FUTURE NEEDS DIVERSITY Award

Diversity is a key location factor that is crucial for competitiveness in regions and companies, both today and in the future. It is essential for companies to organize cooperation effectively and take into account the different needs and realities of their employees' lives. Appreciation is demonstrated in many small and large measures that are tested, developed, and put into practice in everyday working life.

Whether it's targeted knowledge transfer between generations, flexible working hours and locations for caregivers, barrier-free IT solutions, diversity-sensitive recruitment and development, individual support services for different stages of life, clear formats for co-determination, transparent decision-making processes, an open culture of feedback and dialogue, or the conscious handling of different opinions and perspectives – there are numerous examples of how companies are successfully addressing current challenges such as skills shortages, demographic change, and social polarization.

The FUTURE NEEDS DIVERSITY Award will continue to highlight, recognize, and specifically support these and other successful examples in 2026. The award will be presented to companies from the region that are committed to diversity in various ways and can serve as inspiring practical examples for other companies.

Selection and award ceremony

Before the jury makes its decision, the Hannover Region Economic Development Agency checks the formal eligibility of the applications. The content is then evaluated by a jury based on defined criteria.

Jury:

• Jasmin Arbabian-Vogel (Interkultureller Sozialdienst GmbH)
• Ayten Berse (ÜBV e.V., Hanover Region)
• Annelies Bruhne (Hanover Regional Church & Protestant Association for Church, Business, and the World of Work)
• Ulf-Birger Franz (Hanover Region)
• Dr. Andreas Jäger (JÄGER Group)
• Dr. Annika Schach (Hanover University of Applied Sciences)
• Dr. Carl Michael Vogt (Hanover Chamber of Crafts)

The following aspects will be evaluated in particular:

• Involvement of internal and, where appropriate, external persons in the development and implementation of diversity measures
• Holistic approach and integration into internal company processes
• Transferability of measures
• Quality and originality of the measures implemented
• Quality and originality of planned future measures
• The relationship between the structures and measures created in relation to the size of the company

The FUTURE NEEDS DIVERSITY Awards ceremony will take place during the summer reception of the Hannover Region Economic and Employment Development Agency on July 1, 2026, at Hannover Zoo.