Type of manufacturing

The export-oriented OEMs are based mainly in the
south of Germany. Baden-Württemberg has the largest
mechanical engineering sector, while Bavaria is the
largest state in terms of car production, although Lower
Saxony/Bremen is an important region because of the
presence of Volkswagen and Mercedes.

North Rhine-Westphalia has historically been dominated by the metal
industry, a trend that has been driven by the presence of
raw materials in the Ruhr region.