AMS 5 2015 by amsterdam&partners

nr 5 2015

AMS Amsterdam in business

The innovation issue The business of science Why start-ups thrive in Amsterdam

Contents AMS NR 5 – The Innovation Issue 3 4 9

Editorial – Eberhard van der Laan, Mayor of Amsterdam New in Amsterdam – inspiring new businesses, initiatives and organisations Author and historian Russell Shorto on the DNA of Amsterdam

10 17 18 22 26

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Amsterdam Historical ties – the Amsterdam-India connection Smart City – connecting business, science and government Electric dreams – Amsterdam is making history in electric transport KLM cares – the Dutch National Airline is a frontrunner in sustainability

Enabling innovation

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Life in Amsterdam

Going Dutch – author Colleen Geske on the quirky habits of the Dutch The Office – how Google’s workspace reflects Amsterdam Images of Amsterdam Events in Amsterdam – from cultural must-dos to essential conferences

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The business of science

Shell Technology Center Amsterdam (STCA) – R&D since 1914 Enza Zaden – ‘seed valley’ is just north of Amsterdam Building bacteria – how Yakult makes use of Dutch milk Historical ties – the Amsterdam-Japan connection Amsterdam Science Park – where scientists become entrepreneurs

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Start-up city

Interview Kajsa Ollongren – Amsterdam’s ambitious alderwoman of economic affairs Networks – how start-ups self-organise in Amsterdam Triple AAA – the Amsterdam canals are the ideal location for international talent

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Building brands

Homegrown brands – from Heineken to G-star Dutch denim – how Amsterdam became Denim Central

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The facts

By the numbers – Amsterdam tops all the important lists Congresses – Amsterdam is a world-class conference destination What amsterdam inbusiness can do for you The Expatcenter – your partner in setting up shop in Amsterdam

editorial

Where creativity and commerce meet

On the cover Technological innovation meets the arts at Amsterdam’s premier modern art institution, the Stedelijk Museum. Opened in 1895, the Stedelijk soon built a world-class collection of modern art. By 2000, modernisation was required, and Amsterdam architecture firm Benthem Crouwel won the contract to extend the main building via a giant ‘bathtub’ design that opened in 2012. A great work of art in itself, the new façade was made possible by the engineering expertise of Japanese/Dutch plastics manufacturer Teijin, who donated the material: Tenax and Twaron high-performance fibres in a mix that virtually cancels out contraction or expansion. The result is the largest composite building in the world. www.stedelijk.nl

As Mayor of Amsterdam, I often proudly cite the fact that the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area is home to more than 2,500 foreign companies. But an entrepreneur from Silicon Valley recently told me that within ten years, 40% of Fortune 500 companies will have ceased to exist as a result of rapid technological developments. Companies that anticipate these developments have the potential to grow quickly, but they can also be overtaken just as quickly by new technologies introduced by a competitor – a competitor that might not even be on their radar, because it is no longer only multinationals that pose a threat. It could just as well be the proverbial kid in a garage or a university spin-off. Amsterdam Science Park, for instance, brings together universities and national research institutes under one roof. The resulting spin-offs have been highly successful. Euvision Technologies, which was recently acquired by US communications giant Qualcomm, specialises in software that recognises digital images and videos. Photanol, meanwhile, has joined forces with AkzoNobel to develop technology that converts sunlight and CO2 into valuable organic compounds. The Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs also recognised Amsterdam’s potential when he chose to headquarter the StartupDelta here. Neelie Kroes, former European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, has been appointed to lead the initiative and establish the Netherlands as Europe’s start-up hotspot. Whatever their phase of development, however, all these companies benefit from a robust and dynamic ICT sector, for which Amsterdam is known the world over. Of course we face competition. London, New York, Beijing and Singapore are all major ICT centres and significantly larger than Amsterdam. But we are certainly just as international and our compact size has its own advantages. According to the entrepreneur from Silicon Valley who predicted the demise of 40% of Fortune 500 companies, the future belongs to smaller companies. He readily agreed when I suggested that the future might then also belong to smaller cities.

