Cem Özdemir has served as Minister-President of the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg since May 2026. Previously, he was Germany's Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture. During his visit to Ziehl-Abegg, he met with the company's Executive Board members Joachim Ley, Wolfgang Mayer and Marco Altherr, as well as Works Council Chairman Rinor Imeri, to discuss the challenges facing industry and the opportunities created by energy-efficient technologies.
During a tour of the company's InVent development centre and production facilities, the Minister-President gained first-hand insight into the development of advanced fans, electric motors and drive systems. The programme also included solutions for data centres, heat pumps and energy-efficient buildings, as well as the world's largest combined fan test chamber.
"Climate change may no longer be quite as fashionable a topic as it once was. But we must not push it aside or ignore it," said Özdemir. He described Ziehl-Abegg as an example of how climate protection and economic success can go hand in hand. "Black figures with green ideas that's something a Minister-President is pleased to see."
Referring to the energy transition, he added: "Anyone applying common sense will conclude that energy efficiency and renewable energy are simply the smart choice. They save both energy and money."
Joachim Ley explained that Ziehl-Abegg continues to strengthen its competitive position through continuous innovation: "Our greatest protection is innovation. Our leadership in energy efficiency and low-noise technology enables us to offset the seemingly lower prices offered by Asian competitors. But we must never become complacent."
The Minister-President also emphasised the importance of direct dialogue between policymakers and industry. He noted that the discussions had reinforced the message that cutting red tape and accelerating approval procedures are essential to safeguarding Germany's industrial competitiveness.
Özdemir was particularly impressed by the company's innovative culture and entrepreneurial mindset. Summing up his visit, he said: "The people here are not complainers; they are doers. They care deeply about their country and are determined to move it forward through hard work, research and innovation."
Joachim Ley also drew a positive conclusion from the visit: "If you leave today with the impression that Ziehl-Abegg is innovative, courageous, globally active and at the same time deeply rooted in its home region, then we have achieved exactly what we set out to do."
The visit highlighted the crucial role of energy-efficient technologies in addressing climate change, strengthening energy security and supporting sustainable economic growth. It also underlined that innovation, sustained investment in research and development, and reliable political framework conditions are essential if Germany is to remain internationally competitive as an industrial nation.
About Ziehl-Abegg
Ziehl-Abegg (Künzelsau, Germany) is one of the leading global companies in the field of ventilation, control and drive technology. In the 1950s, Ziehl-Abegg established the basis for modern fan drives: external rotor motors which even today are still seen as state-of-the-art worldwide. Another area of business is electric motors which provide the power, for example, for elevators or medical applications (computer tomography equipment).
The high-tech company has an impressive innovative capability (all figures and statements refer to the year 2025). Ziehl-Abegg employs 3,000 personnel in its production plants in southern Germany. The company has a global workforce of 5,800 spread between 17 production plants, 30 companies and 114 sales locations. The products, approx. 30,000 in all, are sold in more than 100 countries. Turnover totals more than one billion euros.
Emil Ziehl founded the company in Berlin in 1910 as a manufacturer of electric motors. After World War II the company’s headquarters were relocated to southern Germany. Ziehl-Abegg SE is not a listed company but instead is family-owned.
For more information go to https://www.ziehl-abegg.com/en/
