Business location North Rhine-Westphalia

Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW) as a European hub for business draws the most foreign investment of all German states. It is considered a leading commercial location in many respects. 10,000 foreign companies control their German or European operations from NRW.

Almost 150 million people live within about a 500-kilometer radius of the state capital, Düsseldorf. This represents one third of all consumers and 45 percent of the purchasing power in the EU. In terms of gross domestic product, NRW is in the TOP 200 worldwide - immediately after the Netherlands. The largest cities are Cologne, Dortmund, Essen, Düsseldorf, and Duisburg and the most important metropolitan areas are the Ruhr region with approx. 5.4 million inhabitants and the Rhineland with 3.5 million inhabitants. NRW offers excellent infrastructure, ranging from a high-speed rail network and the two major international airports Düsseldorf and Cologne to world's largest inland port in Duisburg.

The high-tech location NRW is also the region with the highest number of educational facilities in the entire EU. More than 50 technology centers and 60 non-university research facilities provide ideal conditions for technology transfer. 59 universities and technical colleges guaranteeing a dynamic research and development landscape. NRW is the world's number one trade fair location. More than 60 internationally leading trade fairs attract about 6 million visitors every year.

Further information about the business location and investing in North Rhine-Westphalia during the glasstec fair: Entry North, EN A/02