East Thuringia – a dynamic region
East Thuringia is an attractive science and industry region –
traditional industries meet forward moving companies here. The
central geographical location in Europe, the successful conversion
to a high-efficiency economic structure and the developments in
infrastructure and telecommunications are the basis of the dynamic
development of this region. It is home to some 720,000 people, of
these 300,000 people in gainful employment, on an area of 4,678 km²
[1].
Membership in IHK Ostthüringen zu Gera (Gera Industry and Trade
Chamber for East Thuringia) has gone up continuously from 25,000 in
1992 to short of 40,000 firms. Some 2,200 companies form the
industrial backbone in the IHK catchment area [2]. East
Thuringian businesses are strong in export. High-tech products from
East Thuringia, – for example, optical instruments, but also
machines and chemical products – are shipped to buyers throughout
the world. Meanwhile about one third of the total turnover from
manufacturing industry is earned abroad.
The East Thuringia IHK region links strong industrial locations
such as
Saalfeld/Rudolstadt, the
Saale-Orla-Region, the science city of
Jena and the traditional industry and mining town ofGera with
an abundance of beautiful rural regions. The Rennsteig hiking
trail, which follows the crests of the Thuringian Forest, begins in
Bad Blankenburg an der Saale. The Thuringian Sea – Germany–s
largest interconnected system of reservoirs (Bleilocha and
Hohewarte reservoirs) – is a paradise for water sportsmen. The
district of 1000 ponds in the Plothener Seen nature and landscape
reserve contains wide stretches of magnificent nature. Castles and
princely homes in Dornburg, Altenburg, Greiz or Rudolstadt are
landmarks of the cultural landscape. Vibrant cities and attractive
festivals, such as the Dance and Folk Festival in Rudolstadt or
Culture Arena Jena, add to the cultural flair of East Thuringia. An
extensive network of modern cycle tracks makes the gems of the
landscape and culture of East Thuringia accessible to visitors with
an interest in sport activities. These include the newly created
garden and park landscapes in Gera and the New Landscape of
Ronneburg, one of the world–s most expansive renaturation projects,
which were created a few years ago in connection with the Federal
Horticultural Show.
Jena, East Thuringia–s high-tech centre, is at the hub of the
region. Based on the living tradition of top optical technology, an
industrial focus with modern cross-sector technologies has emerged
in the most recent past: firms in photonics, precision engineering,
measuring equipment, microengineering, biotechnology, medical
products and composite materials dominate industry in Jena. Close
cooperation among industry and leading researchers at universities,
technical colleges and research institutions yield pioneering
innovations. Names like Jena Friedrich Schiller University, Max
Planck, Fraunhofer, and Leibnitz Institutes as well as Carl Zeiss
Jena GmbH, SCHOTT JENAer GLAS GmbH or Jenoptik AG speak for
themselves.
The city of Gera is a place of high concentration of service
industries and trading businesses. Education is also a major
sector: The Private SRH Fachhochschule für Gesundheit formed in
October 2007 and the Gera University of Cooperative Education train
professional staff in social services, rehabilitation, engineering
sciences, service industries, trade as well as information systems
for business and industry.
Manufacturing industries in the rural district of
Saalfeld-Rudolstadt are among the most powerful sectors throughout
East Thuringia. In addition to food industry, chemical and plastics
industries, glass industry and metal-working industries are at home
here. With most advanced technology, Stahlwerk Thüringen GmbH in
Unterwellenborn continues the tradition of steel-making and forming
in East Thuringia.
Industry in the district
Saale-Orla-Kreis is almost as strong. Major industries
here are timber and construction suppliers. Power generation and
the hospitality industry are concentrated especially along the
Saale river with the „Bleiloch” and „Hohenwarte” reservoirs.
The rural districts
Altenburger Land and Greiz are home to automotive
suppliers, environment, clothing, construction supply and machine
building industries. The area around Altenburg is undergoing a very
positive development also in connection with the expansion of the
regional airport Leipzig-Altenburg, which is felt as far as in the
Central German region.
The district
Saale-Holzland-Kreis is increasingly becoming a logistics
centre at Hermsdorfer Kreuz, the intersection of federal motorways
A 4 and A 9. The production and further improvement of industrial
ceramics industry and the favourable location between the regional
centres of Gera and Jena prefer the Saale-Holzland-Kreis district
as settlement of new industries.
[1] Source: Thüringer Landesamt für Statistik
[2] Source: IHK Ostthüringen zu Gera
