In terms of their own environment, people generally identify most strongly with their region. They live in towns and communities that exist in a regional context. They share in the welfare of the region: goods and services are exchanged and natural resources are managed or cultivated. Their cultural identity is often just as much shared as transport routes and infrastructure facilities. Regions offer a wide range of potentials that our partner countries would like to mobilise for their development processes. However, conflicts of interest over rights of use can also lead to disputes.

We analyse the interlinkages in the region and then derive development strategies with our partners. What goods and services are produced? Which companies cooperate in the production? Where are the products sold? Where is access to public services and infrastructure insufficient? We identify the important actors and decision-makers and advise on integrating them into networks. By handing on our experience in regional management, we develop the performance capability of regional institutions: they learn how to steer complex and dynamic processes on their own.

The advantages are obvious. Working from a set of common objectives, individual efforts are pooled and the use of scarce resources is coordinated. For a start, this enhances the competitive position of companies in the region. Investors find it increasingly attractive to move to business locations in this dynamically managed region. In poor residential areas, people gain access to social services and have the chance to improve their incomes. Overall, the linkages between the city and countryside are optimised for the benefit of the inhabitants, and consumption of natural resources is curbed.