On 6 March 2024, Christian Hartmann, Member of the State Parliament (MdL) and Chairman of the CDU parliamentary group, hosted an ideas workshop to collect proposals for the election program for the 2024 state elections in Saxony. Under the motto "Economy in the Free State of Saxony", leading figures from Saxony's politics, economy and society gathered to discuss the future of Saxony's SMEs and develop innovative solutions for upcoming challenges.
Despite initial criticism from the audience about existing problems, the discussion turned into a constructive collection of ideas following an appeal from Mandy Schipke, CEO of NOVUM engineering GmbH. One key suggestion came from Schipke herself: She called for employees in municipal authorities who deal with the public to speak at least English in order to make everyday life easier for international specialists. Thomas Wolf, CEO of publizer GmbH, built on this proposal and advocated the use of AI technologies for real-time translation into almost all languages, which could further strengthen Saxony's international appeal as a business location.
The event was moderated by Simone Meyer-Götz and Alexander Dierks, Secretary General of the CDU Saxony. Achim Kempe, Head of Public Administration at Robotron, gave the opening speech as host. Kempe emphasized the importance of intelligent minds for the future of Saxony's economy and questioned traditional educational requirements, after all, around 20,000 new jobs are to be created in the chip industry by 2030, despite growing competition from "Made in China".
Christian Hartmann emphasized that reducing bureaucracy by simplifying standards and rethinking away from a fully comprehensive mentality are essential. He pleaded for fewer funding guidelines and more trust in entrepreneurs in order to boost Saxony's economy and tackle the shortage of skilled workers.
The discussion revealed a wide range of ideas, from a stronger culture of trust in companies, represented by Ronny Bernstein from BMF GmbH, to the sustainable use of Saxon timber for the construction of multi-storey houses, put forward by Georg Lindner from the Saxon Forest Owners Association. It became clear that Saxony needs a positive vision and communication in order to attract and retain skilled workers in the long term.
Background and history
The Saxony CDU ideas workshop is part of a broader strategy to underpin the election program for the 2024 state elections with concrete, citizen-oriented proposals. It reflects the desire to strengthen Saxony's economy through innovation and internationalization and to actively combat the shortage of skilled workers. The commitment to Saxony's future is reflected in the willingness to question traditional approaches and break new ground in order to position the state as an attractive economic and living space.
This event underlines the importance of dialog and cooperation between politics, business and society in order to consolidate and expand Saxony's position as the economic engine of eastern Germany. By focusing on topics such as reducing bureaucracy, innovation and recruiting skilled workers, the CDU is actively tackling Saxony's challenges and providing impetus for a prosperous future.
