The basis of the Rhine-Neckar business location is its industry.

Globally active major corporations, medium-sized enterprises, and innovative start-ups form a highly productive mix. The internationally competitive advantage of the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region is illustrated by its export quota of 57%.

Traditional points of focus are the chemical industry, electrotechnology, and machinery and plant engineering, with world-famous names such as BASF, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, and ABB. In addition, global players in the life-science sector – Roche, Merck, Abbott, and Becton Dickinson – are at home in the region.

Together, they form the economic environment in which biotechnology has developed into the region's fastest growing industry. In the Biotech Cluster Rhine-Neckar around 80 biotech SMEs and numerous suppliers and service providers profit from the favorable framework conditions and the close networking in the region.