What can we learn from the transformation of Düsseldorf?
In October 2023, a group of experts in the European region will meet to discuss water. This group called the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) had earlier convened in February 2023 to lay out the foundations of the Blue Deal. In summary, the group's outlook for water stewardship and the policies that govern water resources in the European region needs to be effected at a larger scale than the present state of administration. The EESC is set to enumerate the February plans with a larger conference in October by discussing sustainable water management, the economics of water in terms of preservation, geopolitics, agriculture and resilient infrastructure.
German industry bigwigs and chiefs are set to be participants in this conference that will essentially set targets for the future of water in Europe and contribute to a massive revamp of existing water resource policies. Based on the importance of water in manufacturing, agriculture, and its use domestically, most cities that boast of economic vigour and superior trade activity, like Dusseldorf, are industrial powerhouses that have a secure access to sources of clean water. Thus, they tend to typically attract quality foreign direct investors, plenty of tourists and they normally would have a rich history spanning centuries. All thanks to the bold claim that water has to the lives of humans and the weight of its importance in their plans and choices. With clean water in the mix of a megacity's value proposition in these times that we live in, it would be hard to not hear or read about a new company or enterprise that adopts all or one of sustainability, industry 4.0 processes, and Artificial Intelligence, launching operations there.
Dusseldorf has a rich history of manufacturing with factories that used older climate ‘unfriendly’ methods to churn out steel and fabricated metal products throughout the 20th century. I refer particularly to a past when Germany was heavily invested in the World Wars and the history that followed the rebuilding of their country and economy. Today, these decommissioned methods would have counted against the successful drive towards reaching many sustainable development goals. Factories in Germany are now aggressively moving to reduce carbon emissions by adopting more modern practices and boldly reporting milestones to governing bodies to track their emissions footprint.
In 2019, Dusseldorf ranked sixth (6th) on the quality of living ranking ahead of Auckland in New Zealand and a spot ahead of Frankfurt. With a population of approximately seven hundred thousand (700,000), the capital of North-Rhine Westphalia is the sixth largest city in Germany. Known for its proclivity for music, architecture, fashion, and art, a good number of its citizens are popular for successful and impressive feats in these fields.
Today, the city's admirable awareness of the biodiversity domain is only natural due to its gloomy industrial past and leanings, and as a result of the entire country of Germany's brazen awareness of the importance of nature. They have done this by adopting green infrastructure and by practicing conservation, both on a grand scale. There are 17 cities in Germany where green spaces (agricultural land, parks, etc.) make up 80% or more of their land areas. Dusseldorf is sixty-ninth (69th) on the comprehensive list of Germany's greenest cities with 57% of its land area set aside as green space (123 sq km of 217 sq km). Siegen, a German city with 60% wooded land and metalworking industrial leanings, is ranked top with 86%. There is also the “Kö-Bogen 2” complex where 30,000 young hornbeams are currently flourishing on the roof in what is Europe’s largest green facade.
Furthermore, the combination of manufacturing businesses from a range of consumer-based sectors (food and beverage, electronics) and an even more profound preference for digitally advanced and digitally oriented industrial processes makes Dusseldorf a location for a myriad of successful multinationals. To marry the city’s focus on economic success from innovation and design with an awareness of the environmental impact of modern living, Dusseldorf based manufacturers are leaning heavily on industry 4.0 and its promise for a greener and bluer environment. The proliferation of innovation in the wake of digital twins in construction and design, as well as 3D imaging and miniature printing of versions of products to minimise waste is becoming a norm.
Finally, the direct impact of eco-friendly design in manufacturing in Dusseldorf is remarkable and a brilliant introduction into the mix. With the development of these practices and its adoption into policy, water and energy wastage will be better curbed and incorporated in patented design. Also, ageing infrastructure and supply chains tend to get upgraded to avoid component compatibility issues, and sustainability becomes a dominant feature. One has to commend innovation as a leading factor in the course that has been charted in the sustainability and resilience drive globally. Thus, partnerships with countries like the USA, China and Japan who have major investments in Dusseldorf have established a state of the art city that any global citizen can compare to London or Paris. Sectors like banking, fashion, and real estate in the city owe their boom and advocacy in the form of investments to foreign investors and multinationals.
In October, when the EESC meet to add flesh to the plans for Europe in the near future regarding water security, the global manufacturing sector and by affiliation, Dusseldorf, will be impacted by new guidelines and policies that can only have a positive impact on the goal to make our industrial activities and their design components more resilient and sustainable.