Embargoed until 8.00pm (BST) Monday 18 June 2018
London. On his trip to the United Kingdom, Economic and Digital Affairs Minister Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart opened the new NRW.INVEST UK/London office together with Petra Wassner, CEO of NRW.INVEST. By doing so, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's economically strongest federal state, is expanding its relations with the UK.
Minister Pinkwart: "I am delighted that North Rhine-Westphalia now also has an office in the United Kingdom. NRW is the leading German federal state in terms of direct investments by British companies. We want to intensify these close relationships in times of Brexit and hope to be able to welcome even more British companies to North Rhine-Westphalia in the future."
1,500 of the 19,000 foreign companies in North Rhine-Westphalia come from the UK. That is 22.1 percent of all British firms in Germany, including such well-known companies as BP, Dyson, Lush and Vodafone.
"In 2017, the large and important British business community welcomed 36 new companies from the UK to NRW," said Petra Wassner. "With our new foreign office we want to intensify direct contact with companies, associations, institutions, chambers and politics in order to inform them about the strengths of our economic location."
The project office is headed by Andrew Harfoot, a marketing and acquisition expert from the UK, who has extensive knowledge of international economic development and is ideally qualified to support British and international companies on their way into the North Rhine-Westphalian market. The London office will provide companies from all sectors with individual services – from information on markets, locations or investment conditions to practical assistance with specific settlement projects.
Press contacts:
Rabea.Ottenhues@mwide.nrw.de, +49 (0)211/61772-124
Peis@nrwinvest.com, +49 (0)211/13000-162
