Press releases

• In addition to Mayor Dr. Michael Ziemons, North Rhine-Westphalia Minister of Economic Affairs Mona Neubaur, and the city’s head of economic affairs, Thomas Hissel, numerous representatives from the worlds of politics, business, academia, and public administration will be in attendance.
• A site in eastern Aachen offers more than 60 hectares of development potential.
• Since 2025, 250 new jobs have already been created, with many more expected to follow.

Aachen is sending a strong signal for the industry of tomorrow: An established industrial hub and more than 60 hectares of development potential offer space for the next generation of manufacturing. Around 180 guests from the worlds of business, academia, politics, and public administration gathered on Tuesday (September 2) at the WERK.STADT ROTHE ERDE event in the Stranghalle to discuss the future of the site—and, by extension, Aachen’s industrial future. Among those in attendance were Mayor Dr. Michael Ziemons, City Councilor for Housing, Social Affairs, and Economic Affairs Thomas Hissel, and, as a prominent guest from Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia Minister of Economic Affairs Mona Neubaur.

It became clear that Rothe Erde’s industrial future is far from over. Rothe Erde is at the dawn of a new industrial chapter. Since the 19th century, the site has repeatedly reinvented itself—from steel production and processing to the rubber industry and electronics manufacturing. Today, innovation and industrial transformation are once again the focus. Companies from sectors such as battery recycling, fiber coating, LED and OLED production, and medical devices are already active in the area. Since 2025, more than 250 new jobs have been created.

Aachen Needs Room to Grow
: The Need for Action Is Urgent. Between 2016 and 2025, the City of Aachen received 1,412 inquiries about commercial real estate—an average of more than 140 per year. In the first half of 2026 alone, approximately 70 additional inquiries were received. At the same time, between 2020 and 2025, only about 20 inquiries per year, on average, were successfully matched. “Today we’re not talking about numbers or land—we’re planning the future of our city. Rothe Erde is not a relic of past industry, but the beginning of a new chapter: a place where production, innovation, and quality of life go hand in hand. We are transforming spaces into meeting places, pilot sites, and production locations so that people can live and work here and businesses can grow,” said Mayor Dr. Michael Ziemons at the opening. When considering the C-WERK, the Hutchinson site, TRIWO Park, and municipal land together, the total developable potential amounts to approximately 350,000 square meters.

“One of our region’s greatest opportunities is the innovative strength of our universities and research institutions. However, for innovations to translate into products, added value, and jobs, companies need suitable space. Rothe Erde offers this and serves as a central hub where development, pilot production, and manufacturing converge, giving shape to Aachen’s industrial future,” added Thomas Hissel, Aachen’s Deputy Mayor for Housing, Social Affairs, and Economic Development.

The extent of this need became clear during the evening’s two discussion sessions. Representatives from the business community and trade associations discussed the growing demand for space and the question of how Aachen can offer companies prospects for growth despite the scarcity of commercial space. Gisela Kohl-Vogel (Aachen Chamber of Industry and Commerce), Norbert Hermanns (Landmarken AG), Dr. Raymund Heiliger (VUV), and Thomas Hissel shed light on the business community’s perspective amid the shortage of space and future opportunities.

The second panel discussion made it clear that this is not just about land, but about Aachen’s industrial future. Dr. Robert Brüll of FibreCoat, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Riesener of RWTH Aachen University, Sebastian Schall of Black Semiconductor, and Dieter M. Begaß discussed the technologies of tomorrow’s urban production and how innovation can flourish in the region and be translated into industrial value creation.

The industrial area is being transformed into a WERK.STADT.
WERK.STADT ROTHE ERDE is designed to make all of this possible. The goal: to connect production, innovation, and the city. Dieter M. Begaß, Director of Economic Development for the City of Aachen, presented the land-use and structural concept that provides the spatial and strategic framework for this. Four guiding principles stand out: the “productive belt,” the Vennbahn axis, neighborhood-internal “work loops,” and a “green framework.” The aim is to make production visible, create new meeting places, and better connect the industrial area—which has often been isolated until now—with its surroundings.

The focus is on pragmatic implementation. “With WERK.STADT ROTHE ERDE, we want to rethink an industrial site. The goal here is not to create an isolated industrial park, but rather a vibrant place where production is visible, new encounters are possible, and knowledge and technology meet industrial application. It is precisely this combination of science, hands-on work, and urbanity that makes Rothe Erde a special place of the future for Aachen,” said Begaß. The concept encompasses twelve specific areas of action—ranging from the revitalization of vacant and underutilized areas to energy and mobility, as well as open spaces, neighborhood integration, and site branding.

The first phase of the “Vision 2025+ – Aachen Rothe Erde: A Model Site for Urban Production” project received approximately 2.5 million euros in funding as part of the REVIER GESTALTEN program. An additional 10 million euros has been earmarked for a second phase. Political consultations on the land-use and structural concept will begin in September. After that, the focus will be on visibly getting the first measures off the ground.

Project Manager Judith Abels of the Aachen Economic Development Agency summed up the evening as follows: “The more I learn about Rothe Erde, the more I realize: The journey is the destination—just like in a marathon. This works when everyone pulls together—and I’m looking forward to that.”