2005/06/14

Set To Go - Kick-off for Germany - The Land of Ideas

Initiative to polish up Germany's image as a location presents the companies involved and the initial projects - Search for 365 innovative places in the Land of Ideas.

Berlin, 14 June 2005 - Today saw the roll-out of Germany - The Land of Ideas , an initiative under the patronage of Federal German President Horst Köhler.

Interior Minister Otto Schily and Dr. Michael Rogowski, Vice-President of the Association of German Industry, representing the Federal German government and German industry respectively, presented the companies and institutions involved and the initial projects planned for this initiative. The Land of Ideas initiative is being financed 50:50 by the Federal German government and a number of leading German industrial companies.

Ten companies have so far agreed to support the initiative and to guarantee funding of about 7.5 million Euro. Negotiations between the organisers of the initiative and other companies have now reached an advanced phase. The Federal German government is contributing ten million Euro towards funding of the initiative.

365 places in the Land of Ideas

One of the key projects is kicking off right now. Germany - The Land of Ideas is inviting bids at national level in a competition entitled 365 Places in the Land of Ideas. People thinking up, sponsoring, developing or implementing new ideas can enter their place of work as a Place in the Land of Ideas. A jury with members who are prominent in their own fields will then select the 365 most creative places, which will then be presented to the public at national level in a series of events during the year 2006. The spotlight will focus on a new place every day.
The competition is open to private persons, cultural institutions, museums, companies, scientific institutes and associations.

Walk of Ideas will turn ideas into events

Activities undertaken by the initiative will concentrate on the year 2006. In the months preceding the Football World Championship, a selection of developments originating in Germany will be depicted in the form of larger-than-life sculptures and put on display at various sites in the centre of Berlin. The sculptures will be milestones on a Walk of Ideas through the German capital portraying the abundance of innovations which originated in Germany to Germans and foreigners alike. The Walk of Ideas will start at the German Historical Museum, where visitors will be able to learn more about the inventions and developments that have come from the Land of Ideas.

Land of Ideas Media Service will brief representatives of the international press

Some 15,000 media representatives will be visiting Germany during the 2006 Football World Championship. From autumn 2005 onwards, these journalists will have access to a media service backed up by a massive databank containing copy and images on Germany and subjects relating to the Land of Ideas concept. The press portal is well equipped to cater for the anticipated needs of national and international media and will, among other things, provide support in arranging contacts, background material on the venues where the matches are being played and other specific information on the country tailored to the needs of the enquirer and his country of origin. Renowned content provider like the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) will deliver high-quality information for the Media Service.

Ambassadors - Partner institutions will project the Land of Ideas throughout the world

The Land of Ideas will cooperate not only with industry and the media, but also (and predominantly) with public-sector and cultural institutions like the Foreign Office, German embassies and the Goethe Institute. When presenting Germany to foreigners as an investment location, FC Deutschland GmbH will cooperate closely with Invest in Germany in order to make full use of the available synergies for its international marketing activities. Cooperation between the Land of Ideas initiative and FIFA is of crucial importance against the background of the 2006 Football World Championship. Germany - The Land of Ideas will be present, together with its media service, at all the official World Championship media centres.

Other projects are currently in the planning phase and will be presented during the coming months. More details of the initiative's activities can be found here.

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About Germany - The Land of Ideas

Germany - The Land of Ideas is an initiative seeking to polish up Germany's image as a location and is sponsored jointly by the Federal German government and German industry, the latter represented by the Association of German Industry (BDI). It is under the patronage of Federal German President Horst Köhler. The members of its Advisory Council are Interior Minister Otto Schily, BDI Vice-President Dr. Michael Rogowski and Peter Zühlsdorff, the General Manager of Deutschen Industrie Holding (DIH). FC Deutschland GmbH, represented by its General Manager Mike de Vries, is responsible for realisation and coordination of the initiative.

It is the objective of Germany - The Land of Ideas to use the opportunity provided by the 2006 Football World Championship to secure a long-term improvement in Germany’s image at home and abroad. The German population will thereby acquire a strong awareness of its own strengths and its country's development potential. At the same time, Germany - The Land of Ideas seeks to display to the rest of the world the country's innate abilities and potential for the future.