NRW
Chemical Region
North Rhine-Westphalia
The chemical industry in NRW
North Rhine-Westphalia is Germany's principal chemical industry location. Chemical enterprises based in NRW generate approximately one third of the industry's total sales revenues in Germany. NRW stands out on account of its first-class scientific research infrastructure and special blend of SMEs and global players. The chemical sector is a powerful driving force behind innovation in many other industrial value chains, due not least to its central role as a materials supplier.
6th Rank
in the EU
In terms of sales revenues in 2022 the North Rhine-Westphalian chemical industry ranks 6th in the EU and 15th in the world.
7 out of 20
in NRW
Of the ten highest-grossing German chemical companies, five are based in NRW alone.
49,7 bn €
sales in NRW
In 2023 the NRW chemical industry achieved sales of €49.7 billion – equivalent to around 33.0 percent of total German sales.
more than 450
chemical enterprises
The more than 450 chemical enterprises in NRW (with 20 and more employees) employ a workforce of more than 102,000 – approx. 30 percent of all employees in this industry in Germany.
Chemical parks offering sophisticated logistics and infrastructure
North Rhine-Westphalia boasts 12 chemical parks – more than any other German state. Half of the chemical industry workforce is employed in these parks. Enterprises that are interested in moving to NRW benefit from a well-developed infrastructure and sophisticated logistics services. Chemical industry locations such as Dormagen, Gelsenkirchen, Leverkusen and Marl safeguard a continuous supply of raw materials (e.g. via extensive pipeline networks) and energy (via the high-capacity power and gas grids). These locations also offer a complete portfolio of services including utility and waste disposal management, logistics services, engineering, and facility management. This creates the basis for realizing plug & play concepts when planning and operating new plant and facilities.
