Green industries are a key industry in North Rhine-Westphalia. In total, the sector employs about 468,000 people there. Every 20th job depends on the green industry - and the trend is rising. At 35.8 billion euros, the environmental industry accounts for about 6% of North Rhine-Westphalia's gross value added. Strengths of the green industry in NRW The green industry combines innovative products and services. They protect the environment and make a significant contribution to the transformation of the economy. Innovation and digitalisation are very closely related. In a national comparison, North Rhine-Westphalia is one of the most important innovation locations in Germany, with around 19 % of all green industry patents registered nationwide and around 2 % of those registered worldwide. The focus topic "digitalisation" of the current Green Industry Report also shows: The green industry in North Rhine-Westphalia is digitalised to an above-average extent. "Its level of digitalisation is 15 % higher than that of the economy as a whole and digitalisation topics determine innovation activity to a particular extent," says Prognos Head of Division for Green Industry and Climate Change and Head of Competence Network "Green Industry NRW", Oliver Lühr. "This means that North Rhine-Westphalia is well equipped for a green economy 4.0. The green industries offer crucial solutions to move forward in the Green Deal." The Green Industry Report also portrays the different regions of the state. The strengths of the sector can be seen in varying degrees and with strong regional specialisations, depending on the specific natural environment. Depending on the region, the focus is on resource management, environmentally friendly agriculture and sustainable forestry or environmentally friendly mobility, energy efficiency or renewable energies. The sector is also holding its own on the global market - a supporting economic pillar of NRW's green economy. From 2010 to 2019, exports from North Rhine-Westphalia's green industry grew by an average of 1.4 % annually, reaching a volume of 11.6 billion euros in 2019. Directly to the report (PDF, in German, website umwelt.nrw.de) Authors: Oliver Lühr, Jannis Lambert, Richard Simpson, Myrna Sandhövel, Lukas Eiserbeck, Hanne Hagedorn, Johann Weiß, Saskia Reuschel, Stephan Kling Our work on this topic Take a look at our latest projects and activities. Mid-term evaluation of the Single Market Programme (SMP) 2025 | Project The Single Market Programme promotes the EU internal market in order to strengthen it, standardise it and make it more competitive. Prognos was involved in the mid-term evaluation of the programme. Read more Design and implementation of the Resilience Expo ongoing | Project Prognos is supporting the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of the Environment in organising, implementing and establishing the world's first trade exhibition for the climate adaptation industry. Read more Mid-term evaluation of the public sector loan facility 2025 | Project The Public Sector Loan Facility is an EU financial instrument to ensure a socially just transition to climate neutrality in the regions. Prognos and t33 srl evaluated the instrument. Read more German industry’s resilience and sovereignty 2025 | Project German industry is heavily dependent on raw materials and intermediate products from abroad, especially from China. Prognos analysed supply chains and developed recommendations for action. Read more Evaluation of the ‘Innovative University’ funding initiative ongoing | Project How can innovations be implemented in practice? This is where the BMBF's ‘Innovative University’ funding initiative comes in. Prognos and Fraunhofer ISI are evaluating the programme. Read more Evaluation of the Federal Funding for Efficient Buildings (BEG) ongoing | Project On behalf of the BMWK, we evaluate the impact of the BEG in the funding period 2021 – 2025 together with ifeu, ITG, and FIW. Read more Conference on Industrial Resilience 10. April 2025 | Event Michael Astor presents the results of the study on the resilience and sovereignty of the German industry, which we conducted on behalf of the Netzwerk Zukunft der Industrie e. V. (Future of Industry Network). The results will then be discussed by industry representatives. Read more Technologies to combat the shortage of skilled workers 2025 | Expertise Specialists waste a lot of time on tiresome routine tasks. 3D planning tools or digital twins can help. Our analysis for the Fraunhofer IGD shows which professional groups benefit directly from their digital technologies. Read more Clusters meet Regions: Palma 14. - 15. May 2025 | Event The event examines how clusters are accelerating the transition to sustainable economic models. It shows how Palma and the Balearic Islands can act as key players for innovation in the circular economy. Dr Jan-Philipp Kramer will present an input paper. Read more Cluster Collaboration Lab (C2Lab) in Spain 19. - 20. March 2025 | Event The next edition of the Cluster Collaboration Lab (C2Lab) will take place in Zaragoza, Spain. As part of our work in the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP), we are preparing an input paper, which Paul Möhlmann will present on site. Read more Talent Booster Mechanism In Action 18. March 2025 | Event With the ‘Harnessing Talent Platform’, the EU is supporting regions that are most affected by demographic change. The event will present what has been achieved so far and where the regions stand. Prognos is part of the platform and