Innovative spirit and quality of life

Aachen as a place to live and work with the Lord Mayor, Sibylle Keupen

Considering the global challenge of attracting professionals, what recommendations do you have for sustainably growing a company in Aachen?Black Semiconductor was founded in 2020 and has since grown to 30 employees. Our goal is to expand to 120 employees by 2026.  

I believe that the most important thing is that there is a spark between the company and the candidates. We all know that the job market is very tight and that skilled professionals, in particular, are in high demand. Therefore, I think that a company must be able to inspire people, and what I have experienced in your company today has the potential to inspire on both a personal and technological level.  

Ultimately, it is the whole package that counts, and the key question here is what the quality of life at the location is like. Today, we clearly know that life is not just about work, and that work-life balance is a very important factor in attracting people.  

I think that we have a lot to offer in terms of quality of life in Aachen. Therefore, I am optimistic that young companies in Aachen have the best conditions to inspire people from all over the world.  

We are an international and cosmopolitan city with a very technological spirit. Thanks to the university, we have a lot of young people; 40% of the people in Aachen are under 29, so it's a very dynamic city, and those are great conditions to inspire people. 

How do you think a company can meet the diverse demands and needs of employees at different stages of life and with different backgrounds? Our team includes both recent graduates and experienced professionals who have the desire to build something new from the ground up.  

Diversity is an enormously important quality area to drive innovation. Our task is to give people an anchor to have a comfortable start. I think the most important thing is to be open to the diversity of life. People are different, so it is important to have and live this diversity within the company. This is what shapes the company’s culture, and it radiates outward.  

It is certainly a challenge to reflect this diversity in the day-to-day work routine of a company and its organizational structure. In terms of infrastructure, we are talking about issues such as home office or on-site work and how to create the right mix. But I am convinced that if you approach these infrastructural questions in a bold and positive way, a company has every opportunity to score points and inspire. 

In our team, we have people with diverse life paths, from local Aacheners to international experts who have moved to Germany for the job, to graduates who have decided to stay here after their studies. What do you think about the transition from the student world to the working world? Many students come to the university city of Aachen for their education but leave after their graduation.  

Change is a part of life, especially in today's world, more than ever. We live in a globalized world, and people go where they can best fit their talents and life plans, which is very diverse.  

Studying and working life are not separate worlds, but part of a development. And I think you have to develop yourself in this dynamic of life, and Aachen is a great example of that. Especially in times of life changes, which are full of uncertainties, it is certainly an important factor to be able to stay in a familiar environment. Professional life brings many new experiences and demands, and a familiar environment offers a certain security. I personally believe that it is an advantage to be able to say that I can stay in the city where I currently am studying to start my professional career.  

What concerns me more about this topic is the question of how we retain people beyond the early phase of their careers. It’s basically the same question for startups and scaleups. Unfortunately, we lose a lot of people after the startup phase. So, we need companies that can make that leap and take their people with them as the company grows and as they grow personally.  

For me as Lord Mayor, it is, of course, a goal to keep people here for a long time. But I also don't want to hold anyone back, because that would be restrictive, and what really distinguishes Aachen is its innovative spirit and the joy of innovation. Not least because of the geographical border location and the globalized thinking across borders. We work in different languages and have very different cultural spaces. 

With this dynamism, I believe we offer a niche for every age group. It's just the right balance of big-city culture and cultural life, great nature, good infrastructure as a pedestrian-friendly city, where everything is easily accessible – it's a great environment to feel at home in all stages of life. 

Finally, what would you like to say to potential applicants who are considering a move to Aachen?  

Our arms are wide open. Come here; you will find great companies, a very liveable and lovable city that is facing the challenges of transformation. A city on the move and in transformation. You will also find construction sites here, as in all cities in our country, but you will also find a lot of green, a lot of nature, and above all, many, many nice people – whether at work, in daycare, or in the evening over a beer. Aachen is a great city to live in and therefore also a great place to work, so I would say: come and see for yourself. 

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