Coburg delegation visits automotive supplier and technology park APP

Guests from Coburg visit the company BWF Protec.

Auf dem Bild sind Männer in einem Seminarraum zu sehen, die einem Vortrag lauschen.

Auf dem Foto ist ein Mann zu sehen, der einem anderen Mann etwas erklärt.

Auf dem Bild ist eine große Gruppe Personen zu sehen, die an einer Führung in einer Fabrikhalle teilnimmt.

Auf dem Bild ist eine große Gruppe Personen in einer Fabrikhalle zu sehen.

Joint press release from the city and district of Hof

A delegation of around 20 people from the district of Coburg has now visited the Hof region to find out more about the Hochfranken Automotive Supply and Technology Park. The district councillors, mayors and administrative staff had an in-depth discussion with the two managing directors of the special-purpose association, the mayor of Gattendorf, the business promoters from the city and district of Hof and District Administrator Dr. Oliver Bär about the history of the technology park, the composition and structures of the special-purpose association, the financing and the development of the park at the Gattendorf site.

The Zweckverband Automobilzuliefer- und Technologiepark Hochfranken was founded in 2002 by the city of Hof, the district of Hof and the municipality of Gattendorf, and the ground-breaking ceremony for the first development phase took place just one year later. The park now comprises five sections with a total area of 156 hectares and nine settlements.

"We can see that it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract a company that needs more than just 2 or 3 hectares. If they do, then we are talking about companies that ask us for upwards of 5 hectares. As a rule, a municipality cannot cope with such orders of magnitude on its own. However, it's not just about the area, but also about support and marketing. Joining forces here makes perfect sense from our point of view, which is why we are glad that we founded the Automotive Supply and Technology Park over 20 years ago," says District Administrator and Chairman of the Association Dr. Oliver Bär.

In order to get an impression of the companies and the quality of the companies on site, the Coburg guests were able to visit the company BWF Protec as part of a guided tour. BWF Protec specializes in technical needle felts and round-needled tubes and belts and has been based in Gattendorf since 2005.

Coburg District Administrator Sebastian Straubel summed up the visit as very helpful. The district of Coburg would like to follow a similar path and also establish a joint, inter-municipal industrial estate. "However, we have municipalities with 1,500 inhabitants - how is such a municipality supposed to manage settlements on its own? This can only work together, which is why today, with all the insights into the creation and development of the park here in Gattendorf, was very important and helpful for us," said Straubel.