Economic location
Münster is the creative "desk of Westphalia". Greater Münster is peppered with public authorities, consulting companies, insurance companies, banks, computer centres, publishing houses and advertising and design agencies. Nano-biotechnology, health care and life sciences as well as geodata services are only a few examples of the competences that Münster can offer within the service sector.
The city is a consumer magnet for the entire Münsterland, southern Lower Saxony and the northern Ruhr, the retail trade therefore being an important economic factor. With its traditional merchants’ townhouses along Prinzipalmarkt and more modern outlets, such as the Münster arcades and the Stubengasse, the historic centre scores high in several recent consumer rankings.
Münster's status as a significant industrial location is frequently overlooked, though. Yet BASF Coatings and Brillux have their headquarters here – two of the big three in the German paint and lacquer industry market. Hengst GmbH & Co. KG is another jewel in the industrial city's crown. Virtually all the famous car manufacturers place their trust in the filters and filter systems manufactured by Hengst. Armacell International, still expanding manufacturer of engineered foams, is the world leader in the market for flexible technical insulation materials, and has its headquarters here, too. Münster is big in ICT: Fiducia & GAD IT with a yearly turnover of 1,26 billion euros serve the entire cooperative banking sector in Germany, looking after 100,000 million bank accounts. Its equivalent, the Finanz Informatik, is the prime IT service centre for savings banks and federal banks.
- The Chamber of Commerce and Industry has more information: www.ihk-nordwestfalen.com
In contrast to many other German medium sized cities, Münster is growing. The population is expected to hit 350,000 in 2040, according to a recent forecast by the North Rhine Westfalian government. The economic location is thriving on heavy investment in real estate: LVM Insurances is building a new 60 million euros office complex by the harbour. Söbbeke, a dairy company, the SuperBioMarkt and Cronos consulting have likewise chosen the harbour for their new headquarters, turning it into the core growth area. With the Hansa Business Park, the municipality has just developed a 54 hectares new industrial estate. Nine major properties have found a new owner, already. Not least due to the excellent traffic connection close to the motorway A1 and the Dortmund-Ems-Canal.
Münster is a powerful economic location with a high quality of life, an above-average income level and a significantly lower unemployment rate than the average currently prevailing in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Information:
Wirtschaftsförderung Münster GmbH
Steinfurter Straße 60a
ph. 02 51 / 6 86 42 70