"We are successful because we have this special ecosystem"
Since mid 2022, Mona Neubaur has been Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy as well as Deputy Minister President of the State of NRW. The minister spoke with VIVID editor Rainer Kunst about how climate neutrality and secure, affordable energy supply can go hand in hand, how NRW can remain competitive and how she maintains her own enthusiasm and optimism in the face of all the challenges.
Left: Rainer Kunst Publisher of VIVID; Right: Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy
The first time I saw you live was in July 2022 in the Malkasten at Creative.NRW, a platform for creative people initiated by your ministry. Why do you think the creative industries are important for NRW?
Because the combination of creativity and business in a free democracy produces innovations and thus generates growth and prosperity. Because a lot of people in NRW work in the creative industries. And because often the things that are developed in the creative industries are also “out of the box”. Innovations are created here that are close to a social reality and close to people's lives. I like that very much.
How do we manage to attract innovative companies to NRW and promote them accordingly?
We have to use the charisma of the many successful companies and startups to show what a great ecosystem we have here – this triad of research and science, industry and SMEs. We are successful because we have this special ecosystem. We need to specifically promote the startup scene even more, especially tech startups in the fields of robotics and AI, to show: Success stories like that of DeepL, for example, are not only possible in the large platform economies in the United States or in other parts of the world, but also here in North Rhine-Westphalia! This also requires more investment: It is clear that we must become even better at acquiring venture capital. Together with our state-owned development bank and the commercial banks, we are in the process of making offers precisely for this purpose. But who decides on capital and who receives it? Venture capitalists are often men. It is important to me to facilitate women's access to venture capital in order to enable more female success stories in North Rhine-Westphalia!
A secure and affordable energy supply is one of the big issues of our time. We no longer get gas from Russia, the coal phase-out is being brought forward to 2030 and the nuclear power plants will be shut down in mid-April 2023. At the same time, we want to become climate neutral. How do you manage such a situation?
It is indeed a very complex challenge, because we have to answer the questions of energy supply security, competitiveness and climate neutrality at the same time. And we have to do this in fierce competition with other regions of the world, some of which have expanded their renewable energies more decisively than Germany in recent years. But: the attitude in society and in business has developed strongly in the direction of renewable energies in the past 15 years. It is no longer a question of whether we install wind turbines, but rather where and under what conditions wind turbines are installed. The companies have a strong self-interest here in order to be able to continue to operate successfully in the future. If, for example, ships can no longer sail on the Rhine in the summer and logistics no longer function or cooling processes in industry can no longer run properly due to low water, we all feel that something has to change. So we are creating areas to use energy from the sun and the wind – for climate-neutral and affordable energy, but also to maintain the economic substance and competitiveness of our country. Our great opportunity is to make climate neutrality a success through technological leadership. By creating an ecosystem in which innovations are enabled and promoted – in all associated areas, from resource efficiency to the circular economy.
„We have to be the better alternative in competition with other attractive locations through cooperations in Europe! “
NRW has a lot of energy-intensive industries. Paper, chemicals, steel, aluminium. How do you keep these industries in NRW in the future despite the comparatively high energy costs?
Europe must make an effort to remain an attractive location in the future. We will not solve this problem alone in NRW, nor alone as the Federal Republic of Germany, but as Europe in competition with other regions in the world, some of which are trying to lure companies to them with protectionist measures. That is why we urgently need a European response to this global competition between locations. The EU Commission is intensively dealing with the question “How do we speed up approvals and still manage to maintain European solidarity in a single market? We have to be the better alternative in competition with other attractive locations through cooperations in Europe! We can make our contribution to this at regional level here in NRW- for example, with the best location conditions for cheap energy from the sun and wind and a clear acceleration of the processes for planning and approvals.
Speaking of permits: How can we speed up the expansion of renewable energies in an industrialised state like NRW? With wind turbines, this currently takes several years – a time we cannot afford.
We have to become much faster – and we are currently working intensively on this! When weighing up renewable energies and nature conservation, the EU and the federal government require us in future to switch from individual to population protection while maintaining the level of protection. This means that if, for example, the total population of a bird species is not threatened, the environmental assessment can be carried out more quickly. The EU assumes that this will allow a wind farm to be approved within eight months. However, the level of species protection remains high.
How will we get the necessary specialists and managers to come to NRW in the future?
We need joint solutions from all relevant ministries. In particular, the recognition of foreign professional qualifications must be made easier. It is good that the federal government is pushing the immigration of skilled workers and it is important to be an attractive location also for people from other regions of the world. In this way, we show to the outside world that we are a modern and liberal society that fights discrimination. Because for someone looking at Europe from the outside, Stockholm, for example, is not that far away from Düsseldorf. We are in competition with many others who are also in search of skilled workers. We also need to expand social infrastructures faster. We need better care services for people who, for example, are in the family phase or whose parents need care. The question is also: How can we make it easier for well-educated women who have put their careers on hold for their families to return to the labour market? If we can do that, we will not only secure the best labour force. It is also an important contribution to the economic independence of our female professionals! In addition, there is the question: How do we succeed in being attractive employers? If a modern working world demands flexibility, we have to develop good solutions together. There are many exciting ideas, also in other European countries. It is a gain for all those involved in a society if the burden is not placed on individuals, but instead cooperation is achieved in the best sense of the word: mothers, fathers, employers, employees, trade unions, etc.
I find that in your public appearances you often come across as engaging, optimistic and turned towards the audience. Is enthusiasm something like your brand essence?
I am a person who likes to discover new things – and I like to be swept away by enthusiasm. Those who travel with such an attitude often experience many good things – and also arouse enthusiasm in their counterparts. When, as Minister of Economic Affairs, I meet entrepreneurs in the most difficult economic situations who say, “It's anything but safe right now, but I'm going to open up a new business segment anyway,” that inspires me enormously. I try to carry this enthusiasm forward with a confidence that is not naïve. It's about moving things and avoiding stagnation. I notice, also in my environment, that settling down with the way things are now would always be a bit too calm for me. This urge to change and to keep moving – that's all part of who I am! •
Interview Rainer Kunst / Text Tom Corrinth
Pictures Andreas Endermann