Heinz-Peter Schmitz-Borchert, Science Park Gelsenkirchen
Release Date: 2009-12-21
Gelsenkirchen has successfully transformed itself from being the capital of coal to a centre for new energy, a challenge very similar to the one that many Chinese cities and regions are now facing. What was the vision which guided this transformation process? What were the most important initiatives for the region?It started very early in the 1960s when Willy Brandt, campaigning for the chancellery, stated "Make the sky blue again over the Ruhr". We really are in a similar situation to many Chinese regions: old industries are declining so we have to think of something new, something different. In the 1980s and 1990s, we all knew of course hard coal will very soon be finished. The new idea was to focus on the growing renewable energy industry. The principals of economic development dictate that you must start with the competences that you already have and build upon that knowledge; we needed to replace old industries by capitalising on our existing skills.
No less than 3500 steel workers used to work on the current site of Science Park Gelsenkirchen, and our main objective was to create new jobs providing great potential for the future. The Ruhr region had skilled workers with a lot of experience historically in the glass industry. This industry was looking for new opportunities at this time, which played an important role in our decision to focus on solar power in particular. FLABEG, for instance, was originally a Gelsenkirchen based company. Focussing on solar power early on provided us with the opportunity to be ahead of others, and the idea of clean air and new perspectives fit very well with the Gelsenkirchen’s new hopes and ideas. The idea to develop Science Park Gelsenkirchen came in the 1990s at a time when projects focussed on green energy were developed on a very small scale. Science Park Gelsenkirchen’s roof was home to the largest solar power plant in the world at the time, thus we were somewhat pioneers in the field and received great support from the City of Gelsenkirchen.
The Science Park has never strictly been seen as a company, since it was initially co-owned by the City of Gelsenkirchen (51%), the State of North-Rhine Westphalia (24.5%), and the private sector (24.5%) and also received European Union funding. This coalition of institutions shared a vision and strategy for the economic development of Gelsenkirchen, the Ruhr region and of course the State of North-Rhine Westphalia, all because the coal region around Gelsenkirchen is one of the most important and most densely populated parts of the state.
A coal region that transforms itself into a solar region can expect surprised reactions. Who was more surprised: the inhabitants of Gelsenkirchen and the Ruhr region or the local business community?
Everybody was surprised, and they are still. Convincing people that they have to change their mindset is a very long process. I mentioned that 3500 blue collar workers used to work on this site, while today 500 white collar workers are employed at Science Park Gelsenkirchen. This is a process of change in itself, which was focussed on strengthening our small scale industry. Also, we began to produce solar energy, not knowing whether or not we would be paid for it, to demonstrate to the people how it could work. Now, after 13 years, people here are able to accept that they are part of a solar city, and that solar power can be synonymous with a better life. While the intention was to create a new industry cluster in the Ruhr focussed on photovoltaics, this initiative quickly opened up to include the whole renewable energy sector.
After the reunification of Germany, investment in the solar industry shifted towards the East where industrial initiatives such as Solar Valley were launched. Nevertheless we have achieved a lot in this field. For example, Scheuten Solar, has established a solar module factory and the Canadian PV-company Arise Technologies will set up an R&D centre to develop the next generation of solar cells.
One important factor in their decision to come here was the presence of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems. Although it is headquartered in Freiburg, the Fraunhofer Institute has a lab in Gelsenkirchen which strongly supports technology development in the solar industry. The Gelsenkirchen University for Applied Sciences is also doing R&D in this field. The principle behind the Gelsenkirchen cluster is to not only benefit the city but also position the Ruhr valley as a new energy region. Many of the projects and efforts at the Science Park and the Solar City initiative are directed towards the region in particular.
What are the ambitions of Gelsenkirchen as a solar city, and the heart of a renewable energy region? Are you primarily focussed on production, maintenance and services, or R&D?
We want to create new jobs and a city in which people want to live. For example, the housing estates with integrated solar power systems that we have built have been very well accepted. Today Gelsenkirchen is home to Europe’s second largest PV community, and there is another large project in the planning stages. This project, part of a State programme, will result in 500MW installed solar power capacity on 40 houses. Our aim is to strengthen the SME in this field to bring change to the city. We are clearly not going to say no if we can attract a producing company, but in light of the difficulty we are primarily focusing on engineering and maintenance. In this context we are already dealing with some Chinese companies.
What are the main questions that Chinese guest ask when they are visiting Science Park Gelsenkirchen?
We have some very good connections in this field. We even hosted a big conference focused on solar power for China, which was part of a series of conferences on renewable energies from emerging countries. Since then we regularly receive Chinese government delegations. There is clearly also interest from the German side, since German companies want to see what is happening in China. There is a long term corporation on the state level between NRW and the Shanxi province, which also has a traditionally coal mining based economy, so delegations tend to be state-related and interested in structural development. Although there is not one single question which is regularly posed, their main concerns are how to successfully transform their economic profile. They understand that the main objective of this Science Park is to change the life of the people of a former coal city. We are like information brokers, we help put companies in touch with the information they need, introducing companies to other companies.
Chinese solar panel manufacturers are already playing an increasingly important role in the German market will be considering Germany as an investment destination to support their international expansion. What makes Gelsenkirchen a good investment destination?
