The “Innovation Challenge” is an interactive participation format that is regularly carried out in municipalities in the Görlitz district. In a creative process, citizens, companies and administration work together to develop innovative solutions for local challenges. The event promotes dialogue between different actors and generates concrete project ideas for regional development. By integrating local expertise, tailor-made and implementable concepts are developed that contribute to strengthening the region. The “Innovation Challenge” is an important instrument for promoting citizen participation and innovation in structural change.

The Lausitz Café is a regular series of events that deals with specific questions about development in the region. Using the “World Café method”, the participants discuss various thematic solution approaches. The results will be published promptly and followed up by the project managers of our task force. An example of the effectiveness of these events is the skilled workers campaign “You are missing here”, which emerged from a Lausitz café and was implemented in 2023/24.

Development of a concept with the mayors of the northern municipalities: The concept is intended to consider the Lusatian coalfield (particularly the northeastern area in the Görlitz district) in relation to the effects of structural change and demographic change and to determine the interfaces between the individual village and urban development concepts.

The actors involved want to jointly develop a cross-border hydrogen valley along the German-Polish border of the Neisse. The aim is to create a local ecosystem that promotes the development and use of hydrogen technologies. In this way, economic growth, technological innovation and ecological sustainability are to be promoted and expanded in the region.