Profile

Overview Business in Cologne
Profile	Labour Market	Infrastructure
Cologne for Investors	Service	Consumer Goods
Capital Goods	Automobile Industry	Energy • Chemistry
Banking	Insurances	Media & Entertainment
IT & Communication	Facts & Figures

Cologne is the fourth-largest city in Germany and the largest in North Rhine-Westphalia. Over 3 million people live in the Cologne economic region, which also includes the city of Leverkusen, the Rhine-Erft district, the Rhine-Bergisch district and the Oberbergisch district.

Every leading industrial sector is represented here: in addition to the automotive industry, large international chemical and pharmaceutical firms are also prominent here, as well as the electrical and mechanical engineering industries and food production industries.

As a former Hanseatic city, Cologne can look back on a long tradition as a centre for trade. For decades it has been an established location for the insurance sector as well as a venue for trade fairs. More than 10,000 companies focussing information technology services are situated in the district of the Cologne Chamber of Commerce. In recent years, growth in the media branches has been particularly dynamic:
Cologne is Germany’s leading city for film, radio and television production.

A high export ratio (more than 44%) and the attractive trade location make the region a magnet for entrepreneurs as well as investors. Differently from the comparable cities, Cologne shows positive demographic developments also in future.

Business & the labour market

In comparison to the average of the federal states in Western Germany, Cologne has relatively high unemployment, which in the last 10 years has been significantly over 10 percent.

Transportation Infrastructure

Cologne’s outstanding transport infrastructure sets it apart from every other German city. Cologne Bonn Airport - and Düsseldorf airport, only 55 km away - provide for worldwide connections. Over 200 destinations around the globe can be reached from these airports. Cologne’s main railway station, sporting a brilliant new look since 2000 follow­ing major renovations, is one of the most important railway junctions in Europe, with high-speed inter­national routes to London, Paris and Amsterdam. The 55 minutes high speed connection to Frankfurt via Cologne Bonn Airport has been completed in 2002.

The motorway ring that completely encircles the city is considered exemplary throughout Europe. Eight bridges span the Rhine river, and in Cologne’s six harbours, over 10 million tons of goods are currently transferred each year.