provides support primarily in the area of knowledge generation. Read more Expert roundtable on the European Investment Bank (EIB) support to Cohesion Policy 24. March 2025 | Event Dr. Jan-Philipp Kramer will participate in the Expert Roundtable with selected representatives from EU institutions and networks to discuss priorities for cohesion policy post-2027 and the optimization of EIB support. Read more Forum on the Future of Cohesion Policy 20. March 2025 | Event At the invitation of the Bertelsmann Stiftung, Dr. Jan-Philipp Kramer will participate in an expert forum with representatives from EU institutions, regions, and academia to discuss the future of cohesion policy. Read more Clusters meet Regions: Eindhoven 26. March 2025 | Event Dr Jan-Philipp Kramer will present an input paper on the Brabant cluster landscape at the Clusters meet Regions event. The South Netherlands region is one of the leading innovation centres in Europe. Read more Clusters meet Regions: Heilbronn 9. April 2025 | Event The region around Heilbronn is a leading location in the fields of automotive, mechanical engineering, artificial intelligence and hydrogen innovation. Dr Jan-Philipp Kramer will present an input paper on the Heilbronn cluster landscape at the event. Read more A more centralised and sectoral post-27 cohesion policy? 17. March 2025 | Event Will a more centralised and sectoral approach reshape the EU's regional development? Prognos and EURADA invite you to discuss this with experts on regional development and cohesion policy. Read more Circular Valley Convention 13. March 2025 | Event Marieke Eckhardt and Tim Bichlmeier will host a stage slot as part of the Green Economy Network.NRW (KNUW) on how innovative recycling solutions from NRW can ensure the sustainable supply of critical raw materials. Read more How far are the regions on the road to a circular economy? 2025 | Project update Prognos has developed a tool for the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) that supports cities and regions in monitoring their circular economy activities. Read more Cohesion Policy beyond 2027 13. February 2025 | Event Dr Jan-Philipp Kramer will discuss the results of our study on the future governance of European cohesion policy with representatives from politics, science and practice. Prognos is a co-organiser. Read more How dependent are we really on the US and China? 2025 | Expertise Foreign trade, employment, investment and raw materials: ahead of the new US administration taking office, we analysed for the Süddeutsche Zeitung how dependent our economy is on the US and China. Read more Economic potential of the green tech sector in Bavaria 2024 | Project How powerful is the green tech industry in Bavaria? What is its economic significance? We examined these questions on behalf of the vbw using our envigos model. Read more New markets for the export sector – 2024 update 2024 | Project Even if the global trade in goods is no longer growing, there are still promising markets for German business. We present 13 potential markets in Asia and Latin America. Read more Skilled workers for the energy transition 2024 | Project How many laborers and skilled workers will Germany need for the green transformation of its economy? We examined this question on behalf of the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Read more New procurement markets for the German economy – update 2024 2024 | Project German industry can increase the resilience of its supply chains by sourcing its intermediate products from different countries. We have analyzed these new procurement markets. Read more Future governance of EU Cohesion Policy after 2027 2024 | Project With the involvement of relevant stakeholders, Prognos and partners developed conclusions for the further development of European structural funding after 2027. Read more Internationalisation of the environmental technology industry in Baden-Württemberg 2024 | Project The Baden-Württemberg Agency for Environmental Technology (UTBW) supports companies based in Baden-Württemberg in the internationalisation and export of environmental technology. Prognos provided the market information. Read more Support for the Saxony-Anhalt Citizens’ Advisory Board on Structural Change ongoing | Project Prognos supports the citizens’ advisory council in incorporating the perspectives of the population into decision-making processes and advises the responsible staff unit of the State Chancellery. Read more A greener economy through green finance 2024 | Project With green finance, greenhouse gases in Austria can be reduced by up to four per cent by 2040 – in the bond market alone. This is the result of our study commissioned by the Ministry for Climate Action. Read more Salon M 27. November 2024 | Event At Salon M, a dialogue and networking platform, Prognos CEO Christian Böllhoff will discuss the topic “The Impact of Global Players’ Communication on Shaping a New European Narrative“ with high-profile guests. Read more Moldova Trade Forum 2024 21. November 2024 | Event Dr Jan-Philipp Kramer will give the keynote speech on ‘Expanding export markets for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)’ at the Moldova Trade Forum 2024. Read more North Rhine-Westphalia Green Economy Report 2024 2024 | Project The green economy is a driving force in North Rhine-Westphalia. Both gross value added and the number of people in employment are increasing at a faster rate than in other sectors of the economy. Read more Conversion of the automotive industry: How employment