City of Jena launches "Jena 2035" strategy process
How can Jena remain an attractive, liveable, strong city that continues to grow and is resilient? The city of Jena is launching a comprehensive strategy process to create a renewed overall strategy "Jena 2035". The "Jena 2035" strategy is intended to bundle key issues for the future and set priorities for Jena's development. The starting point is the previous strategy "Jena 2030", the Integrated Urban Development Concept (ISEK) and specific specialist concepts. The aim is for the new strategy framework to be adopted by the city council, probably in summer 2026.
An important component of this process is the preliminary consultation in a temporary strategy board , which met for the first time on March 13, 2026 in the historic town hall.
Strategy board brings in external perspectives
With the Strategy Board, the city of Jena is deliberately breaking new ground and wants to involve external perspectives for the derivation of future strategies at a very early stage in the process. The board comprises 26 members and brings together
- Experts from various specialist areas and professions, e.g. business, science, culture and public management,
- representatives of all city council factions,
- as well as the top management of the city of Jena.
The Strategy Board is not a political decision-making body, but advises the Lord Mayor and the administration on a temporary basis in the preparation of key strategic decisions. It acts as a so-called sounding board that critically reflects on ideas, projects or strategies in the development phase and provides feedback. The aim is to bring together different perspectives at an early stage and create a sustainable basis for a subsequent political decision.
"We want to incorporate the expertise of urban society across the entire spectrum of content in a targeted manner as well as bring together the practice of the administration and the political objectives of the city council," says Lord Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche. "The Strategy Board will provide us with important impetus for this."
At the constituent meeting on March 13, the objectives and further steps of the strategy process were presented and discussed. Two further meetings of the Strategy Board are planned before the summer.
Clear priorities for the future of the city of Jena
With "Jena 2035", the city is responding to changing social, economic and financial conditions. Numerous specialist strategies and concepts already exist today - in future, these are to be bundled more strongly and aligned towards common goals.
"We need a clear strategic orientation that helps us to set priorities and deploy our resources in a targeted manner," says Lord Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche. "With Jena 2035, we are creating a basis for important future decisions for our city."
Focus on the financial management of the city of Jena
The resolution, which is expected to be passed in summer 2026, will also form the basis for the city's future financial management. Building on the overall strategy, a financial strategy will be developed that systematically aligns the available funds with the prioritized fields of action.
"With Jena 2035, we are linking strategic goals and financial management much more closely than before. In future, the scope we have and how it is allocated to the city's key areas of action will be more clearly visible and more clearly backed up financially. This will provide the city council with a better basis for decision-making. The aim is not only to define priorities in terms of content, but also to underpin them financially," explains Mayor and Head of Finance Benjamin Koppe.
Members of the Strategy Board of the City of Jena
City administration
Koppe, Benjamin
Lange, Dirk
Lützkendorf, Kathleen
Dr. Nitzsche, Thomas
Schleußner, Johannes
City Councillor
Glybowskaja, Katja
Häkanson-Hall, Jürgen
Jankowski, Denny
Dr. Knopf, Heiko
Lenkert, Ralph
Taeger, Alexis
Dr. Wydra, Stephan
External experts
Cunäus, Nadine
Faude, Heike
Prof. Dr. Fischer, Jörg
Gonschorek, Sonja
Hänsch, Stephanie
Heuer, Frank
Prof. Dr. Langlotz, Olaf
Prof. Dr. Mitte, Kristin
Rabich, Michael
Prof. Dr. Rubin, Yvonne
Dr. Schuchardt, Marc
Dr. Strauß, Dana
Vogt, Manuela
Wosche, Sabine