structural development

 Hello!

Today we continue with the presentation of the new colleagues from the structural change working group at the ENO.

I spoke to Saskia Brosius from the innovation team about her career to date, her experiences with the Brandenburg workshop process for the Lausitz economic region and her ideas and motivation for working in the Görlitz district.

The Weißkeißelerin already lived in Bad Muskau and for study purposes in Malta. Since October 2020, Saskia has managed the Brandenburg workshop process for the Lausitz economic region in the areas of culture, creativity, tourism and marketing, working together with the Brandenburg Investment Bank. In June she will finish her master's degree in "Creativity and Innovation", but has been part of our new innovation team since May.

We want to get to know them a bit with this little interview!

What was the focus of your studies?

I completed my bachelor’s degree in culture and management at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences in 2019. During the three years in Görlitz, I encountered the topic of creativity again and again, so I decided to deepen this in the master's degree. After extensive online research and a spontaneous short visit to the island of Malta, I decided to do the master's degree in "Creativity and Innovation" there. The focus of the course was learning a variety of creativity techniques with the aim of applying them in an economic context in order to develop product, process or business model innovations.

What was special about living and studying in Malta?

Living and studying in Malta had many peculiarities. The cultural, ethnic and culinary diversity in such a small area (316km2 - approx. 15% of the area of ​​the LK Görlitz) is to be emphasized, which I enjoyed very much, for example my best friends came from North Macedonia and Libya. Among the Maltese one had the impression that everyone knew each other and many were even related to each other, since there are only ten different surnames on the whole island. This family aspect was also reflected in the university, where all lecturers and employees were allowed to use their first names.

You have already gained experience in the Brandenburg workshop process for the Lausitz economic region. What was the most exciting thing, what experiences do you take with you for working at the ENO?

I worked as a project manager for the “Culture, Creative Industries, Tourism and Marketing” workshop at the Lausitz Economic Region (WRL). As a career starter, I was able to learn a lot and build up a good network in a relatively short time. The most exciting thing, of course, were the projects I was allowed to work on. The spectrum ranged from the professionalization of the FILMschule Lausitz in Spremberg to the development of a basic water tourism infrastructure on the Sedlitz Bay and the energy-related renovation of the former colliery in Brieske into a central depot to the "Wild Future", a major project by Wilden Möhre GmbH that The aim is to make Lusatia attractive to tourists outside of its festival operations and to receive significant support from the affected communities. From the experiences at the WRL I take with me for the work at the ENO that each of the projects to be processed must be processed individually and there can be no general procedure for several projects so that the projects can have the greatest possible effect in structural change.

Did you miss Lusatia when you were in Malta, did you always want to go back or, like so many young women, did you toy with the idea of ​​emigrating? If yes, what made you want to return?

It had been the plan from the beginning to come back to Lusatia after the stay abroad and to put down roots here. During my time in Malta, I missed my family and friends in Lusatia, but also the green of nature, which you rarely see on the Mediterranean island.

Do you think it is possible to stop young people from leaving the region? If yes how?

In my view, one should not try to stop young people from leaving. Rather, one should try to give them reasons why, after they have been in the world and gained experience, they should come back. It is also important to show them perspectives on how they can contribute themselves and their ideas to the region.

What are you looking forward to most about working in the Structural Change working group/ what do you see as a challenge?

What I look forward to most about working in the Structural Change working group is conducting the innovation workshops using the Grantiro process, in which we will develop ideas for structural change together with all interested parties from the Görlitz district contribute actively and meaningfully. The challenge for everyone involved will be to think big and sustainably.

Thank you - and welcome, dear Saskia!

Your

Yasna