Alexander Pletz spent a long time in Bavaria. The IT specialist worked for eleven years in all in the neighbouring federal state. “I decided to return to the Vogtland region in 2014. Music was partly to blame,” says the native of Adorf.

The man, who is now 36 years old, has been involved in the Junges Egerland brass band since he was five; he plays the trumpet and he has taken over as leader of the 20 musicians. They have about 30 performances every year and the brass band musicians turn up in traditional dress. Alexander Pletz also discovered excellent career opportunities in the Vogtland region and this made it easier for him to return. His current boss at the Grünbach company MG Software played a major role in this process. His name is Thomas Groth and he has one goal: he wants to establish the Vogtland area as an important IT region where many home comers will find their place.

Getting capable and high-performance specialists to return to the region

MG Software boss Thomas Groth (52) can still exactly remember the time when he founded his company 25 years ago:

“Everything went very quickly – the firm existed within just one week. The challenge involved developing commercial software for small and medium-sized enterprises, providing support and accompanying the firms in their development. We set about the task, despite the many sceptics who believed that all these materials already existed.”

Groth wishes that the same were true of the whole Vogtland area. “We need a much more general start-up culture. We need other IT companies and should be thinking more about cooperating than competing.” This is his aim:

“I want home comers from the IT sector to get in touch with me. Of course, we cannot employ all of them ourselves, but I have a network and know who is looking for someone and I can act as a mediator. Establishing the Vogtland area as an IT region is a matter that is very close to my heart.”

Graduate computer scientists in particular with excellent achievements are the people to whom he is addressing his remarks. Groth says, “The region is off the beaten track as far as university towns are concerned and our level of cooperation with the academic world needs to increase. We can provide products for the whole world from the Vogtland region.” Eight software engineers are employed at the Grünbach headquarters of MG Software, including Alexander Pletz. The company is able to make use of 40 IT specialists from a cooperation network with three other firms in the region to handle complex solutions. Pletz is the newcomer in the team and is certain of one thing. “Good general conditions are necessary for home comers. Young specialists and entrepreneurs need financial support.” However, each individual is vital. “Developing ideas, motivating others for them and implementing them – anybody can do that.” He is determined to stay in his home region. He has set up home in Marieney in the Upper Vogtland area, he takes time to pursue his musical interests and has now started a family – and as a developer, he is working hard on some software for campsite administration purposes. “It’s a major project, which could take up my time for several months,” he explains.

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