Eberhard van der Laan Mayor of Amsterdam

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text Cecily Layzell Inspiring new businesses, initiatives and organisations. In this issue: record data centre take-up, the world’s most sustainable office building and a new HQ for Chanel

Maritim Group to build conference hotel

Six hundred new beds meet growing demand The German hotel chain Maritim Group has announced plans to build one of Europe’s biggest congress hotels in Amsterdam. Construction of the site, which will offer 52,000m2 of space and 600 four-star rooms, is expected to be complete in 2018. The new hotel will be located on the ‘Overhoeks strip’ next to the A’DAM Tower. The development is part of the regeneration of a business and leisure location across the River IJ, behind Amsterdam Central Station. In addition to the A’DAM Tower, two new towers will be built. One of them will house the Maritim Hotel, which will significantly strengthen Amsterdam’s position as an attractive city to host congresses and events. The second tower will house approximately 220 apartments. www.maritim.com

Strong take-up of data centres

Amsterdam outperforms larger European cities

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The take-up of Amsterdam data centres in the first six months of 2014 exceeded that achieved in the full year of 2013. The volume of data centres in Amsterdam is also continuing to outperform many larger European locations. According to a report by real estate consultants CB Richard Ellis, which studies the European data centre market, 11.7MW had been sold by June – the highest total recorded for an opening six-month period. The report notes that connectivity-led demand continues to be the principal source of larger transactions, with cloud, telecom and content providers particularly active. At the same time, supply has increased. Also in H1, an additional 8.6MW of new capacity was released in Amsterdam, the majority coming with the opening of the final phase of Telecity’s AMS 5 facility. www.cbre.nl

Chanel to open Amsterdam office

Fashion house sashays into Zuidas Chanel has purchased an office in Amsterdam. The building, which is currently under construction, is expected to be complete in spring 2015 and will be the French fashion house’s new international headquarters. According to several Dutch media outlets, Chanel has spent almost €45 million ($51.3 million) on the space, which is located in the Zuidas, one of Amsterdam’s most popular business districts. Chanel joins a growing number of multinationals that are basing themselves there. These include South Stream Transport and CRH, a leader in construction materials. www.chanel.com

Blippar comes to Amsterdam

In close proximity to new and existing clients Blippar, an American company specialising in augmented reality (AR) advertising, is opening an office in Amsterdam. The announcement comes two months after the company’s acquisition of Layar, an AR start-up from Amsterdam. According to the Dutch industry magazine Adformatie, Blippar chose to set up shop in Amsterdam due to its proximity to new and existing clients in Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. www.blippar.com

Peerby raises €1.7m in foreign investment Local borrowing platform poised for US expansion

Amsterdam properties win in high-end category Amsterdam offers tourists and business travellers a wide range of accommodation, among them a great selection of high-end options. Reflecting the city’s flourishing hospitality sector, two properties were among the winners of the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2014. Amsterdam Boutique Apartments were judged the best in the Luxury Serviced Apartments category, while Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam (pictured) won in the category Luxury Suite Hotel. Amsterdam has proven to be a highly attractive location to invest for hotels operating in the top segment of the market. In 2014, the legendary Waldorf Astoria opened a 94-room hotel on the prestigious Herengracht canal. The W Hotel chain is also expected to make its Dutch debut in Amsterdam in 2015.

www.peerby.com

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World Luxury Hotel Awards

Peerby, an app founded in Amsterdam that connects people wanting to borrow various items with neighbours willing to lend them, has raised €1.7 million ($2.1 million) from a group of international investors. Peerby is currently available in the Netherlands, Belgium, London, Berlin and eight US pilot cities. According to a press statement, Peerby will invest the money raised in expanding into 50 US cities. See also pages 86-93.

www.luxuryhotelawards.com

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New base for future growth

EMEA and regional shared services centre in Amsterdam The AllStar Travel Group (ATG), an international team of travel management companies, has announced that it has chosen Amsterdam as the location for its new EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) headquarters and regional shared services centre. In a press release, ATG’s CEO Tammy Krings said that the new base in Amsterdam is ‘a critical component of ATG’s growth plan and customer service strategy.’ ATG currently operates 51 offices in 50 countries. www.allstars24.com

Bell Helicopter celebrates 40 years in Amsterdam Time flies when you’re in the Dutch capital

Bell Helicopter celebrated the 40th anniversary of its Amsterdam supply centre at the first HeliTech Expo and Conference held in the city in late 2014. The US-based company has been an integral contributor to the Netherlands’ aerospace cluster for decades. Founded in 1935, Bell Helicopter first specialised in the design and production of fighter aircraft, before becoming the first company to obtain certification for a commercial helicopter. Now an industry leader, Bell Helicopter has delivered more than 35,000 aircraft to customers around the world.

