Despite global challenges, NRW continues to have an excellent reputation as an investment location among international companies. In 2023, 283 foreign companies with around 4,600 predicted jobs have settled here or expanded their branches. Among the 29 countries of origin, projects from European countries in particular are an important factor. Greater China, Türkiye, the USA and Japan also continue to be important countries of origin for direct investments.
In particular, investment projects in the field of renewable energies were increasingly implemented – as in 2022. In addition, the number of jobs in R&D increased compared to the previous year. Settlements from sectors such as mobility, hydrogen or medical technology underline the potential of NRW as an innovation location to advance new technologies (source: own surveys 2024).
Overall, however, Europe and Germany are experiencing a tense investment climate with a decline in FDI projects and the potential jobs created. Despite geopolitical challenges, NRW continues to have attractive location advantages, as confirmed by recent studies, for example by the auditing firm KPMG or the specialist magazine fDi Intelligence.