Interregional Cooperation

The Ruhr Regional Association (RVR) closely cooperates with Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolia (Metropolis GZM) in southern Poland. In August 2019, GZM and RVR signed a partnership agreement. A common history in coal mining gave impetus to the partnership. Today, the partners regularly implement joint projects and formats. In particular, the partnership focuses on developing new approaches to current economic and ecological developments. 

How do metropolitan areas meet current challenges like resilience and sustainability? Which approaches do they develop, which positive experiences do they make? Upon GZM’s invitation, RVR Regional Director Karola Geiß-Netthöfel discussed these questions with other European metropolitan areas at the European Metropolitan Authorities’ (EMA) forum in Katowice in June 2022.

Which challenges are GZM and the Ruhr Metropolis facing with regard to regional mobility? What are similarities and good practice examples? Which pioneering projects do both regions work on? A digital exchange of experiences dealt with these questions in October 2021.

How can a green, sustainable and participatory Europe be shaped? How can I contribute myself? These were the key questions that young people, aged 16 to 22, from the GZM and the Ruhr Metropolis discussed with scientists and politicians in May 2021. This first digital makerthon was part of the Europe Week in North Rhine-Westphalia.

How can an entire motorway be shut down for one day? What do you have to consider when organising such a large-scale project? How do you communicate with the local population? Based on the experiences of the Ruhr Metropolis during the European Capital of Culture "RUHR.2010", a digital expert discussion on the "Still-Life" project took place in May 2021.

How can a sustainable revitalisation of former industrial sites succeed? What new social and economic functions will bear fruit? These were the guiding questions of an online seminar in October 2020, in which MARK 51°7 in Bochum and the Culture Zone in Katowice, among others, were presented as best practice examples.

How can municipal economic promotion be supported at the regional level? How is it possible to attract investors to the region? What support do startups need? In February 2020, a workshop on regional economic promotion was held at Business Metropole Ruhr (BMR), an RVR subsidiary.