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www.bellhellicopter.com

Best place to start a business Neelie Kroes to strengthen the Netherlands’ position as a start-up hotspot

Former EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes is to strengthen the international position of the Netherlands as a hotspot for international startups. In her new role as the country’s ‘special envoy’, Kroes will devote the next 18 months to establishing the Netherlands, and in particular Amsterdam, as the best place in Europe to start a business. As a veteran diplomat, Kroes will lead the new StartupDelta initiative, a collaboration of government bodies, knowledge institutes, start-ups, financiers and businesses. www.startupdelta.com

Developing talent for the future Google has announced that it will donate $1 million to Science Center NEMO in Amsterdam. The donation is intended to stimulate and develop young talent in the fields of technology and science. In partnership with Platform Bèta, Science Center NEMO will implement a programme for primary school students from 2015 to 2019, focusing on key 21st-century skills such as ICT literacy, creativity and problem solving. In addition, NEMO will present a new mathematics-inspired exhibition titled Wereld van Vormen (‘World of Shapes’) with Google as the lead partner. Within the exhibition, children can learn about the daily applications of maths and how mathematical techniques can be used to unravel the world around them. www.e-nemo.nl

Brown-Forman moves European HQ to Amsterdam

Consolidated operation supports growing business Brown-Forman Corporation, the manufacturer of many wellknown alcoholic beverages, has opened the headquarters of its European operations in Amsterdam. The new office, located on the famous Keizersgracht canal, merges the company’s previous European offices in Hamburg and London. In a short speech at the opening, Thomas Hinrichs, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Brown-Forman’s Europe operations, elaborated on why the company chose Amsterdam, citing its efficient airport facilities, quality of life and municipal assistance in getting the new office running in a timely manner. www.brown-forman.com

Payment start-up secures sizeable investment Amsterdam-based payment start-up Adyen has secured €215 million ($245 million) in funding, increasing its value to €1.3 billion ($1.48 billion). The company serves as a middleman for major internet brand names like Facebook, Spotify and Airbnb, enabling them to accept payments in 187 international currencies. Additionally, thanks to its omni-channel platform, Adyen can process payments made online, in-store or on mobile devices. The company says that it will use the investment to further accelerate growth, continue to expand its strong international presence and fuel global adoption of its platform. According to The Wall Street Journal, one of the main reasons behind this sizeable investment is the belief that cross border e-commerce will grow substantially over the coming years. Moreover, investors were impressed with Adyen’s innovative technology and talent. Most compelling, however, was the fact that Adyen has built its own money transfer channels rather than relying on existing third parties. www.adyen.com

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Google and Science Center NEMO announce collaboration

Adyen adds up for investors

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Calvin Klein to build new HQ

Amsterdam as a fashion gateway Calvin Klein is building a new European head office in Amsterdam. From this location, which is set to open in early 2016, the apparel brand aims to strengthen its presence in Europe. Calvin Klein joins a large pool of international fashion companies, including Levi’s, Diesel and Tommy Hilfiger, already doing business in Amsterdam. Various rankings indicate that the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area remains a leading location for European headquarters. In 2013, the region attracted 23 headquarters and 53 marketing and sales offices, collectively creating 1,392 jobs. www.calvinklein.com

World’s most sustainable office building

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Deloitte’s HQ rated ‘Outstanding’

Deloitte’s new corporate headquarters have been certified as the most sustainable in the world. Called The Edge, the building in Amsterdam’s Zuidas business district achieved a new construction certification of ‘Outstanding’, with the highest score ever recorded by the Building Research Establishment (BRE), the global assessor of sustainable buildings. Designed by London-based PLP Architecture, the 40,000m2 building employs a range of smart technologies. Occupants can regulate the light and climate in their personal workspace with their smartphones, saving energy costs and generating useful data that drives overall efficiency. On the outside, all the surfaces of the south-facing facade that are not windows are covered with solar panels. Furthermore, an aquifer thermal energy storage (some 130 metres below the ground) generates the energy required to heat and cool the building.

