NRW achieves top positions in the European location comparison of the FT Group

North Rhine-Westphalia once again demonstrates its strengths in numerous categories and scores particularly well in attracting foreign direct investment.

North Rhine-Westphalia is one of Europe's leading regions for business and investment – this is confirmed by the "European Cities and Regions of the Future 2020/2021" ranking of fDi Magazine, a subsidiary of the Financial Times Group. In the European location comparison conducted every two years, North Rhine-Westphalia once again demonstrates its strengths in numerous categories. For example, the state took first place in the "FDI Strategy" category for attracting foreign direct investment and second place in the overall result of the most sustainable "Large" or "Western European Regions" with more than four million inhabitants behind the Paris region. The location also does well in the overall ranking, coming in third behind the Paris and Dublin metropolitan areas.

"The outstanding results show the economic strength and great potential of North Rhine-Westphalia in a comparison of European metropolitan regions. This is also demonstrated by the more than 20,000 foreign companies that have already settled here," said Economics and Digital Affairs Minister Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart. " Both of these factors strengthen us our state's path of renewal in line with our industrial policy model: We want to make North Rhine-Westphalia the world's leading innovation driver and the most modern, climate- and environmentally friendly industrial location."

The magazine justifies its top ranking for the settlement strategy ("FDI Strategy") with the wide-ranging support that the state provides for international investors. The focus on future topics such as smart manufacturing, e-commerce, start-ups, e-mobility and artificial intelligence also convinced the jurors. "The award for the best FDI strategy is a great confirmation of our many years of work," said Petra Wassner, CEO of NRW.INVEST. "North Rhine-Westphalia has achieved excellent rankings for many years – this long-term success once again underlines our role as a leading investment location for foreign companies in Germany and Europe."

The awards will be presented at MIPIM, the world's leading real estate and commercial property fair, on 10 March 2020 in Cannes. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia will present itself at the fair with numerous partners at a joint state stand under the umbrella of the location marketing campaign "Germany at its best: Nordrhein-Westfalen."

The results for North Rhine-Westphalia at a glance

fDi's Large European Regions of the Future 2020/21 – FDI Strategy

1. North Rhine-Westphalia
2. Flanders
3. Scotland
    

fDi's Large European Regions of the Future 2020/21

1. Paris Region
2. North Rhine-Westphalia
3. Baden-Württemberg
    

fDi's European Regions of the Future 2020/21

1. Paris Region
2. Dublin Region
3. North Rhine-Westphalia
    

fDi's Western European Regions of the Future 2020/21

1. Paris Region
2. North Rhine-Westphalia
3. Baden-Württemberg
    

fDi's Large European Regions of the Future 2020/21 – Human Capital and Lifestyle

1. South-east England
2. Paris Region
3. North Rhine-Westphalia
    

fDi's Large European Regions of the Future 2020/21 – Connectivity

1. Scotland
2. East of England
3. North Rhine-Westphalia