Representatives from the districts of Groß-Gerau, Darmstadt and Darmstadt-Dieburg are speaking at Expo Real about digital resilience and regional cooperation
How can southern Hesse remain capable of acting in the face of digital disruptions and crises? This question was the focus of this year's southern Hesse roundtable at the Expo Real real estate and investment trade fair in Munich. Representatives from the Groß-Gerau district, the city of Darmstadt, and the Darmstadt-Dieburg district participated in the discussion.
The Groß-Gerau district, as part of the FrankfurtRheinMain metropolitan region and a partner of the science city of Darmstadt, is represented at the trade fair. District Administrator Thomas Will visited Expo Real together with the district's economic development agency.
Digital resilience as a topic of the South Hesse roundtable
The traditional South Hesse roundtable was entitled "From research to the region: Digital resilience for South Hesse". A scientific presentation was given by Prof. Dr. Michèle Knodt from the Technical University of Darmstadt.
The central question was how important public and economic structures can continue to function or be restored as quickly as possible even during digital disruptions. According to the district administrator, transport routes, industrial companies, and critical infrastructure play a particularly important role in this for the Groß-Gerau district.
A key focus of the discussion was cooperation across district borders. Cooperation already exists in emergency medical services and disaster relief. For example, control centers can involve emergency vehicles from neighboring districts when needed. Operational concepts and specialized equipment are also shared.
The Groß-Gerau district cites large fans from the Darmstadt-Dieburg district and its own firefighting robots as examples. The district sees further potential in stronger digital networking and telemedicine applications in emergency medical services.
“Not everyone has to provide everything themselves. What’s crucial is that we, as a region, remain able to act quickly and reliably,” said District Administrator Thomas Will.
A look at the economic location of southern Hesse
In addition to digital resilience, the discussion focused on the impact of digitalization, decarbonization, and economic structural change on southern Hesse. Will cited investments in infrastructure, education, training, and digital skills as key factors for the region's future development.
As a recent example from the education sector, the district cited the Bertha-von-Suttner-School in Mörfelden-Walldorf. The comprehensive school was awarded the main prize of the German School Prize 2026 .
Expo Real will in Munich from October 5th to 7th, 2026. It is an international trade fair for real estate, investment and infrastructure.
(DISTRICT OF GROSS-GERAU – RED/PSKGG)
Featured image: District Administrator Thomas Will in discussion with regional partners at the South Hesse Round Table at Expo Real in Munich. From left: Moderator Daniel Pfeffer, Science City Darmstadt Marketing GmbH, Hanno Benz, Mayor of the Science City of Darmstadt, Lutz Köhler, First Deputy District Administrator of the Darmstadt-Dieburg District, and Thomas Will. Photo: Groß-Gerau District Administration