www.the-edge.nl

Port of Amsterdam posts record year Transhipment of close to 100 million tonnes

The Amsterdam port region, which includes the ports of Amsterdam, IJmuiden, Beverwijk and Zaanstad, realised a record transhipment of more than 97.4 million tonnes in 2014. Said Dertje Meijer, the Port of Amsterdam’s CEO, of the success: ‘Over the past year we saw a positive decision be reached with respect to the new large sea lock, finalised our Vision 2030 in collaboration with our stakeholders and obtained a number of environmental permits that can be an impetus for our activities by, for example, providing greater scope for lighterage within the existing environmental limits.’ The focus in 2015, she says, will be primarily on the preparations for SAIL Amsterdam 2015 (see page 42) and the construction of the new sea lock. www.portofamsterdam.com

Russell Shorto

Epicentre of innovation

As they expanded their range, Dutch trading vessels kept on the lookout for new markets to exploit. In Baltic ports they discovered that the raw materials for soap could be had cheaply; in short order more than a dozen soapworks came into existence along the Amstel River in Amsterdam. And, another marketing innovation: all the city’s soap factories agreed to colour their soap green, so as to increase the product identity of Amsterdam soap across Europe. All of this activity reached a climax in 1602, with the founding of the Dutch East India Company, or VOC. The VOC is one of the most influential companies in history, and possibly its grandest achievement was an innovation in its structure. Until that time, a company would dissolve on the completion of the voyage that was the reason for its founding. But the VOC would be permanent. This allowed investors to sell their shares at a later date, for a profit. The concepts of shares of stock, and a few years later of a stock exchange, would themselves further incite the cycle of innovation.

Amsterdam grew into its Golden Age persona on the heels of the VOC and the new stock exchange. As VOC ships brought goods into the city from the far corners of the earth, Amsterdam became a hub for entrepreneurs and migrant workers across the continent. Soon the medieval city could not contain the newcomers, so the city fathers set in motion a grand scheme of urban development that would increase Amsterdam’s size fivefold. The plan was to wrap a series of concentric canals around the Over the ensuing centuries the Dutch used this innovative spirit to dominate trade and shipping city centre, each of which would be lined with in much of Europe. First they cornered the mar- canal houses. The canals gave the city the iconic image it maintains today, neatly reflecting its hisket in herring, thanks to a series of innovations in shipbuilding, which allowed fishing vessels to tory as a hub of innovation. <

The DNA of A’dam Russell Shorto (1959) is an American author, historian and journalist, best known for his book on the Dutch origins of New York City, The Island at the Center of the World. He is a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine and is the former director of The John Adams Institute in Amsterdam, where he lived between 2007 and 2014. In 2009, Russell received a Dutch knighthood in the Order of Orange-Nassau. His most recent book, Amsterdam: A History of the World’s Most Liberal City, was published by Doubleday in October 2013. photo Robin de Puy

The city’s knack for tinkering until a process or product goes from acceptable to mould-breaking, has everything to do with its geography AMS

The Dutch provinces, as they became settled, eschewed the manorial system, for the simple reason that the land did not suit it. Instead, settlers in this flat, unstable portion of Europe found that they had to band together to build dams and dykes in order to stabilise the land. In doing so, they created large areas of reclaimed land. This was not owned by a nobility. Instead, the individuals who had created it divided it up among themselves. They began buying and selling it. A real estate market came into being, and with it a host of new processes to ease the way for buyers, sellers and renters. The cycle of innovation had begun.

sail farther out into the North Sea. Along with this came innovations in advertising and marketing, such as labelling casks of fish ‘Holland herring’.

