
Initiativkreis Ruhr is an association of more than 70 leading companies and institutions. Its aim is to promote the development of the Ruhr area and strengthen its future viability and competitiveness. Initiativkreis Ruhr’s initiative for founders promotes innovative startups. It supports startup events such as RuhrSummit or FuckUp Nights Ruhrgebiet. The mentoring project ”Smart from the Start” opens the doors for startups to the executives of the Ruhr industry. The Gründerfonds Ruhr (Ruhr Startup Fund), launched jointly with NRW.BANK, provides young entrepreneurs with risk capital of more than EUR 30 million.

The private-law RAG Stiftung was established in 2007. The task of the RAG Stiftung is to permanently finance the so-called “eternal tasks” of the German coal industry in the Ruhr and Saar regions from 2019 onwards. These are water management measures (mine water management, polders, groundwater purification) which continue to exist even after the coal industry has ceased to operate. Furthermore, it is also the purpose of the RAG Stiftung to promote projects in the fields of education, science and culture, insofar as they are related to coal mining in the Ruhr and Saar regions.
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Evonik is one of the world’s leading specialty chemicals companies. We do not produce car tires, mattresses, tablets, or pet food. And yet, these end products all contain Evonik—as do 4,000 others. We often contribute in small quantities, but it is they that make the difference. Evonik makes tires more fuel-efficient, mattresses more elastic, tablets more effective, and pet food more nutritious. The fabric lies in the specialty chemicals. And in that field, we are one of the best in the world. Evonik stands for attractive businesses and innovative strength. We work in a results-oriented corporate culture geared towards profitable growth and shareholder value maximization. We benefit from customer proximity and leading market positions in over 100 countries. Around 36,000 employees are united by one mission: no product is so perfect that it could not be made even better. In the fiscal year 2016, the company generated sales of €12.7bn and a profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €2.165bn.
Exploring opportunities. Growing together.

RAG is overseeing the German coal mining industry’s discontinuation in a socially acceptable manner. This is not a sure-fire thing: no miner is allowed to be left behind, the team must be motivated until the very last day even at a new workplace, and work safety must be maintained at the highest level, while simultaneously meeting all delivery obligations.
The coal mining industry has shaped the Ruhr area for more than 150 years. When the last active mines will cease coal production at the end of 2018, it will end a chapter in industrial history—but not the work of RAG. The company has important tasks to perform over the long term. These so-called “eternal tasks” contribute to regulating the water balance in the region below and above ground.
The “eternal tasks” include mine water management, the operation of polders, and groundwater management. The highest priority is given to the protection of drinking water and the environment. At the same time, the company is further developing former mining areas so that they can be used for residential and commercial space or for photovoltaics and wind power plants in the future.

RAG Montan Immobilien has been part of the RAG Group for more than four decades and stands for competence in land development and building construction. With our experience in revitalizing previously-used industrial sites and in development projects, we contribute to structural change in the Ruhr area. Our experts implement modern business/technology/logistics parks, pulsating creative districts, and residential and urban districts offering attractive leisure and cultural activities.
We attach particular importance to working together with residents, our customers, the state as well as the municipalities and authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia and the Saarland. We’re creating a new home for businesses and families on high-quality remediated industrial sites. In doing so, we work in a tailor-made, innovative and sustainable way, all the while actively participating in the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
Our foundation is our extensive land portfolio, which we supplement with the purchase of new plots in line with demand.