Lend/Pinzgau: Future initiative launched for the entire region

The first innovation workshop with numerous experts and business representatives focused on future ideas for the municipality of Lend and the entire Innergebirg region.

(Lend, 12.6.2019) Thinking the future together and achieving more for the region was the central reason for the first innovation workshop in Lend. On the initiative of Dr. Karin Exner-Wöhrer, CEO of the SAG Salzburger Aluminium Group, ideas were developed and measures developed for an entire day at the beginning of June in the SAG headquarters with around 20 entrepreneurs, experts and representatives from the region to promote innovation, openness and cooperation regionally. “Innovation happens today where different perspectives and knowledge from different areas come together. This requires a culture of openness and cooperation – across industries and intellectual borders. As an important employer, we want to create the conditions for this in order to force the spirit of innovation that prevails at SAG more strongly in the entire region,” said Karin Exner-Wöhrer about the motivating reasons for the initiative. A continuation will already take place in August.

People come together to talk

The motto “More innovation through cooperation and openness” was followed by numerous representatives from various fields: the Mayor of Lend, Michaela Höfelsauer, as well as experts from SAG, owners and managing directors of regional companies including Dr. Christian Kappacher, managing director of Hali Büromöbel, the managing director of the Salzburg Federation of Industry, Irene Schulte, and experts from institutions such as the Salzburg Chamber of Commerce and the regional management of the province of Salzburg. With the help of “Design Thinking”, innovative ideas were worked on with great concentration throughout the day. The aim was both to conceive visionary large-scale projects in broad outlines and to develop prototypes for projects that could be implemented in the near future. A total of eight project ideas were developed to strengthen innovation, cooperation and openness in the region across industries.

Innovation needs education

The shortage of skilled workers in the region was regarded as particularly urgent. All participants agreed that only education in combination with quality of life and excellence can remedy this situation. “As a region, we must be attractive to talented people. This applies in particular to the Lend location,” said Exner-Wöhrer. This led to ideas that ranged from increased cooperation between companies and universities of applied sciences to cooperation projects in the training of skilled workers and visionary raw concepts for excellent educational and research institutions, for example in the field of alternative energies.

Start into an innovative future

“This day was a good start”, Exner-Wöhrer is sure together with all participants. “Now there are many ideas on the table, some of which are very promising. Above all, the fact that so many people from the region took a whole day of their time makes me feel very positive. We all believe in Lend and that together we can do more for the region and the economy. This also means that we can get out of the atmospheric downward spiral.” SAG will take advantage of this good mood. There will be a follow-up date in August. At this meeting it will not only be a question of building on the positive atmosphere, but also of what has been happening since the last workshop: “In addition to big, visionary ideas, smaller projects with very concrete steps have also emerged. Already at the end of the summer we would like to discuss the implementation of these concrete projects again and define further joint cooperation possibilities for more innovation in and for the region”, Exner-Wöhrer concludes.

Press contact:
Mag. Andrea Pfennigbauer
SAG Salzburger Aluminium Group
Tel. 0664 60650-2043
e-mail: andrea.pfennigbauer@sag.at

Fotocredits: all photos SAG Photo 1 from left to right: Mag. Irene Schulte, GF IV-Salzburg; Dr. Karin Exner-Wöhrer, CEO SAG; Michaela Höfelsauer, Mayor Lend