New Goals for Partnership Defined
Delegations from eleven of Mannheim‘s twin towns and associate cities worked together for three days at the first twin town and associate cities conference. A declaration of intent was signed which defined common goals for the coming years.
Lord Mayor Dr. Peter Kurz commented, „I find it remarkable that we have been able to agree upon such specific projects in merely three days“ as he took stock of the conference results. „The cooperation was constructive at all times and this first group conference was a complete success“. Workshops were carried out on four subjects: creative industries, city marketing, change management and business start-up centers. Their results are to be found in the declaration of intent.
In the area of the business start-up centers, for example, it was agreed that an „International Desk“ be set up. The cities that signed the document will offer small and medium-sized businesses from the other towns premises as well as support with their market launch. Mannheim, Qingdao, Haifa and Bydgoszcz are starting off this cooperation and other cities will follow. „A Mannheim business can be sure to obtain premises in the Haifa HI-Center; a Haifa business will in turn receive premises in Qingdao“, the Lord Mayor went on to explain. He had hoped for multinational projects at the start of the conference – the „International Desk“ is a good example.
And in as early as 2012 there will be further major twin city event in Mannheim. Beyoglu, Klaipeda, Qingdao, Riesa, Zhenjiang, Berlin-Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and Swansea, the participants of the creative industries workshop, have agreed to hold a short film festival in the City of Squares. They will also support Mannheim in its application for the title of „European City of Culture“ and want to promote exchange between their creative talents.
Cooperation and networks are to be extended and further developed in the areas of city marketing and change-management. Virtual platforms will be used to exchange experiences and in November 2011 Riesa will launch the city marketing network with a „best practice“ example.
Kurz declared, „we are very much looking forward to seeing how these individual projects develop and to cooperating with our twins and associates“{...}.“This cooperation gives all our partners new perspectives and I am certain that every one will profit from it.“ Binational and multinational exchange is set to continue.
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