Saxon Triangle - METREX - The Network of European Metropolitan ...

Contribution to METREX Barcelona biennial Conference,
Workshop 6, Barcelona, October 29th 2004
The “Saxon Triangle”
A Polycentric Region in
Transformation
Dr. Thorsten Wiechmann
Leibniz Institute of Ecological and Regional Development
Dresden, Germany
Dr. Thorsten Wiechmann Saxon Triangle 29.10.2004 Page 1

1 Scope and Structure of the Saxon Triangle
Dr. Thorsten Wiechmann Saxon Triangle 29.10.2004 Page 2

1 Scope and Structure of the Saxon Triangle
Regional Population
Potential in Germany
Source: Federal Office for
Building and Regional Planning
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1 Scope and Structure of the Saxon Triangle
State Development Plan
of Saxony-Anhalt (2004)
- Spatial Structure -
Halle
Zwickau
Leipzig
Chemnitz
Metropolitan Region Saxon Triangle
3 Levels for Describing the Region:
- 5 Core Cities
(Leipzig + Halle + Dresden + Chemnitz + Zwickau)
- 4 Agglomeration Areas
(Leipzig + Halle + Dresden + Chemnitz/Zwickau)
- 3 Areas of Regional Cooperation
(Leipzig/Halle + Dresden + Chemnitz/Zwickau)
Dresden
State Development Plan
of Saxony (2003)
- Spatial Structure -
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1 Scope and Structure of the Saxon Triangle
Population (31.12.2002) in …
Dresden
Leipzig
Chemnitz
Zwickau
Halle
… Core Cities … Agglomerations … Regional Cooperation Areas
Dresden 480.228 Dresden 717.549 Dresden 1.143.227
Leipzig 494.795 Leipzig 598.284
Halle 240.119 Halle 297.283 Leipzig / Halle 1.357.960
Chemnitz 252.618
Zwickau 100.892 Chemnitz / Zwickau 925.675 Chemnitz / Zwickau 852.305
Dresden
112 km
74 km
115 km
142 km
1.568.652 2.538.791 3.353.492
Street Kilometres and Train Connections
Leipzig
1:04 h
79 km
82 km
45 km
Chemnitz
1:07 h
1:44 h
35 km
115 km
Zwickau
1:40 h
1:16 h
0:31 h
109 km
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Halle
1:44 h
0:29 h
2:23 h
2:04 h
Minimum distance between 2 cities
= 35 km (Chemnitz - Zwickau)
Maximum distance between 2 cities
= 142 km (Dresden - Halle)
Fastest train connection between
2 cities = 0:29 h (Halle - Leipzig)
Farthest train connection between
2 cities = 2:23 h (Halle - Chemnitz)

2 Regional Capacity of the Saxon Triangle
Technological Capacity
Microelectronics Cluster in Dresden
- “Silicon Saxony” around Dresden
- N° 1 chip production location in
Europe (under Top 5 in the world)
- 760 enterprises (Infineon, AMD,
AMTC, ZMD)
- 20.000 jobs in the microelectronic
industry
- Research facilities (incl. 3 Universities
and a new nanoelectronic research
center)
AMD
Infineon
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2 Regional Capacity of the Saxon Triangle
Technological Capacity
Automotive Engineering in Saxony
- Centennial tradition in Saxony
- Recent Car Production in Zwickau
(Volkswagen), Leipzig (BMW,
Porsche) and Dresden (Phaeton)
- 450 enterprises in supplying industry
in Saxon Triangle
- 60.000 jobs in this branch
- Research facilities
Locations of automotive engineering in Saxony
Production Sites & Suppliers
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2 Regional Capacity of the Saxon Triangle
Cultural Capacity
Important Cultural Events in Germany 2003/04
according to SPIEGEL Magazine (Source: KoRiS 2004)
Semper Opera Dresden
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3 The Saxon Triangle as a Metropolitan Region
ESPON Study 1.1.1. (2003)
� Functional Urban Areas Typology
� 64 MEGAs in Europe,
thereof 8 in Germany
� Saxon Triangle: Potential
to form a polycentric region
outside the Pentagon
Saxon
Triangle
Berlin
Prague
Wroclaw
� Existing studies assess the five cities separately, not the region
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3 The Saxon Triangle as a Metropolitan Region
The Federal Position Metropolitan Regions in Germany
• In Germany 1997 seven regions
were accounted as “European
Metropolitan Regions” by the
German Standing Conference of
Ministers Responsible for Spatial
Planning (MKRO):
- Rhine-Ruhr (including Cologne,
Essen, Dortmund),
- Rhine-Main (including Frankfurt),
- Berlin,
- Hamburg,
- the Saxon Triangle
- Stuttgart, and
- Munich
• Due to their geographical location the Saxon Triangle and Berlin are
particularly suitable to perform hub, facilitator, and transfer functions in
the EU enlargement process.
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3 The Saxon Triangle as a Metropolitan Region
State Development Plan of Saxony 2003 (LEP)
• Saxon Triangle is to be developed to a
dynamic European metropolitan region
in a long term process
• Therefore the major cities should
cooperate in partnership in the fields of
� Transportation
� Economy
� Tourism
� Education
� Science
� Sports
� Culture
� Marketing
• Accessibility is to be improved by further integration into the TEN
LEP 2003
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3 The Saxon Triangle as a Metropolitan Region
Chronology of Activities
Phase 1: Informal Cooperation
1994 � Saxon LEP ‘94: Saxon Triangle to become a European city network
1995 � MKRO: Saxon Triangle as potential metropolitan region in Germany
1997 � MKRO: Saxon Triangle as a ‘European metropolitan region in Germany’
1997 � Study ‘Transportation in the Saxon Triangle’
2001 � Foundation of the ‘Network of German Metropolitan Regions’
(Saxon Triangle is one of 8 members)
Phase 2: Boosted Cooperation among the Cities
2002 � Constitution of a standing working group; Members: Saxon State Ministry of
Interior and the city planners of the 5 cities;
since then regular meetings (initially 4 times per annum, now monthly)
2003 � Saxon LEP ’03: Saxon Triangle to become a European metropolitan region
2004 � Top-level meeting with the State Minister and the Lord Mayors
� Elaboration of a joint strategy concept for the Saxon Triangle
� Participation in PolyMETREXplus
� Further sectoral activities
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4 Perspectives of the Saxon Triangle
Main Fields of Future Action
- Regional Governance / Cooperation Structures
- Transportation and Mobility
- Regional Marketing / Corporate Identity
- Joint Business Development
- Education, Research and Technology
- Tourism, Culture and Sports
- External Cooperation / Positioning in Europe
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