Düsseldorf is an important finance and business centre and is home to numerous banks and several major corporate headquarters. It also hosts a number of industrial and trade shows throughout the year. Local manufacturing products include automobiles, chemicals, clothing, machinery, metal goods, printed materials and textiles. According to Economic Development Corporation, the entire region is responsible for producing 18.4 per cent of Germany's exports.

Nordrhein-Westfalen also boasts Europe's highest concentration of research and higher education institutions. Half of the country's 10 largest universities are located the region and there are 63 technology centres and over 20 research institutions. In total, the region has approximately half a million students studying in its universities and technical colleges.

Düsseldorf and the wider Nordrhein-Westfalen region are well connected to the rest of Europe. The city is directly connected to 6 autobahn routes and is home to a modern railway station that provides direct services to and from all the major cities in Germany and numerous destinations throughout Europe. There are 6 international airports located in the region. The Rhein-Ruhr airport is closest to Düsseldorf and can be reached in 12 minutes from the city centre, via the S-Bahn urban railway system. In 2002, the airport was the 3rd busiest in Germany, after Frankfurt and Munich, handling just under 15 million passengers. The airport offers flights to approximately 125 destinations in Europe, 14 in America, 2 in Asia and 19 in Africa. Europe's largest inland river port, located in the city of Duisburg, is about 30 kilometres from Düsseldorf. The port has nearly 40 kilometres of embankment and handles in the region of 50 million tons of cargo every year.