NRW.INVEST
Encyclopedia
NRW.INVEST is the economic development agency of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia
(NRW). It deals with the acquisition of and support for foreign investors and the international marketing for NRW as a business location.
As One-Stop-Agency for foreign investors, NRW.INVEST supports mainly international companies with their investment projects and settlements in NRW throughout the entire settlement process.
NRW.INVEST maintains two subsidiaries in Japan
and the USA as well as six representative offices in China
, India
, Korea
and Turkey
. The sole shareholder of NRW.INVEST is the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
.
In 2010 the state economic development agency NRW.INVEST celebrated its 50th anniversary. When it was founded in 1960, the former “Rheinisch-Westfälische Industrieförderungsgesellschaft” was commissioned by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia to recruit new industries to succeed the crisis-stricken mining industry.
(NRW) is in direct competition with the major European metropolitan regions Greater London
, Île-de-France
, and West-Nederland as well as other strong business locations worldwide. Acknowledging the importance of foreign investments in times of globalization
, NRW.INVEST aims to boost the location of foreign companies in NRW.
, NRW.INVEST offers foreign investors an extensive service through all stages of the investment
. In these concerns NRW.INVEST cooperates closely with the Federal State government and the regional institutions for economic development in NRW.
NRW.INVEST is set up in specialized country and industry teams that are experienced in all aspects of the location business.
The teams located at NRW.INVEST’s headquarters in Düsseldorf
, the capital of NRW, and the teams on site at the representative offices and subsidiaries provide comprehensive information about NRW as an investment location, describe important aspects of the state's economic structure and industry clusters, and give answers to tax-related and legal questions.
Besides general information, NRW.INVEST provides potential investors with tailor-made information depending on their specific needs. On request, in-house experts analyze investors’ investment plans and find the right location for company settlements in NRW.
The database Germansite is an additional service for investors searching for a business location in NRW. Detailed geo-information of over 1,000 vacant commercial sites in NRW is available to the user, including the contact data of the respective contact person.
NRW.INVEST supports investors in practical issues such as visa applications as well as the entire licensing procedure that comes with a business set-up in NRW. The agency acts as a guide to the appropriate authorities and a mediator between the investor and the responsible institutions.
Investing in a new location does not stop after the initial set-up of the business. Further administrative processes are ongoing; a good share of the foreign companies in NRW start expanding and growing. Therefore NRW.INVEST also offers aftercare services. With various series of events and a broad range of support and consulting services NRW.INVEST maintains continuous contact with investors in the State to ensure that they feel at home in North Rhine-Westphalia
and can grow successfully here. In specific cases the team in Düsseldorf
offers solution-oriented services by attending to investors’ questions and concerns regarding expansion investments, growth finance or administrative procedures.
Being a global organization NRW.INVEST cooperates with many international institutions. The agency is a member of organizations like the German-French Chamber of Industry and Commerce,
the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany,
the British Chamber of Commerce in Germany,
ChemCologne,
Chemsite,
the German-British Chamber of Industry and Commerce,
and the Turkish-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
, two subsidiaries, and six representative offices, NRW.INVEST is an international organization. The local staff at the subsidiaries and representative offices actively approach foreign companies in those areas where NRW is highly successful and attractive for foreign investments. They provide investors with first-hand information, practical advice for establishing business in NRW, and the necessary contacts. The offices abroad therefore often serve as the first link in the service chain of NRW.INVEST.
For the past two years NRW.INVEST has increased its activities abroad, particularly in the growth markets India
and Turkey
. The increasing inclusion of these nations in the world's economy is expected to bring about a significant rise in foreign investment. For this reason, the agency opened branch offices in the Indian cities of Mumbai
and Pune
in the middle of 2007 and set up a representation in Istanbul
in January 2008.
The importance of the NRW.INVEST foreign offices is demonstrated by the example of Japan
. Thanks to the representation in Tokyo
and the intensive acquisition measures conducted there, NRW has developed into an important location for Japanese companies. More than 500 Japanese firms are now located in the state, earning Düsseldorf the nickname “Little Tokyo”.