This is a good investment destination because of our knowledge and experience in the PV sector; we can put Chinese companies who are interested in the German market in touch with our sales and R&D partners. Our core competence is information brokerage, we know the companies across all the different sectors of the renewable industry. We also have this visitor centre where we not only present different types of renewable energy, but also the latest technology in traditional industries such as coal mining which would be of particularly interest to China. We can provide them with a good atmosphere and everything they need to do business in Germany and Europe.
Today the city and the region is still profiling itself as a coal mining region which is transforming itself into a renewable energy region, how do you want to be perceived 5 or 10 years from now?
We are still very much at the beginning of the road of transforming this region successfully. In the coming years we would like the Ruhr to be perceived as a clean energy region, where 5 million people have managed to transition from the old energy industries to the new energy and energy efficiency.
There is a consensus amongst the cities of the Ruhr valley that we want to achieve ambitious climate protection goals, in terms of CO2, renewable energies and energy efficiency. One of the main goals will be the renewal of all houses under the new ecological standards. Our targets are soft targets; it is difficult to have fixed targets here. It is important to understand that the structural change in the Ruhr region has been going on for over 40 years, since 1966 when the first coal mines were closed down. Life in Gelsenkirchen was entirely different back then, so as you can imagine the process for change is very slow. This is precisely the situation in China, although the changes may be able to occur more quickly than here. It is not only a matter of renovation of houses and changing the lifestyle and mindset of the people, but we must at the same time create jobs, and support small and medium sized companies, and sometimes even the big ones, to develop new business to survive this situation. This is what is happening right now and Science Park Gelsenkirchen is one of the major players in this game in the Ruhr area.
When pursuing soft targets it is difficult for outsiders and investors to assess the true ambition level in the region; is one of your main challenges that people question how serious Gelsenkirchen and the Ruhr region are about bringing change?
In this case it is important to look at what is happening on the ground. The state of NRW has set ambitious climate protection goals and programmes with clear figures and targets to achieve these goals, so outsiders are able to see the ambition of the region. Many of the cities in this area have also outlined their own climate protection goals and renewable energy targets. It is clearly the Ruhr’s ambition to become a leading climate change region. We are not only developing new production facilities, but are also striving to integrate these new technologies, as well as energy efficiency strategies, on the level of new housing estates and even new city districts. The City of Gelsenkirchen has established a geographic information system, which through 3D laser scan of the city provides all the necessary information on the suitability of the buildings for PV and solar call installations. This programme demonstrates the Gelsenkirchen still has the potential for a lot more installed capacity, and we are looking to exploit these possibilities to the full.
Science Park Gelsenkirchen has a strong commitment to the region, but will you be able to generate critical mass to ensure the future relevance of Science Park Gelsenkirchen without reaching out to the rest of the world and attracting international players in the renewable energy field?
Investors cannot see Gelsenkirchen simply as a city with 250,000 people, they need to consider what the area has to offer within a 100 km radius, as well as important strategies at the state level. Gelsenkirchen, and the Ruhr region in general, is a fantastic investment location because a number of universities are in close proximity and there is very strong R&D support from state organisations through a number of funding programmes. Together with everything that Science Park and Gelsenkirchen has to offer, makes a very good story for all the potential investors. The Ruhr region is one of the most densely populated areas; this is particularly interesting for investors because of the transportation infrastructure and our central European location. In addition, the supply chains are very close and very dense, and we have very skilled labour force – what more can you ask for! A number of Chinese companies have already decided to invest in NRW, not only in the capital but also in the Ruhr valley.
What is the essence of the message that you would like to get across to potential Chinese investors?
It is important that if they are surprised, that they are positively surprised. This region may be better known for its old industries, particularly coal, but we are moving towards a new energy future. In order to combat these preconceptions about our region at the international level we need to be better at telling the world that the Ruhr is a new energy region that is building on its competencies in traditional energies to establish a strong position in new energy industries. It make senses to build this competence centre here, since we are Europe’s biggest energy producing region, and new energy is an important part of it.
Science Park Gelsenkirchen has achieved a great deal in the renewable energy sector over the past 20 years, especially in the fields of R&D and application, and has great ambition for the future. Many Chinese companies have already chosen NRW as their investment location, there is a great deal of potential here in areas ranging from production facilities to R&D, from large modern power plant technologies to CCS. If you want clean coal, this is the place to come. If you want to be involved in renewable energies, you will find everything you need here in close proximity.
The Chinese can also learn from the success stories of Japanese companies in NRW. At Science Park Gelsenkirchen we are happy to work with everyone. We have the infrastructure, the networks and the skilled people, so we can help them with everything, as we have done with the Chinese companies we are already working with. If they have a long term strategy, then it makes sense to come here. We may only be one voice in a choir of many, but we can give them access to every big company here in Germany. It is very difficult to have one message alone, but we have our history to offer, the transformation from old industries to new, the Chinese can learn from us how to build a future on old coal-mining sites once they close.
| Company: | Science Park Gelsenkirchen |
| Position: | Managing Director of Science Park Gelsenkirchen |
| Country: | Germany |