On November 10, 2025, the first regional conference on intermunicipal cooperation in the Dresden region took place.

Representatives from nearly 100 cities and municipalities in the Dresden region, the four districts of Bautzen, Central Saxony, Meissen, and Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains, as well as the three regional planning associations of Chemnitz, Upper Elbe Valley/Eastern Ore Mountains, and Upper Lusatia-Lower Silesia were invited. Representatives of the Free State of Saxony, the Dresden Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Silicon Saxony, and the Dresden Chamber of Crafts were also present.

The event, which attracted around 120 participants, focused on the presentation by Mayor Stephan Kühn of the current status of work on the formation of a Dresden Region Municipal Association in the form of a registered association. In addition, the results of a survey conducted among 96 cities and municipalities were presented, in which possible goals, fields of action, and activities of such an association were surveyed. 

Another highlight for the participants was the first insights into the study on labor and skilled workers as well as population development in the Dresden region by CIMA—especially with regard to current developments in the northern Dresden area in the semiconductor industry.

Another presentation by Dr. Breitner, State Capital Dresden, introduced potential suppliers to the semiconductor industry.

Finally, a panel discussion was held on the core topics of intermunicipal cooperation from a local political and scientific perspective with the following participants:

• Josephine Schattanek, 2nd Mayor of Freital
• Karsten Vogt, Mayor of Bautzen
• Dr. Ralf Müller, Mayor of Dohna, Spokesperson for the Dresden Adventure Region
• Fabian Böttcher, Managing Director of the CIMA Institute for Regional Economics, Hanover
• Prof. Dr. Robert Knippschild, Head of the Interdisciplinary Center for Transformative Urban Redevelopment (IZS) at the IÖR Dresden

(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)