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50 internationals

50 internationals

The Innovation Platform (IP) and the Cabinet want the Netherlands to be in the top 5 internationally in terms of higher education, research and innovation. The Netherlands has always been an appealing country for foreign investors thanks to its open economy, well-educated population with extensive language skills and appealing environment for new businesses. However, the competition from other countries within Europe (Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Ireland) has grown significantly in recent years.

Asia rising
Over the coming years many companies - especially from Asia (particularly from China, India, Korea, Taiwan) - will be globalising. We also need to exploit the opportunities on offer in more 'traditional' investment countries: the US, Japan and within the European Union. Hence at least 450 Asian companies will be establishing a European presence over the coming years: companies with an average turnover of around € 1 billion.

50 companies to the Netherlands
The Innovation Platform has set itself the challenging but achievable objective of persuading 50 significant international companies to set up in the Netherlands over the next 3 to 5 years. It is thereby also important to improve the business climate for new companies and companies which are already established in the Netherlands. This proposal could result in several thousand new jobs and a rise in the Gross Domestic Product by 0.5% (= 3 billion euro).

Get to work
The IP has four recommendations, based partly on the input and advice from more than 100 experts and CEOs who have been consulted in recent months:

1.

Focus on a limited number of sectors and functions and geographical markets and communicate one narrative about the Netherlands’ strengths.

2.

Improve (the perception of) the Dutch business climate and living conditions in order to attract and retain companies and talent, by:

3.

Developing a sound and proactive approach to attract foreign companies, based on an in-depth knowledge of the wishes of these companies and the offering of suitable locations in the Netherlands;

4.

Forming a new unit within the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency which will carry out the proactive approach.

High Level Group
The IP has thereby sought advice from a High Level Group consisting of Hans Smits (Port of Rotterdam), Jos Nijhuis (Schiphol Group), Peter Elverding (former CEO of DSM), Alexander Rinnnooy Can (IP, Social and Economic Council), Feike Sijbesma (IP, DSM), Gerard Kleisterlee (IP, Philips) and Wiebe Draijer (IP, McKinsey). The High Level Group has concluded that a sum of € 10 million a year is needed in order to achieve the target of 50 international companies.

Cabinet response
The Cabinet has decided to allocate € 2.5 million a year for three years in order to adopt the new approach and to start with a pilot in two key areas: Flowers & Food and Chemicals, in order to attract 15 knowledge-intensive companies and foreign R&D investments in these sectors.

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