Finding the right job in the right sector in Bielefeld - that is the goal of the generation that is currently caught between school leavers and young professionals. They would also like to stay in the city to do so. What at first glance seems like a strong attachment to their hometown is put into perspective on closer inspection of the recently surveyed "Innovation Talent Survey 2020". Of the 244 private individuals surveyed, almost 80 percent are nevertheless willing to change their place of residence and work if they do not find certain job requirements in Bielefeld: Fair pay still tops the list, as does the desire for flexibility in terms of time and space on the job. "Employers thus hold an important key, because they can keep talent in the city by making the professional framework attractive," says Melanie Eikenbusch, professor of innovation management at the University of Applied Sciences for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (FHM) and head of the survey.

One very important message: 75 percent of the next "Generation Innovation" is very interested in shaping innovations. Economic, but also social and ecological motives are central to this. The majority of respondents value Bielefeld's high quality of life and its future viability thanks to the strong presence of small and medium-sized enterprises.

For Bielefeld's primarily medium-sized organizations, the situation seems to be more difficult when it comes to finding suitable skilled workers: Only 5.7 percent of the 42 organizations surveyed said they could easily find suitable personnel for their vacancies. In order to remain fit for the future and competitive, they are looking for suitable specialists and managers, particularly in the areas of IT and digitization, but also in engineering. At this point, the study reveals an imbalance between what talents learn in terms of competencies in training and studies and the requirements of the organizations. Employers even rated the search for suitable technical and managerial staff in these fields as poor. "Even if these results sound like major challenges at first, it shows that there is also enormous potential in them for Bielefeld if we succeed in closing this gap," Eikenbusch added. To do this, Bielefeld must emphasize even more clearly what it stands for and what potential the city has, because after all, the next "Generation Innovation" is already highly innovation-oriented and also appreciates the attractiveness and good reputation of local employers.

The publication also features various personalities with their different perspectives on the topics of talent and innovation in Bielefeld. From their individual perspectives, they describe the next generation of innovation as well as their wishes and requirements for a sustainable city of Bielefeld.