The word ‘innovation’ has within it the Latin word for ‘new’, which may lend the impression that innovation itself is a relatively recent phenomenon. It is, however, as old as human beings. It turns out that Amsterdam is one of the historical epicentres of innovation as a phenomenon that has shaped the modern world. And the city’s knack for tinkering until a process or product goes from acceptable to mould-breaking, has everything to do with the city’s geography. Think of Europe in the Middle Ages. If your first thought is of knights and castles, that is probably a fairly representative image. It stands for what economists call the manorial system: a system in which the centre of the economy was a nobleman and his estate, which held sway across most of medieval Europe. Serfs worked the estate for the nobleman, and owed fealty to him, and he in turn owed fealty to the king and Church. The manorial system was fixed: where you were born – labourer, nobleman – dictated where your children and grandchildren would be born. There was very little occasion for innovation arising from individual initiative.

TATA CONSULTANCY

‘The Netherlands works as a huge hub for innovation’

Tata Consultancy Services has had its European HQ in Amsterdam for more than 20 years. Benelux Director Amit Kapur explains why

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text Matt Farquharson photography Mike Roelofs

ENABLING INNOVATION

‘The Netherlands was one of the first adopters of a global sourcing model. So from that perspective, it was right to put our efforts here and then see if you can expand into other markets’ (Amit Kapur, Benelux Director, Tata Consultancy Services)

THE WORLD’S IT DEPARTMENT If, as has been claimed, India is the world’s IT department, then Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is a big part of the reason why. Sitting within the giant conglomerate Tata Group, TCS is India’s largest company by market capitalisation and has total assets of around $55 billion. It is one of the main reasons why India is so strong in IT services, and since 1992 its European HQ has been in Amsterdam. ‘The Netherlands was one of the first adopters of a global sourcing model,’ says Benelux Director Amit Kapur. ‘So from that perspective, it was right to put our efforts here and then see if you can expand into other markets. The Netherlands was one of the driving forces of global sourcing.’ The ‘global sourcing model’ sees organisations buy their business services from whomever can offer the best value, regardless of where they may be. TCS offers more than just the call centres or junior programmers often associated with outsourcing, and has a full range of high-end consulting services. ‘If you look at the companies that come from the Netherlands, it makes it easier to engage with them because they have seen the world beyond their country’s boundary. And the moment you see a world beyond your country’s boundary, you are able to relate to trends in other markets,’ Kapur says.

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A NEW GLOBAL WAY OF WORKING TCS was one of the first organisations to take advantage of the new global way of working, and has always been an innovative organisation (founder Jehangir Tata became India’s first licensed pilot in 1929). And it was the innovative nature of the Dutch market that helped encourage TCS to set up shop in the Netherlands. ‘The Netherlands works as a huge hub for innovation and for the adoption of newer processes, if you compare it to some other European markets,’ says Kapur. ‘We see progress in other markets, but the Netherlands, we believe, is by far the leader.’

TCS is the head sponsor of the Amsterdam Marathon

TCS is announced as head sponsor of the Amsterdam Marathon, 2011. ÂŠ E van Eis

TATA CONSULTANCY

Tata Consultancy Services, in short Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is part of the vast Indian conglomerate Tata Group, which dates back to 1868 and is still partly owned by the Tata family. The combined market capitalisation of all 32 Tata Group companies exceeded $140 billion as of July 2014, of which TCS contributed about $80 billion. This vast figure makes TCS India’s largest IT company and gives it a market capitalisation greater than the next three IT firms combined. It is estimated to be one of the four most valuable IT services brands worldwide, alongside Accenture, HP and IBM. Tata’s overseas strategy sees around 58% of its revenue come from abroad, and the firm set up its European headquarters in the Netherlands in 1992. TCS began life in 1968 as a division of what was then Tata Sons. Early contracts included a reconciliation system for the Central Bank of India and a card-punching system for a steelworks. Today, it has 59 subsidiaries and its main product line is application development, followed by enterprise solutions and process outsourcing. It has more than 300,000 employees across 46 countries. www.tcs.com

