Jump to Navigation Jump to search Jump to Content Jump to Footer

NRW.INVEST AWARD goes to investors from France, the United Kingdom, Norway and the USA

Prof. Andreas Pinkwart, the new NRW Minister for Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitization and Energy, and NRW.INVEST honored four international companies with the NRW.INVEST AWARD for outstanding investments.

Teleperformance from France, a provider of contact center services, accepted the award for its second location in NRW; after its German headquarters in Dortmund the company has also opened a branch office in Mönchengladbach. The British cosmetics manufacturer Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics received the award for its production plant in Düsseldorf, its first on the European mainland. Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products, a Norwegian aluminum manufacturer, was honored for its 130 million euro investment in a new production line in Grevenbroich. And Trivago, which was founded as a startup in Düsseldorf and is now part of the US group Expedia, received the award for its new, state-of-the-art corporate campus in Düsseldorf's Medienhafen district.

"With this award, the state is sending a signal: International investors are very welcome in North Rhine-Westphalia. They create thousands of jobs and drive innovations with their know-how," said Minister Prof. Pinkwart at the 13th presentation of the NRW.INVEST AWARD in Düsseldorf's K21 Museum, and promised: "The new state government will expedite decision-making to speed up digitalization and reduce bureaucracy in order to further increase the attractiveness of the location for companies from Germany and abroad."

"Competition for international investors has been on the increase for several years," explained Petra Wassner, CEO of NRW.INVEST. "International direct investment flows are shifting more and more towards newly industrializing countries. An active settlement policy allows us to defend our top position," said Wassner. With its excellent performance in 2016, NRW successfully asserted itself as the leading location for international companies in Europe. As a result of 413 new settlements and expansion investments by foreign investors, approx. 8,600 new jobs have been created, seven percent more than in the previous year.