Which energy sources will feed the economy in the Ludwigsburg district in the future? What role will wind and solar energy play, how important will new sources such as hydrogen technology be in the energy transition? These are just some of the key questions that were discussed at the "Economy in Conversation" forum in the Alte Kelter Bietigheim. The event was hosted by the district of Ludwigsburg and partners Kreissparkasse Ludwigsburg and Wüstenrot Bausparkasse. For example, Andreas Schell, CEO of Energie Baden-Württemberg (EnBW), complained that the approval process for wind turbines still takes a long time. René Große-Vehne, owner and Managing Director of the Kornwestheim-based freight forwarding company Große-Vehne, demanded: "Hydrogen for truck traffic will and must come." However, he would like to see a policy of smaller steps in order to give companies the time they need to make the switch. Dr. Thomas Pauer, Member of the Board of Management of the Bosch Powertrain Solutions division, made it clear that the energy transition "will not be cheap, but we have no choice". In addition to the challenges, Bosch also has its eye on the opportunities and is developing new technologies for the future energy supply. And Thomas Fritz, Managing Partner of Ensinger Mineral-Heilquellen in Vaihingen/Enz, called for more public and private commitment to climate protection and, using the example of the protests against new wind turbines, saw a fundamental conflict between individual interests and the interests of the general public. The bottom line is that entrepreneurs in the district are actively tackling the energy transition - and according to a survey of those present, slightly more than half see the energy transition as an opportunity.
District Administrator Dietmar Allgaier pointed out that the district itself wants to set a good example when it comes to the energy transition. For example, the district administration has set itself the goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2035. The close integration of politics and administration is an important concern for him, for example to reduce unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles. In addition to these substantive approaches, the event, which was organized by Oliver Reichert, Business Development Manager of the Ludwigsburg district, focused primarily on getting to know each other, exchanging ideas and expanding personal networks. District Administrator Dietmar Allgaier made it clear that "Business in Conversation" was not intended to be a one-off event, but that the successful kick-off event would become a series of events. "We won't run out of topics," the District Administrator is certain.
