Kaum beachtet, gemeinsam stark. Versteckte Potenziale von Hidden Champions

Abstract

Small towns are central elements of the urban hierarchy in Germany and hold a key position for balanced spatial development. Compared to other types of cities in more central locations, especially small towns in peripheral regions are frequently exposed to socio-economic challenges such as structural weakness and adverse demographic change processes. Nevertheless, a substantial number of successful and innovative companies – so-called Hidden Champions – are located in such small towns. Against this background, the research project investigated the function of Hidden Champions for on-going and future development of peripherally located small towns and illustrated to what extent these companies are engaged in local and urban development processes.

Using quantitative approaches, the economic potential of small towns as well as the determining characteristics of Hidden Champions were analysed. Based on these analyses qualitative case studies were selected. The aim of these case studies was to examine the corporate regional engagement of Hidden Champions in small town development processes and to draw attention to related motivations, potentials and barriers. Besides Hidden Champions, the case studies focused on further relevant actors in the field of small town development (local administration, civil society etc.). For more details on the results, please see the German project page

The study was commissioned by the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) in the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR). The project connected to previous and on-going IfL research on alternative perspectives on regional development in peripheral regions and research on world market leaders. An additional basis was BBSR research on the potentials of small towns in peripheral regions as well as on the state and future of centrally located small towns.

Biographical Note

Dr. Thilo Lang (Leibniz- Institut für Länderkunde)

Thilo Lang is Head of the Department of Regional Geography of Europe at the Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography, Germany, and Lecturer at the Global and European Studies Institute at the University of Leipzig, Germany.

Franziska Görmar (Leibniz– Institut für Länderkunde)

Franziska Görmar is Project Manager and Research Fellow at Department of Regional Geography of Europe at the Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography, Germany.

Lukas Vonnahme (SFB 1199 & Leibniz- Institut für Länderkunde)

Having studied Human Geography in Marburg, Lund and Frankfurt from 2008 to 2014, Vonnahme joined the Leibniz-Institute for Regional Geography Leipzig in 2014. After he worked for bwcon GmbH, a regional economic development agency in Stuttgart in 2015, Vonnahme obtained his current position as a Researcher and PhD Candidate within the project “Peripheral but Global: World Market Leaders outside of Agglomerations”, which is part of the Collaborative Research Centre (SFB) 1199: “Processes of Spatialization under the Global Condition”. His research interests include regional economic development, processes of knowledge creation in space, and innovation management.