So you’ve come to the Niederrhein?

You’re in the right place. Welcome to the Niederrhein, where more than 100,000 companies are based and more than two million people from the Rhineland live. The Niederrhein economy – that is an impressive combination of competitive investment conditions, strong infrastructure on land, water and in the air, and a high quality of life. Here, in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia along the Rhine between the Ruhr metropolitan region and the Netherlands, German and international companies especially in electrical engineering / mechanical engineering, energy, chemicals, textiles / clothing, agrobusiness, logistics and tourism shape the business world.

What makes the Niederrhein region so successful? It manages to blend contrasting features into a new, unmistakebale whole. The Niederrhein region is country air and urban life, domestic and global markets, handshakes and contract signings, nature and industry, family-run businesses and corporations, neighbourhoods and international openness, tradition and innovation. This intersting mix has allowed the two cities Krefeld and Mönchengladbach, and the districts of Kleve, Viersen, Wesel and Rhein-Kreis Neuss to generate solid economic growth.

Stable sectoral mix, strong SME presence and high export rate.

The far-reaching structural change that has taken place in the formerly monostructural Niederrhein economy has led to the stable sectoral mix that the region now enjoys. It has a leading position in North Rhine-Westphalia in various sectors including chemicals (incl. Bayer, Chempark), electrical and mechanical engineering (incl. Siempelkamp, Scheidt&Bachmann ), energy generation (incl. RWE), food / agrobusiness (incl. Bofrost, Kühne, Mars, Griesson/de Beukelaer), and textiles and clothing industries (incl. van Laack, Gardeur, Alpi). The two other key sectors, logistics (incl. Fiege, Nippon Express) and tourism, are also growing at an impressive rate.

The momentum of the economy in the Niederrhein region is sustained by a high export rate (over 50 percent) and a strong SME presence. Having said that, size counts in the Niederrhein region too! More than 20 of the 250 companies in North Rhine-Westphalia with the strongest sales figures are based in the Niederrhein region. This includes global corporations that have set up their European or German headquarters here such as 3M, LG Electronics and Hitachi.

The companies based in the Niederrhein region have formed a network with the region’s university triad Aachen, Essen/Duisburg, Düsseldorf and Cologne/Bonn with its excellent research and teaching system, and can recruit their internationally competitive young graduates locally. Industry-related chairs ensure the rapid transfer of research to company practices.

Perfectly integrated into the international transport networks

In terms of transport links, the Niederrhein region, which forms part of one the most densely populated conurbations in Europe, is in an excellent strategic location – both nationally and internationally. Five Autobahn highways alone provide a fast track to the markets round the Niederrhein. The dense road network has close links to the rail, water (Rhine and sea ports) and air transport systems.

By air the region is catered to by the leading international air transportation hubs, Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn and Amsterdam as well as the two regional airports in the Niederrhein region; Weeze and Mönchengladbach.

The Rhine waterway provides access to the Rhine ports Emmerich, Wesel, Krefeld, Neuss and Dormagen. Rail transport is integrated into the national and international ICE network. The world is shrinking at the Niederrhein region.

Commercial space, adapted to the needs of the different sectors.

Fully developed industrial and commercial areas are available in all the submarkets of the Niederrhein region for new buildings and company extensions. At the moment around 1,000 hectares are being marketed. The municipalities are responding constantly to the changing market conditions and have the potential to offer additional land oriented to the needs of the specific sectors – and at extremely competitive conditions.

Thanks to the consistent planning support for the revitalization of industrial waste land, a flexible landscape of offices and production halls has emerged in the Niederrhein region. It offers an ideal work setting even for discerning companies in the creative economy.

Dynamic markets for office space have taken shape in Mönchengladbach and Krefeld. Almost 60,000 m2 of new office space have been generated here in the last two years. Vacant office space amounts to just a few percent in both cities.

Live life to the full in the Niederrhein region

This region steeped in history boasts a unique quality of life: home of Roman towns more than 2000 years old, internationally renowned art museums, theater and opera, top-level sport in modern stadiums and halls, water sports on rivers and lakes, castles, nature reserves, the largest street fashion show in the world, the largest single cycling path network in Europe and the longest suspension bridge in Germany. The only thing one might miss in the Niederrhein region would be mountains. Yet there are still alpine sports on offer here: thanks to the Neuss indoor ski slopes offering skiing and toboggan runs 365 days a year.