Discover North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany's top location for foreign direct investment

Discover North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany's top location for foreign direct investment

Located in the heart of Europe, Germany’s strongest economic region is set to become the continent’s first climate-neutral industrial region – offering a rare mix of opportunities.

The role of decision-makers is to evaluate alternatives, set priorities and ultimately choose one option over another. Either/or. This is no different when it comes to investing abroad or choosing a business location. But what if there was a way – better: a place – to invest without the usual trade-offs?

North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) has long been known as Germany's most populous state and a region with a strong industrial heritage. Today, many people recognize NRW as the country's economic powerhouse and a business and investment location with unique breadth and innovation strength.

46 million people live within a 200-kilometer radius of the state capital Düsseldorf. This already indicates the labor, sales and supply markets that companies – both small and large – reach from here. After all, there are reasons why NRW is home to more than 700,000 SMEs as well as to every third of Germany's highest-grossing companies.

Even more impressive than these numbers are the breadth of technological innovation and industrial activities, of scientific know-how and the highly skilled labor force. It is this powerful mix that has already convinced 24,000 international companies to locate in NRW from Top Glove, KLK (Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad) Emmerich to Toyota, BP, UPS and 3M. These companies benefit from a vibrant scientific and economic environment of internationally successful players – many of them in key industries such as mechanical engineering, chemicals, energy, automotive and IT.

Choosing NRW is not a decision between manufacturing expertise and cutting-edge research. In Europe's largest industrial region, around 70 universities, 14 clusters of excellence and 60 incubator centers conduct cutting-edge research.

Choosing NRW is not a decision between skilled labor and young talents. 9.8 million qualified professionals contribute their expertise alongside more than 700,000 ambitious students – including more than 100,000 with an international background.

It is not a choice between universities and universities of applied sciences, between scientific excellence and professional skills – in NRW, they go hand in hand. Nor do you have to choose between a vibrant metropolis and prosperous rural regions with their attractive medium-sized companies. They come together in one place.

In NRW, a wide range of players join forces to create future-proof opportunities. Startups in NRW generate 73 percent of their revenue from B2B business. Internationally renowned research institutions such as Forschungszentrum Jülich or the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in Cologne, as well as several Max Planck and Fraunhofer Institutes, work closely together with local companies on technologies, products and services of tomorrow.

Geographical location is a crucial factor for growth, but it means little without the right infrastructure. NRW has developed an excellent transport infrastructure in the center of Europe – with six airports, a close-knit road and rail network and the world's largest inland port.

To ensure that all these strengths stand the test of time, NRW is committed to a major goal: becoming a carbon neutral industrial region by 2045. This ambition is underpinned by NRW's unique ability to reinvent itself. Against the backdrop of its great tradition in heavy industry and mining, NRW has transformed into a driver of sustainable business and a pioneer of Europe's hydrogen economy.

Choosing NRW is more than just a financial decision – it comes with a high quality of life. Six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, rich natural surroundings and a diverse cultural scene combine with a lower cost of living than in most European metropolises. And a special tradition of openness, diversity and hospitality that continues to shape everyday life in NRW.

NRW brings together what belongs together: research and business, startups and corporations, highly potential talents and skilled workers, physical and digital infrastructure, cultural richness and affordable urban living. Choosing NRW is not the result of weighing up the pros and cons – it is a decision in favor of a unique combination of opportunities.

You can't have everything. Except in NRW.

If only being a decision-maker were always so easy.

Provided by:

The step into a foreign market must be well prepared – ideally with experienced partners at your side. NRW.Global Business, the trade and investment agency of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, is by your side when it comes to investment projects and setting up operations in NRW. Our experts accompany your investment project from the first step to a successful settlement and beyond – ensuring a save landing and good start in NRW. 

Since May 2025, NRW.Global Business has established its first permanent point of contact in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the ASEAN region. The Service Desk provides companies and potential investors from the ASEAN region with direct support ranging from comprehensive information about NRW as a business location and investment conditions up to practical assistance with specific location projects through our team in NRW.

Want to find out more? 
Get in touch with the ASEAN Service Desk of NRW.Global Business:
contact@nrwglobalbusiness-asean.com 
Phone: +603 27745387
Website: www.nrwglobalbusiness-asean.com