The NRW Lead Market Competitions are a core element of North Rhine-Westphalia’s innovation policy and an instrument of the “NRW Operational Programme for the Support of Investment in Growth and Employment from the European Regional Development Fund”, in short OP ERDF NRW.

Eight areas were identified that are considered particularly significant for North Rhine-Westphalia’s economy. The aim is for North Rhine-Westphalia’s powerful and innovative industries to join forces with research and science in order to lay an adequate foundation for meeting the far-reaching changes taking place in society as well as important global economic and ecological challenges. At the heart of the strategy are competitions in eight lead markets, for which the second call for proposals was launched in the middle of March 2017.

• Media & Creative Industries
• Energy & Environment
• New Materials
• Health
• Mechanical & Plant Engineering / Production Engineering
• Mobility & Logistics
• Life Sciences
• Information & Communication Technologies

Between 2014 and 2020, North Rhine-Westphalia will receive around € 1.2 billion in ERDF funding from the EU.