NRW.INVEST maintains further representative offices in Nanjing
, Shanghai
, Beijing
and Seoul
. Another subsidiary is based in Chicago
.
attracts companies from both Germany
and abroad, with 19 of the 50 largest German companies based in Germany's most westerly federal state. These include leading German corporations such as E.ON
(energy), Deutsche Telekom
(telecommunications), Deutsche Post World Net (logistics), Metro AG
(food trade), ThyssenKrupp
(automotive supplier), RWE
(energy) and Rewe
Gruppe (trade). The state can rightly claim the most foreign direct investments (FDI
) anywhere in Germany.
With 28.4 percent (184.6 billion euros) North Rhine-Westphalia recorded by far the highest direct investment share in Germany of all 16 federal states in 2009.
Around 13,100 foreign companies from the most important investment countries control their German or European operations from bases in North Rhine-Westphalia. This means that almost a quarter of the foreign companies in Germany are domiciled in North Rhine-Westphalia. These include many international global players such as BP
, 3M
, Ericsson
, Ford, LG Electronics
, QVC
, Toyota, and Vodafone
. The companies employ a total of over 680,000 people.
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
(NRW). It deals with the acquisition of and support for foreign investors and the international marketing for NRW as a business location.
As One-Stop-Agency for foreign investors, NRW.INVEST supports mainly international companies with their investment projects and settlements in NRW throughout the entire settlement process.
NRW.INVEST maintains two subsidiaries in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and the USA as well as six representative offices in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The sole shareholder of NRW.INVEST is the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
.
In 2010 the state economic development agency NRW.INVEST celebrated its 50th anniversary. When it was founded in 1960, the former “Rheinisch-Westfälische Industrieförderungsgesellschaft” was commissioned by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia to recruit new industries to succeed the crisis-stricken mining industry.
The Mission
As business location North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
(NRW) is in direct competition with the major European metropolitan regions Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
, Île-de-France
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
, and West-Nederland as well as other strong business locations worldwide. Acknowledging the importance of foreign investments in times of globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
, NRW.INVEST aims to boost the location of foreign companies in NRW.
Activities / Service
To promote NRW internationally as the business location in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, NRW.INVEST offers foreign investors an extensive service through all stages of the investment
Investment
Investment has different meanings in finance and economics. Finance investment is putting money into something with the expectation of gain, that upon thorough analysis, has a high degree of security for the principal amount, as well as security of return, within an expected period of time...
. In these concerns NRW.INVEST cooperates closely with the Federal State government and the regional institutions for economic development in NRW.
NRW.INVEST is set up in specialized country and industry teams that are experienced in all aspects of the location business.
The teams located at NRW.INVEST’s headquarters in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, the capital of NRW, and the teams on site at the representative offices and subsidiaries provide comprehensive information about NRW as an investment location, describe important aspects of the state's economic structure and industry clusters, and give answers to tax-related and legal questions.
Besides general information, NRW.INVEST provides potential investors with tailor-made information depending on their specific needs. On request, in-house experts analyze investors’ investment plans and find the right location for company settlements in NRW.
The database Germansite is an additional service for investors searching for a business location in NRW. Detailed geo-information of over 1,000 vacant commercial sites in NRW is available to the user, including the contact data of the respective contact person.
NRW.INVEST supports investors in practical issues such as visa applications as well as the entire licensing procedure that comes with a business set-up in NRW. The agency acts as a guide to the appropriate authorities and a mediator between the investor and the responsible institutions.
Investing in a new location does not stop after the initial set-up of the business. Further administrative processes are ongoing; a good share of the foreign companies in NRW start expanding and growing. Therefore NRW.INVEST also offers aftercare services. With various series of events and a broad range of support and consulting services NRW.INVEST maintains continuous contact with investors in the State to ensure that they feel at home in North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
and can grow successfully here. In specific cases the team in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
offers solution-oriented services by attending to investors’ questions and concerns regarding expansion investments, growth finance or administrative procedures.
Being a global organization NRW.INVEST cooperates with many international institutions. The agency is a member of organizations like the German-French Chamber of Industry and Commerce,
the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany,
the British Chamber of Commerce in Germany,
ChemCologne,
Chemsite,
the German-British Chamber of Industry and Commerce,
and the Turkish-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
Activities Abroad
Maintaining its head office in DüsseldorfDüsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, two subsidiaries, and six representative offices, NRW.INVEST is an international organization. The local staff at the subsidiaries and representative offices actively approach foreign companies in those areas where NRW is highly successful and attractive for foreign investments. They provide investors with first-hand information, practical advice for establishing business in NRW, and the necessary contacts. The offices abroad therefore often serve as the first link in the service chain of NRW.INVEST.
