Northamptonshire has developed strategic partnerships with other regions from across the globe. The reason for this is to learn new ideas, and to develop projects that can provide mutual economic, social and environmental well-being for our communities. Through the County Council, the University, Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd and many others, many projects have been developed that is providing the chance for new business, cultural and investment links between Northamptonshire and the rest of the world.
For example, 2006 saw the 25th anniversary of the twinning of Northamptonshire with the Kreise of Westerwald and Rhein-Lahn in the Rhineland Palatinate, Germany. Over the years, students from schools and colleges have benefitted from the exchanges of students and of the visits to each other's schools, helping to enhance the education for students from both countries. As this relationship has matured, so has the projects, with more projects being developed that focus on business links, and on linking rural heritage.
Click here to visit the Westerwald website
2006 was also important in that it saw the official commencement of the partnership between Northamptonshire and the Pilsen Region of the Czech Republic.
With the enlargment of the European Union in May 2004, the Czech Republic became an EU member. Northamptonshire has been working with Pilsen in the years running up to that point, developing projects to help each other. The co-operation between the two areas is widespread, with connections between the Councils, Universities, Investment Promotion Agencies, and Tourism Promotion Agencies.
Staff secondments have allowed greater exchange of ideas and the development of exciting project proposals in the economic, infrastructural, environmental and educaitional spheres. Joint participation in trade and business expos are helping to raise awareness of each other in the opposite markets. We also work together when lobbying the EU institutions.