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More than half of decision-makers in the UK plan to expand abroad in the
next five years, according to a recent YouGov survey commissioned by
NRW.Global Business. 72 percent of the respondents are considering
Germany and even 84 percent specifically Rheinisches Revier. The younger
generation of corporate decision-makers is particularly enthusiastic
about the industrial hub in western Germany. That's no coincidence, as
the study shows: Rheinisches Revier corresponds exactly to the
expectations of a good business location.
Decision-makers in companies from the United Kingdom are open to
expanding abroad and have rated Germany as a particularly attractive
location. According to a recent YouGov survey (in Switzerland, the
Netherlands and the UK), 22 percent of decision-makers surveyed in the
UK plan to expand abroad in the short term, with a further 27 percent
planning to do so within the next two to five years. According to the
survey, young people in particular are keen to expand: seven out of ten
young decision-makers (aged up to 34) are seriously considering
expansion within the next five years or are about to do so.
Germany is highly regarded by UK decision-makers: almost three-quarters
of respondents (72 percent) rate the location as attractive (31 percent
"very attractive", 41 percent "rather attractive"). According to the
survey, Germany convinces them with key factors: they appreciate the
"geographical location" as well as the "well-developed infrastructure".
In addition, the decision-makers see a high "availability of skilled
workers" and highlight "strong research partners" and a "digital
environment".
Rheinisches Revier excites the young generation
In particular, Rheinisches Revier, which is currently transforming from
Europe's largest open-cast lignite mine to a climate-neutral industrial
region, convinces decision-makers from the United Kingdom: with around
84 percent, a clear majority of respondents find the region attractive
("very attractive" and "rather attractive"). In the target group of 18
to 34-year-olds, almost all respondents (94 percent) are enthusiastic
about the industrial hub in western Germany. Jochen Pollotzek, General
Manager of Rheinisches Revier at NRW.Global Business, is not surprised
by these figures: "We offer companies from the United Kingdom access to
important EU markets and a clear vision." He goes on to say: "We are
pleased that we can attract the young generation and are able to shape
the future together with them."
Rheinisches Revier meets crucial site requirements
The high level of approval is no coincidence: the transformation region
meets the criteria that are important to decision-makers for a location:
"geographical location" (38 percent), "availability of skilled workers"
(36 percent), "well-developed infrastructure" (31 percent) and, for
some, also "strong research partners" (10 percent) - factors such as
these were recognised by the respondents as decisive for investments.
"Around 60 million people live within a radius of 250 kilometres,
including, of course, many highly trained specialists," Pollotzek
emphasises, referring to its proximity to the economic metropolises of
Cologne and Düsseldorf as well as to Europe's most important seaports.
In addition, according to Pollotzek, there's "commercial space in a
prime location as well as attractive funding instruments". "We are also
working on digital transformation together with a network of
internationally leading research institutions in the region," says
Pollotzek.
Likewise, the technological priorities of the UK decision-makers are in
line with the future fields of Rheinisches Revier: "Artificial
intelligence" and "IoT" are mentioned by a large number of respondents
as important trends for the next five years. "We have created an
environment that explicitly relies on these future technologies," says
Jochen Pollotzek. "Rheinisches Revier offers a particularly
innovation-friendly setting for AI and IoT," says Pollotzek, "also
thanks to Microsoft's planned hyperscale data centres."
In addition to technological aspects, sustainability also plays a
relevant role in the investment decision. 23 percent of decision-makers
cite it as an important factor. The transformation of Rheinisches Revier
into a climate-neutral industrial location is therefore likely to be
well received.
About the survey
The data of this survey on behalf of NRW.Global Business is based on
online interviews with members of the YouGov panel who have agreed to
participate in advance. For this survey, a total of 554 company
decision-makers in the UK were surveyed in the period from 12th to 18th
May 2025. The survey was not quoted and the results were then not
weighted. The results are not necessarily representative.
About Rheinisches Revier
Rheinisches Revier in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia is Europe's
largest lignite mining region and a centre of energy-intensive industry
in Germany. The region will phase out open-cast lignite mining by 2030.
Thanks to a transformation budget of 14.8 billion euros and favourable
starting conditions, Rheinisches Re- vier is now being developed into
Europe's first climate-neutral industrial location. North
Rhine-Westphalia's state-owned trade agency NRW.Global Business works to
convince international companies to participate in this project and
capitalise on the momentum for change.
Contact:
Phuong Anh Kitty Krause
Project Manager Marketing Rheinisches Revier
+49 211 13000-501
krause@nrwglobalbusiness.com
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