This article was the Topic of the Week in the KW 32 Newsletter of 2025.

Rural regions are much more than picturesque places to live or relax – they are economic powerhouses, innovation engines, and key players in transformation. With around half of national economic output and nearly two-thirds of industrial gross added value, they significantly contribute to Germany's prosperity, employment, and innovative capacity. 

Hidden champions and numerous medium-sized businesses – from traders to suppliers, tourism providers, and service companies – demonstrate the immense potential in rural areas daily.

Active Drivers of Transformation

Despite their importance, rural areas are often underestimated in the public eye and are too frequently seen as mere appendages to urban centers. However, they serve as independent initiators, equal partners, and active agents of change. Rural regions provide areas, resources, and location advantages that are indispensable for the transformative tasks of our time. 

For instance, 95 percent of Germany's installed onshore wind power capacity and 98 percent of ground-mounted photovoltaic systems are located in rural areas. Regarding mobility, rural regions can also take a pioneering role, such as testing autonomous driving. 

Tailored Measures Instead of General Solutions

At the same time, these regions face numerous specific challenges, such as ensuring local and healthcare services, mobility, or managing land resources. Individual solutions are required that suit the specific conditions on the ground. 

Innovative concepts such as digital healthcare applications, on-demand transport services, or fully automated small supermarkets – so-called Smart Stores – can significantly improve provision, particularly in sparsely populated areas. For these approaches to be effective, reliable and legally secure frameworks are required. An example is the opening hours for Smart Stores on Sundays and public holidays. Regulations in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Bavaria, Hesse, or Saxony-Anhalt could serve as models.

Attracting and Retaining Skilled Workers in Rural Areas

A central challenge remains the issue of skilled labor. Many rural regions face particular pressure due to demographic changes and the migration of young people to urban centers. Nevertheless, they hold great potential, as approximately 60 percent of all apprenticeships are provided in rural areas. To maintain these locations in the long term, the DIHK proposes, among other measures, reducing the minimum class size, strengthening block teaching, and enabling combined education for related training professions.

Eight Fields of Action for Strong Rural Regions

The DIHK has summarized these and other suggestions – concentrated into eight central fields of action – in a position paper, which you can access here (PDF, 790 KB) (German version only). 

Besides suitable legal frameworks, visibility for the strengths and potential of rural areas is needed above all. They are not places of scarcity but areas of opportunity characterized by determination, entrepreneurship, and the courage to forge new paths.