is changing 2024 | Project The automotive industry is undergoing fundamental change. How does this effect employment? And what will it mean for the individual professions? We investigated this on behalf of the VDA. Read more Green Tech Atlas 2025 ongoing | Project On behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Prognos compiled the Green Tech Atlas 2025. The atlas provides a comprehensive overview of the cross-sectional environmental tech-nology and resource efficiency industries. Read more C4T final forum 7. November 2024 | Event The Cohesion for Transitions (C4T) platform aims to support structurally weak regions on the path to climate neutrality. The forum will take stock of the programme: What has been achieved so far and where do we go from here? Read more The economic and social situation of the creative industries 2024 | Project On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Prognos and partner analysed the economic and social situation of self-employed solo artists in creative professions. Read more Clusters meet Regions: Charleroi 27. - 28. November 2024 | Event As part of our work for the European Cluster Collaboration Platform, Dr Jan-Philipp Kramer presents an input paper on the on the Walloon Region and its clusters. Read more Impact of global crises on regional labour markets ongoing | Project A shrinking workforce, digitalisation and decarbonisation: Prognos examines the specific effects of global trends on regional labour markets. Read more NetworkNature Annual Conference 2024 25. September 2024 | Event Greta Dekker will be attending the NetworkNature annual conference and talking to the specialist audience about nature-based solutions. Read more Evaluation of the ERDF programmes of several federal states ongoing | Project How effectively do the federal states utilise ERDF funding? Prognos supports various federal states with the evaluation of their ERDF programmes. Read more Presentation of the study on the economic and social situation in the cultural and creative industries 15. October 2024 | Event The results of our study on the economic and social situation of solo self-employed and hybrid workers in the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) will be presented at the event. Read more Evaluation of ERDF funding for SMEs 2024 | Project How effective is EU support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)? On behalf of the European Commission, Prognos evaluated together with CSIL the ERDF funding in the period from 2014 to 2020. Read more Industry Conference 2024 26. November 2024 | Event Together with the Alliance for the Future of Industry, the BMWK is organising the Industry Conference 2024, where Michael Astor will present initial interim findings from our study on the resilience and sovereignty of German industry. Read more Germany Potential Index: Digitalisation to counter the skilled-worker shortage 2024 | Project The skilled-worker shortage is only due to get worse in the future. Our Potential Index shows: Increased digitalisation can help to cushion the negative consequences of the skilled-worker shortage in Germany. Read more Guest article in SPIEGEL: How Europe's economy can catch up with the USA and China 2024 | Expertise A race to catch up - this is what Europe needs if it is not to be left behind by the USA and China. In the SPIEGEL guest article, Christian Böllhoff calls for a new match plan with clear priorities for the new EU legislative period. Read more Prognos Economic Outlook® (PEO®) ongoing | Project In uncertain times, there is a growing demand for orientation. PEO® delivers independent figures. Based on our wolrd economy model we project the developments until 2045. Read more Evaluation of the Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (ZIM) 2024 | Project The Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (ZIM) strengthens the innovative power of small and medium-sized enterprises. This is shown by our evaluation for the BMWK. Read more Employers’ attractiveness according to parents and carers 2024 | Project Employees want tailor-made reconciliation measures that ensure work-life balance and not to face professional disadvantage as a result of their care work. These were the findings of our study for the BMFSFJ. Read more Significance of the German economy for Europe 2024 | Project Growth in the German economy benefits the whole of Europe. Our study for the vbw shows that this is due to the size of the economy and its strong foreign trade networks. Read more Guidelines: With Sustainable Governance to successful sustainability reporting 2024 | Project We have produced guidelines for successful sustainability reporting in accordance with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive for an industry association. The second guide is dedicated to the topic of "Sustainability Governance". Read more Guideline: Data management for successful sustainability reporting 2024 | Project We have produced guidelines for successful sustainability reporting in accordance with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive for an industry association. The third guide deals with data management in accordance with the CSRD. Read more Adobe Stock - CleverStock About us Prognos – Providing Orientation. Prognos is one of the oldest economic research centres in Europe. Founded at the University of Basel, Prognos experts have been conducting research for a wide range of clients from the public and private sectors since 1959 – politically independent, scientifically sound. Learn more