Hamburg Metropolitan Region puts OECD's recommendations into effect

22 May 2024

Key steps towards greater sustainability and innovation ahead

The Hamburg Metropolitan Region is putting the OECD’s recommendations on renewable energy, sustainable mobility and innovation into effect, a press release said Tuesday (May 14, 2024). This comes after recent resolutions to boost competitiveness and innovation across the region. The measures are based on the OECD’s analysis of regional development opportunities in 2019.

Innovation agency first milestone

A new innovation agency is among the recommended measures. "It would have the potential to increase the pace of innovation in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region," said Andreas Rieckhof, Chair of the Regional Council. The initiatives on sustainable and intelligent energy systems, innovative materials and production processes as well as advances in digitalisation and AI are key to that goal. Project planning is expected to begin in summer 2024. Other projects include a housing market monitoring system that which will act as an analysis and decision-making tool for local authorities. A supra-regional competence centre is also being set up to realize the potential of the energy transition in north Germany. A second centre of excellence should focus on sustainable mobility and the regional transport transition.

Spatial model defines further goals

The implementation phase is based on a spatial vision of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, published in December 2023 and which outlines the region’s development through 2045. It serves as a roadmap for planning and development, according to Marion Koll, from the Ministry of the Interior, Urban Affairs, Housing and Sport in the State of Schleswig-Holstein Emphasis is on green infrastructure, improved mobility and affordable housing. These measures will be funded by the Hamburg Metropolitan Region's development fund to ensure feasibility.
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