For the past two years NRW.INVEST has increased its activities abroad, particularly in the growth markets India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The increasing inclusion of these nations in the world's economy is expected to bring about a significant rise in foreign investment. For this reason, the agency opened branch offices in the Indian cities of Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
and Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
in the middle of 2007 and set up a representation in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
in January 2008.
The importance of the NRW.INVEST foreign offices is demonstrated by the example of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Thanks to the representation in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and the intensive acquisition measures conducted there, NRW has developed into an important location for Japanese companies. More than 500 Japanese firms are now located in the state, earning Düsseldorf the nickname “Little Tokyo”.
NRW.INVEST maintains further representative offices in Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. Another subsidiary is based in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Foreign Direct Investments in NRW
North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
attracts companies from both Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and abroad, with 19 of the 50 largest German companies based in Germany's most westerly federal state. These include leading German corporations such as E.ON
E.ON
E.ON AG, marketed with an interpunct as E•ON, is the holding company of the world's largest investor-owned energy service provider based in Düsseldorf, Germany. The name comes from the Greek word aeon which means eternity....
(energy), Deutsche Telekom
Deutsche Telekom
Deutsche Telekom AG is a telecommunications company headquartered in Bonn, Germany. It is the largest telecommunications company in Europe....
(telecommunications), Deutsche Post World Net (logistics), Metro AG
Metro AG
Metro AG is a diversified retail and wholesale/cash and carry group based in Düsseldorf, Germany. It has the largest market share in its home market, and is one of the most globalised retail and wholesale corporations. It is the fourth-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues . In English...
(food trade), ThyssenKrupp
ThyssenKrupp
ThyssenKrupp AG is a German multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Duisburg Essen, Germany. The corporation consists of 670 companies worldwide. While ThyssenKrupp is one of the world's largest steel producers, the company also provides components and systems for the automotive...
(automotive supplier), RWE
RWE
RWE AG , is a German electric power and natural gas public utility company based in Essen. Through its various subsidiaries, the energy company contributes electricity and gas to more than 20 million electricity customers and 10 million gas customers, principally in Europe...
(energy) and Rewe
Rewe
Rewe is a village and civil parish in the county of Devon in England. It lies on the river Culm, north of the city of Exeter and south of the town of Tiverton. Rewe is a linear village, with most of its buildings lying along the A396 road about north of the larger village of Stoke Canon...
Gruppe (trade). The state can rightly claim the most foreign direct investments (FDI
FDI
-Medical:* FDI World Dental Federation, Fédération dentaire internationale. The World Dental Federation also have an , also known as the FDI.* first dorsal interosseous, one of the four dorsal interossei muscles of the hand -Finance:* FDi magazine, a UK-based publication that covers foreign direct...
) anywhere in Germany.
With 28.4 percent (184.6 billion euros) North Rhine-Westphalia recorded by far the highest direct investment share in Germany of all 16 federal states in 2009.
Around 13,100 foreign companies from the most important investment countries control their German or European operations from bases in North Rhine-Westphalia. This means that almost a quarter of the foreign companies in Germany are domiciled in North Rhine-Westphalia. These include many international global players such as BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
, 3M
3M
3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States....
, Ericsson
Ericsson
Ericsson , one of Sweden's largest companies, is a provider of telecommunication and data communication systems, and related services, covering a range of technologies, including especially mobile networks...
, Ford, LG Electronics
LG Electronics
LG Electronics is a global electronics and telecommunications company headquartered in Yeouido, Seoul, South Korea. The company operates its business through five divisions: mobile communications, home entertainment, home appliance, air conditioning and business solution...
, QVC
QVC
QVC is a multinational corporation specializing in televised home shopping. Founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania, United States, QVC broadcasts in five countries as QVC US, QVC UK, QVC Germany, QVC Japan and – QVC Italy to 200 million households...
, Toyota, and Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
. The companies employ a total of over 680,000 people.