Understanding Strategic Change: Insights from the TEMPUS Expert Workshop on the Emscher Conversion

A recurring theme in the discussion was the importance of historical context. Participants emphasized that the Emscher revitalization would be difficult to explain without the backdrop of structural change, deindustrialization, shifting environmental perceptions, and political will at the state level. Strategic shifts thus emerged from political and planning decisions in interaction with social and economic developments.

The momentum at that time was shaped by a constellation of key political actors. Individuals such as Johannes Rau, Christoph Zöpel, Karl Ganser, and Jochen Stemplewski were named as pivotal figures. Nevertheless, the participants cautioned against an overly person-centered narrative: powerful actors are effective primarily when political, social, and institutional conditions enable their actions. Institutional stability of the Emschergenossenschaft was highlighted as a central success factor. Its corporatist structure, long-term capacity for action, and fee-based financing model enabled continuity across political election cycles. The trust of municipalities, the state, and members in its technical and organizational competence was described as a crucial resource.

At the same time, the workshop identified several open questions for scientific analysis. A fundamental issue is whether the Emscher revitalization should be understood as an overarching master strategy with continuous adjustments or as a sequence of distinct, independent strategic shifts. This distinction has significant analytical implications, as it determines how complex relationships between change, continuity, and concretization can be made visible.

Additionally, potential blind spots were identified: questions concerning economic viability, health impacts, organizational development within the Emschergenossenschaft, the role of the Emscher Landscape Park, the relocation of the Emscher’s mouth, and gender perspectives. A more critical reflection on the success narrative was also called for, in order to better account for conflicts, responsibilities, and underrepresented actor groups.

For the TEMPUS project, the workshop generated numerous impulses for further progress. The context of the Ruhr region should be given greater analytical attention, the identified strategic shifts should be conceptually deepened and better ordered, and their relationship to the overarching master strategy should be more precisely defined.

Overall, the workshop demonstrated that the Emscher revitalization, as a case of regional strategy formation, holds significant potential for scientific insight and practical knowledge transfer. The discussion confirmed the relevance of the TEMPUS analysis to date and underscored that strategic shifts can only be adequately understood through their interplay with time, context, institutions, actors, and narratives.