Economic structure

’’On top of NRW’’ – as we like to say in Ostwestfalen – not only refers to the region’s geographic location and high quality of life. Above all, it reflects the attraction of Ostwestfalen as a strong economic region with a sound mixture of industries and a solid base of medium-sized companies (SMEs), which truly deserves its premier position in North Rhine-Westphalia.

The region is home to many innovative and world-famous companies (including Bertelsmann, Oetker, Miele, Melitta, Gerry Weber, Wincor Nixdorf and Schüco). But they are the socalled “hidden champions” which give the region its special character: small and mid-sized companies, which are highly innovative, extremely successful and often global market leaders in their particular niche.

For several decades the region had to endure severe structural change. In the past, over 25% of all workers earned their money in the traditional sector of textile and clothing, 20% in the wood processing industry, 10% in the food, beverage and tobacco industry and 13% in engineering.

Today in 2008, Ostwestfalen enjoys a healthy mixture of industries. Although engineering (23%), metalworking (11%), furniture (12%) and food (10%) remain important sectors, the focus is now on electronics and computers (10%), chemicals and pharmaceuticals (3%), as well as the plastic processing industry (7%), which have seen the strongest growth over the past few decades.

Despite the dynamic and above-average growth of Ostwestfalen’s manufacturing industries, however, it has been the service sector which has generated the largest number of jobs in the past few years – a trend which can be observed throughout the whole of Germany. This development has been led in Ostwestfalen, above all, by the field of business-related services. Today, the tertiary sector provides employment for over half (approx. 62%) of the region’s working population.

It was not until 2003, however, that the service sector first registered more employees than the region’s manufacturing companies. Compared with a national average of 68% for the service sector, Ostwestfalen still offers considerable growth potential in this field. The greatest development opportunities are predicted for business solution services, the health sector and tourism.

Germany is still one of the world’s leading export nations – thanks in part to economic powerhouses like Ostwestfalen. Since 1992 the region’s export ratio has grown by 17.5% to 36.3%. Following foreign trade revenues of over 14 billion euros in 2008. This excellent result underlines the fact that Ostwestfalen’s strong SME sector is increasingly utilizing the opportunities presented by a converging global market.

Ostwestfalen has sufficient commercial real estate to welcome new companies from all business sectors. With its central internet portal www.gewerbeflächenatlas-owl.de and retail database www.einzelhandesatlas-owl.de, the Ostwestfalen Chamber of Commerce and Industry has developed two highly efficient tools for potential investors to seek new locations in the region.

 Ostwestfalen - a place for business and investment