Economics Minister Jörg Steinbach (SPD) believes that the search for new investors and settlements in the Schwedt region in north-eastern Brandenburg will require patience. “Settlements and new investments need staying power,” Steinbach told the German Press Agency in Potsdam, referring to experiences in the Lusatia coal region, which is in the midst of economic change. He too will actively approach companies and promote the region.
The business location Schwedt an der Oder is facing a radical change in view of the oil embargo against Russia, which is hitting the refinery there particularly hard. The federal and state governments are providing millions in funding for a transformation process in the region, for example towards renewable energies. The state government has convened a task force to deal with site development and the search for new settlements since November 2022. The Brandenburg Economic Development Agency opened an office in Schwedt last September.
“So far there have been no specific investor inquiries from outside,” said Steinbach. “Particularly international interested parties cannot do something with the Uckermark right away.” Steinbach also pointed out that the region, together with the Polish city of Stettin, is developing into a metropolitan region with important access to the Baltic Sea.
“We are in the preparatory phase in order to be able to make attractive offers to potential investors from different sectors,” said Steinbach. “I like national investors just as much as international ones.” It is now also a matter of quickly making an inventory analysis, which means clarifying which areas are suitable and whether the owners will also make them available. On Monday, Steinbach received a delegation from Taiwan in Schwedt, which wanted to find out about the possibilities of attracting investors. (dpa)
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