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Download this reportDoing Business in North Rhine-Westphalia
Inside this issue
• It may not have the international pull of Frankfurt, but Düsseldorf has other attractions for finance
• With stars such as Stefan Raab, Brainpool taps into Germany’s home of comedy in Cologne - -
Content
Industrial heartland seeking a new beat
James Wilson looks at how Germany’s most populous state is coping with long-term structural change
Energy: Solar transforms mining town
Subsidies have revitalised areas hit by the decline of heavy industry, writes Gerrit Wiesmann
HSBC Trinkaus: Scots and Swabians
Whatever the cultural influences on the bank, it seems to be working, writes James Wilson
Banking: Local institutions hit hard by crisis
The provision of finance to small business is the biggest concern, says James Wilson
Bonn: International agencies replace government
Quentin Peel says the former seat of the Bundestag has reinvented itself
Brainpool: Cologne – the new home of comedy
Gerrit Wiesmann discovers laughter in the region’s largest city
Politics: Finance and education top the local agenda
Red-green coalition leaders are confident they can work together, writes Quentin Peel
SMS Group: Engineering group thrives without shareholder concerns
Daniel Schaefer hears the pluses of being family owned
Higher education: Universities strive to improve their links with business
National support is benefiting top schools, writes James Wilson
Capital of culture: Tourism steps into industrial region
A chance to shine the spotlight on a region more famous for its smokestacks, says James Wilson
