Good to know!

The municipal integration management of the district of Warendorf offers information on various topics such as housing, health, kindergarten, school, leisure and mobility as well as migration in eleven languages via a new app called "Integreat". The digital service provides quick and comprehensive information on everyday issues for new arrivals and is a digital guide to finding authorities and institutions.

The app can be downloaded free of charge from any app store.

For further information, please contact Marina Dinkelborg from the Gesellschaft für Wirtschaftsförderung im Kreis Warendorf at dinkelborg@gfw-waf.de or call 02521/850587.

The future@WORK trade and further training fair, which is jointly organised by the Ahlen-Münster Employment Agency, the Gesellschaft für Wirtschaftsförderung im Kreis Warendorf mbH, the Wirtschaftsförderung Münster GmbH and the Jobceter of the city of Münster and the district of Warendorf, will take place next year on 24 and 25 January in the Halle Münsterland.

In 2024, 3,6000 visitors and 90 exhibitors filled the premises at the first future@WORK. Visitors were able to find out all about the future of work at 20 presentations and workshops.

Click here for further information.

The Federal Ministry of Economics supports German companies entering new foreign markets.

German Trade & Invest offers comprehensive information on internationalisation, exploring new markets, handling export transactions and digital foreign business.

As part of the "Market Development Programme for SMEs", interested companies receive extensive information in the form of presentation events during business trips to the target countries as well as initial contacts during individual meetings with potential business partners.

You can find all information on the services offered by German Trade an Invest on the website

The Beckum Employment Agency advises companies together with the Warendorf District Foreigners' Registration Office and the International Placement Services in a hybrid form as part of a video link.

Depending on the request and legal (funding) requirements, the outcome of the counselling appointment may vary. The booking confirmation therefore does not constitute a commitment to submit an application. The service is available as a pilot scheme to all employers and institutions in the Warendorf district.

Further information on this offer can be found here

Act on the further development of skilled labour immigration
Since November 2023, skilled workers with a university degree from third countries and third-country nationals with particular professional experience have been able to immigrate to Germany more easily using the "EU Blue Card". The EU Blue Card is a residence permit designed to facilitate and promote the permanent immigration of highly skilled workers from non-EU countries to Germany.

Further information can be found on the BAMF website or at www.make-it-in-germany.com.

From March 2024, people from third countries can be employed or qualified as qualified skilled workers in a company as part of a recognition partnership. The recognition procedure for this takes place in Germany. The stay in Germany can be authorised for up to three years.

There are also entry facilitations for people with practical professional experience who wish to come to Germany in future for employment in all non-regulated professions. To do so, they must provide proof of an annual income of at least around 40,000 euros, a professional qualification recognised by the state in their country of origin and at least two years of professional experience.

From June 2024 , the "opportunity card" will be introduced, which is based on a points system. Points are awarded for professional qualifications, language skills, work experience, connection to Germany and age, among other things.

In addition, the Western Balkans regulation will be cancelled. It allows a maximum of 50,000 people from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia access to the labour market in non-regulated professions. The prerequisite for the employment of persons from these countries is the respective approval of the Federal Employment Agency (BA).

The complete decarbonisation of German industry is a mammoth task that has a fundamental impact on the economy and society and can only be successful if allstakeholdersare involved. The "DekarbInd" project has developed solutions together with these stakeholders in various workshops.

Sub-report 1: Decarbonisation technologies have so far mainly been assessed on the basis of techno-economic criteria. However, numerous other environmental and sustainability aspects are also relevant for sustainable development. This sub-report therefore develops a method that takes ecological, social and systemic aspects into account in addition to techno-economic criteria. Its centrepiece is a criteria grid with associated indicators.

The report can be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Federal Environment Agency.

The Berlin School of Economics and Law, together with the EMF Institute for Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Family Businesses at HWR Berlin and with financial support from the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection, has developed a digital support tool on the topic of company succession. The so-called Succession-O-Mat is a scientifically based analysis tool for self-assessment of one's own level of knowledge on the topic of company succession for different user groups.

The tool is accessible, free of charge and does not store any personal data that could be used to identify users.

Information and practical examples of company succession can be found on the nexxt-change website, where you will find both takeover offers and requests.

The threat of cyber attacks on companies has increased significantly in recent years. More than ever, companies need to protect themselves against espionage, sabotage and data theft.

Together with IT Sicherheit in der Wirtschaft (IT Security in the Economy) and Mittelstand Digital (SME Digital), the SME association BVMW e.V. has launched the mIT Standard sicher project. The aim is to help small and micro enterprises with up to 50 employees to select the right consultancy service provider for their company based on defined criteria by means of the DIN SPEC "IT Security Consultancy for Small and Micro Enterprises".

With the standard to be developed, small enterprises with up to 50 employees can select the right guidance service provider based on transparent quality criteria and receive qualified guidance.

The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection in the IT Security in Business initiative and led by BVMW e.V..

You can download the information brochure free of charge on the With-Standard-Safe website page.

Furthermore, the Federal Office for Information Security provides information on its website about

• New, threatening attack vectors that become known, e.g. through highlighted individual incidents
• about manufacturer measures against vulnerabilities that have become known, e.g. when patches or security updates are available
• as well as in management information, e.g. about expiring update or patch support from manufacturers.

The Federal Criminal Police Office has developed a guide on precautions against cybercrime, which also contains advice on what to do if an attack has been successful. the guide can be accessed here.

Since October 2023, companies have had to calculate and document all direct and some indirect emissions generated during the production of imported goods from non-EU countries. In addition, they are obliged to submit a quarterly report containing information on the volume of imported goods and the emissions caused and the carbon price paid in the third country.

The basis is the EU Regulation 2023/956 on the creation of a_{CO2 limit compensation system}. The EU's goal is to become climate neutral by 2050 at the latest.

From 2026, companies will have to pay the CO2 duty on iron, steel, iron and steel products, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen and electricity from non-EU countries.

Further information can be found on the website of the Federal Environment Agency

Three developments are necessary for circularity: Narrow (save products/materials), Slow (increase product life) and Close (reuse materials). These can be applied to the well-known R-strategies, which show approaches to resource efficiency and circularity and can be understood as tools for practice.

Take the first step into the circular future!

To improve the recycling of resources, innovative business models, procedures, processes and products must be developed.

The Effizienz-Agentur NRW supports manufacturing companies in North Rhine-Westphalia on this path with its advisory services in the field of resource efficiency.

For this purpose

• a free initial consultation
  
• Free workshops on potential
• Participation in the workshop series Circular Design (CIRCO)
  
• Support from the EFA's Resource Efficiency Advisory Service and Financing Advisory Service

Interested parties can contact the EFA via the contact form .