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The firm’s taste for innovation has seen it create partnerships with many of the leading knowledge institutes that lie within striking distance of its HQ in the cluster of skyscrapers at Amsterdam Zuid. ‘Some of our managers have engaged with the University of Amsterdam, and we have gone on courses on strategy and management with the Amsterdam Business School. I always feel that you should never stop learning and we devised a special course with them tailored towards the business managers of TCS,’ explains Kapur. Other programmes include sponsorship of the Amsterdam Marathon and supporting the cancer research of the VU University Amsterdam. TCS also opens up to students from Rotterdam School of Management, which has one of the world’s most highly regarded MBA programmes. ‘We give a real problem to a group of students to research, and they come back without a bias. You tickle the young brains on what innovative ways you can look at problems and it brings a complete new line of thinking. At the same time, it’s an open forum to engage students.’ Engaging those young minds gives TCS some advantage in the battle for local talent, but given the nature of its business, ‘local’ tends to have a fairly broad meaning. ‘In the continent of Europe, TCS will have around 20,000 associates servicing the market. Within the Netherlands, we have close to 3,500 people servicing the Dutch market,’ says Kapur. ‘Of which around 700 people will be living in the Netherlands and the rest will be servicing the market from locations like India, Budapest, China or wherever the customer calls for it. Some 25%30% of our population is stationed in customer locations and the rest work from global centres.’

TCS offers more than just the call centres or junior programmers often associated with outsourcing, and has a full range of high-end consulting services

ENABLING INNOVATION

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‘The Netherlands works as a huge hub for innovation and the adoption of newer processes. We see progress in other markets, but the Netherlands, we believe, is by far the leader’ (Amit Kapur, Benelux Director, Tata Consultancy Services)

Indian communities in Amsterdam The Netherlands has the largest number of inhabitants with Indian descent in Europe after Britain. Many arrived via Suriname, formerly a Dutch colony, where they worked as contract labourers on sugar, coffee, cocoa or cotton plantations. After Suriname gained independence in 1975, almost half of the 300,000 descendants of these Surinamese Indians travelled to the Netherlands, settling predominantly in Amsterdam, the neighbouring municipality of Amstelveen, Almere and The Hague. Today, 90 Indian companies are located in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area and the Netherlands is one of India’s top trading partners. Indian expats, who currently number more than 7,000, make up the fastest growing expat group. A range of targeted services, including an India Desk at the amsterdam inbusiness foreign investment agency, provide assistance with work permits, taxes and housing. Outside of work, international schools organise Hindi and other language lessons and, since 2009, the Diwali festival of light has been celebrated in Amstelveen, attracting thousands of local and international residents from across the country.

BRINGING BUSINESS COMMUNITIES TOGETHER Those that do transfer from Asia to the Netherlands tend to find acceptance straightforward, says Kapur. ‘Amsterdam has a background of welcoming so many nationalities on a regular basis, I think it automatically becomes more welcoming. Society is much more absorbing and you don’t get such surprised reactions to a new face in town.’ Multicultural programmes run by the city, such as events around the Indian festival of Diwali, also help, he believes. ‘The municipalities of Amsterdam and Amstelveen put together an annual event celebrating this symbolic festival for the Indian community, and it has become an event for the larger community,’ Kapur explains. Beyond that openness, the practicalities of relocating from one continent to another are made easier for new arrivals in the city, he says. ‘The first few days are critical for any arrival from India and experiences like the Expatcenter help to give a positive start: the ability to find the right accommodation, the ability to find the right societies, to find the right schooling for your kids and family.’ And that openness reaches beyond individual arrivals to businesses themselves. ‘Entities like amsterdam in business have a unique position in understanding the rules. They’ve been successful in engaging themselves as an advisor to organisations with a good degree of neutrality. Amsterdam is very good at bringing business communities together,’ says Kapur. ‘It means you get a very diverse mix of industries and communities that engage with each other. Then there are other forums like the Netherlands India Chamber of Commerce and Trade, the Business Mission of the Netherlands in India. If you look at the kind of activities that are keeping the two countries engaged, I think they are much more frequent than we’ve observed in the past.’ And that growing appreciation looks set to continue for some years to come. ‘Growth is the only thing on our agenda,’ says Kapur. ‘So we are here to stay. But we won’t stay just for the sake of staying. We’re here to grow.’ <

The AmsterdamIndia connection (Source: India-Amsterdam Historical Ties, published by the City of Amsterdam, Amsterdam City Archives, amsterdam in business and Amsterdam Marketing)

