Health economy - in the region and in the future

Weingarten - At the beginning of March, Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut (CDU), Minister of Economics, Labor and Tourism of the State of Baden-Württemberg, paid a visit to Ravensburg-Weingarten University (RWU). In doing so, she accepted an invitation from Professor Dr. Axel Olaf Kern, head of the part-time Master's program in Management in Social and Health Care. Numerous representatives of regional companies in the healthcare sector were also invited to the meeting. In addition to the exchange between the ministry, the university and the companies, the thematic focus was on the economic importance of the healthcare sector in the region as well as its opportunities and future challenges.

During her visit, Economics Minister Hoffmeister-Kraut emphasized the importance of the universities: "It is a unique selling point of our state that our universities implement application orientation so strongly. The universities of applied sciences are important and valuable for companies." The answer to current as well as future challenges is progress: "We must put our focus on research and innovation," Hoffmeister-Kraut said. There is great potential in the healthcare industry, especially through digitalization and artificial intelligence, she said. The regional healthcare sector must be strengthened and expanded as a location, she added. The minister also emphasized the importance of direct contact with companies in the region. The university with its students and the companies with their employees - "They all contribute to the innovation of our state," Hoffmeister-Kraut continued. "We need functioning networks like you live here."

Linking teaching, research and practice

Earlier, Axel Olaf Kern and Professor Dr. Jan-Marc Hodek, head of the bachelor's program in health economics, presented the range of courses offered in the field of social work. The seven degree programs offered by the Faculty of Social Work, Health and Nursing are all highly relevant to society, said Hodek. As a university of applied sciences, RWU stands for practice-oriented teaching including in the social studies programs. There is a close link between teaching, research and practice. In concrete terms, this means that students already have the opportunity to network in the regional healthcare industry during their studies. It is important, he said, that they remain in the region as a workforce after graduation. "Our graduates thus create added value for the state of Baden-Württemberg," Hodek explained.

Health and economics are not mutually exclusive as the part-time master's degree in management in social and health care also shows: Current social and health issues as well as developments are closely linked to the economic and management-oriented tasks in the social and health economy, according to study dean Kern. "Looking at future challenges, we have to deal with the question of what healthcare should look like in the future. We need to rethink health care and educate the future workforce at a very high level."

Regionally strong healthcare sector

The relevance of the healthcare sector in the region was also emphasized by Jürgen Schatz from the Lake Constance-Upper Swabia Chamber of Industry and Commerce: "We are not only a tourism region, but also a strong high-tech and innovation region." He added that the universities are an important part of the scientific network. Their connection to regional business enterprises is of great importance, Schatz continued.

In the Minister's subsequent discussion with regional company representatives including STS Systemtechnik, SCHUNK GmbH & Co, SternMed, Zeppelin Mobile Systeme and Waldburg-Zeil Kliniken, there was a lively exchange. Everyone agreed on the mutual support and promotion of the state, university and regional companies in the healthcare sector.

Here to the photo gallery.

Text: Lisann Gauss