Despite a challenging economic environment, NRW remains an attractive location for foreign direct investment. In 2024, 317 international settlement and expansion projects were realized – a slight increase compared to the previous year. The number of projected new jobs, at around 8,930, reached its highest level in three years. Regional trends are clear: Europe remains the most important source region for FDI projects in NRW, accounting for over 55 percent, but investment activity from Asia has also increased again. The USA once again had the highest employment impact.
A significant proportion of these projects are in the areas of digitalization, sustainable technologies and research-related production. Overall, around one in four new jobs is created through a production or R&D project. Thus, NRW offers reliable prospects for economic transformation and future technologies.
In international comparison, the location's dynamism is particularly evident: While the number of global greenfield projects increased by only 3 percent, according to UNCTAD, NRW recorded an increase of 8 percent compared to the previous year. Furthermore, German companies are also making an important contribution to the location's development – in 2024, NRW.Global Business supported national investment projects with a volume of around 300 million euros and approximately 1,500 new jobs.
Source: Own surveys 2025