitality. The ■ to support the development of Berlin and differences between Berlin and Branden- the area that surrounds it as the driver of burg, and also those within the two states, growth in the region. are appealing and combine to make us strong. ■ to safeguard and exploit the poly-centrality of Berlin-Brandenburg as one of the region’s ■ a region whose parts complement each special qualities. other. The cultural landscapes, the cities and villages of Brandenburg and the metropolis ■ to develop perspectives for the rural areas. of Berlin shape the countenance of the region. ■ to link our strengths more strongly with each other. ■ aware that the development of Berlin and its environs, along with the state capital of Potsdam, serves the welfare of the entire region. ■ a networked region. Good communication and transport connections hold the various districts together, safeguard our general interests and are a prerequisite for economic development. Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam 6 Potsdamer Platz in Berlin We will ... ■ concentrate economic development geographically, bundle the development of settlements and traffic infrastructure, and thus reinforce the existing strengths in all areas. ■ secure the cities as geographic anchors and support new forms of co-operation between localities and regions. The purpose of this is to safeguard mobility and the general inter- est even in the sparsely settled areas. ■ support the rural areas in developing new economic spheres like tourism, the use of sustainable raw materials and renewable energy sources. ■ preserve the high accessibility of the metropolises and the other centres, better link the traffic carriers and more strongly network the chains of transport. Above: Laser scanning microscopy at the Adlershof City of Science, Technology and Media Below: Blast furnace tapping at EKO Stahl GmbH in Eisenhüttenstadt 7 In the Midst of Europe Grand opening of Hauptbahnhof, Berlin’s new central rail station We are ... We want ... ■ the metropolitan region located at the ■ to develop the region of Berlin-Brandenburg frontier western Europe shares with the as a link to the growing regions in northern, growing markets of northern, central and central and eastern Europe, while picking up eastern Europe. on and benefiting from historical relation- ships. ■ to position the Capital Region as a dynamic European metropolitan region for business and knowledge, for research and innova- tion, as well as for communications and culture. ■ to be easy to get to from Europe and the rest of the world. ■ to take advantage of long-range transit traffic to develop the region into a high- quality logistics location. 8 We will ... ■ expand co-operation with the European metropolitan regions and with northern, central and eastern Europe. ■ deepen co-operation in the Oder region in order to exploit mutual economic opportu- nities. ■ take advantage of the geographical proxim- ity to the business centres of Saxony, to the metropolitan region of Hamburg and to the Baltic ports to direct additional economic stimuli into our region. ■ lobby for high-capacity traffic connections and improve intercontinental connections by building Berlin-Brandenburg Interna- tional Airport. Above: The GVZ Logistics Centre in Großbeeren Below: Display panel at Tegel Airport in Berlin 9 We Are Cosmopolitan We are ... We want ... ■ strong thanks to our internationality, ■ to take advantage of the great number of multilingualism and intercultural expertise. embassies and international institutions in Today people from nearly 200 nations live Berlin, the ethnic networks, the multilin- in Berlin and Brandenburg, where they have gual schools and the diversity of religious found a new home. denominations, to make the region more attractive for international enterprises and ■ proud that our universities, academies and institutions. research institutions attract people from all over the world, a disproportionate number ■ to be a region that offers a home to people of them young people from central and immigrating to all of its areas, while also eastern Europe. embracing temporary residents from the spheres of business and academics, as well ■ a region with a long, shared history of as artists and students. immigration. Traditionally Berlin and Brandenburg have profited from the ideas ■ cultural diversity, openness, tolerance of immigrants; the region has cultivated its and interest in what is new and foreign to arts, science and economy in a primarily resume its natural role in all parts of the tolerant, open atmosphere. Capital Region now that the fractures of the twentieth century are behind us. ■ open and self-critical in dealing with our past and the relations to our European neighbours so burdened by history. The Holocaust Memorial in Berlin 10 A primary school class in Berlin We will ... ■ encourage the internationality of the Berlin- Brandenburg region. ■ further develop linguistic and intercultural expertise and use them as an advantage of the site. ■ entice young people who come to the region to study to stay here for the long term. The Festival of East European Cinema in Cottbus 11 A Strong Capital for the Region We are ... We want ... ■ the region with the federal capital in its ■ to strengthen the capital functions of Berlin midst. Berlin is the seat of the Federal and expand Berlin as a decision-making President, the Federal Parliament, the centre. Federal Council and the Federal Govern- ment, and hosts many institutions and ■ to exploit national and international associations connected with these functions.