The special bond between India and Amsterdam goes back centuries. One of the first Dutchmen to set foot on Indian soil was Jan Huyghen van Linschoten in 1583. During his five-year stay in Goa, then a Portuguese colony, he amassed an enormous amount of information about trade in Asia and the sea routes the Portuguese used to travel from Europe to India. His extensive descriptions and detailed maps enabled the Dutch to make the same journey and establish their own trading venture – the powerful Dutch East India Company (VOC) – in 1602. In 1669, Amsterdam nobleman Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede tot Drakestein was appointed commander of the VOC in Malabar on India’s south-western coast. When not occupied with VOC affairs, he dedicated his time to studying local tropical plants and compiling a vast work on those with economic or medical value. Published between 1678 and 1703 in 12 parts and four languages (Latin, Arabic, Sanskrit and Malayam), his Hortus Indicus was the first complete document of

the flora of an Asian region. The VOC was dissolved in 1799, but the commercial and cultural ties between India and the Netherlands have remained strong. Today, the Netherlands is one of India’s top trading partners. Conversely, India is the fifth largest investor in the Netherlands and Indian companies regard Amsterdam as a gateway to Europe. Since 2006, the number of Indian companies to establish themselves in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area has risen from 15 to 90. The majority of these are active in the IT sector. As a result of this long history, several Amsterdam institutions have Indian heritage items in their collections. Indian miniatures, for instance, enjoyed immense popularity in the 17th century. The city’s mayor, Nicolaas Witsen (1641-1717), owned more than 450 of these portraits. Many of them can be found in the Rijksmuseum. The painter Rembrandt van Rijn also had a book ‘full of curious miniature drawings’ from India, which he regularly used as inspiration for his own work. <

ÂŠ Jorrit Lousberg

smart city

Tech and the city

Amsterdam Smart City is a unique partnership between businesses, authorities, research institutions and residents. By fostering collaboration, it is enabling innovative, techdriven solutions to the most pressing urban challenges text Cecily Layzell

ENABLING INNOVATION

The American magazine Fast Co.Exist published a ranking of Europe’s ten smartest cities, placing Amsterdam second (after Copenhagen) for its innovation in infrastructure, technology and entrepreneurship

FUTURE FOCUSED The roof of the AMC University Hospital boasts an eyecatching red-and-white sign but, currently, little else. In the future, it is hoped that this large, underutilised space will become an important source of solar power, fulfilling not only a portion of the hospital’s needs but also acting as an energy interchange for other buildings in the area. These include Amsterdam ArenA Stadium, which has irregular but significant energy requirements determined by football matches and other large-scale events. Called Energiek Zuidoost, it is just one of dozens of projects initiated by Amsterdam Smart City (ASC) to make Amsterdam a pleasant, future-proof place to live, work and visit. WHAT IS A SMART CITY? There are several definitions of a smart city. Economists Andrea Caragliu and Peter Nijkamp’s is perhaps the most compelling: ‘A city can be defined as ‘smart’ when investments in human and social capital and traditional (transport) and modern (ICT) communication infrastructure fuel sustainable economic development and a high quality of life, with a wise management of natural resources, through participatory action and engagement’ (Smart Cities in Europe, 2009). The growing interest in smart cities is motivated by major challenges that include economic pressures, climate change and resource scarcity. One of the main drivers, however, is urbanisation. In the years to 2050, 98% of global population growth – an estimated 1.8 billion people – will take place in cities. Already densely populated, Amsterdam is also predicted to grow 12.5% by 2040. Figures like these make it clear that fresh thinking and long-term planning are needed to maintain and even improve the quality of urban life.

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SMART MATCHMAKING ASC was established in 2009 by the Amsterdam Economic Board, the Municipality of Amsterdam, grid operator Alliander, KPN and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences to foster collaboration and facilitate solutions to these urban challenges. The initiative has since grown into a platform with more than 70 innovative projects and 100 partners. These include AEB Amsterdam (waste), Benext (energy management) and Waternet (the only company in the country that focuses on the complete water cycle).

Energy Atlas indicating gas and electricity use per city block. The darker the colour, the higher the usage level

smart city

‘Key to the platform’s success,’ says ASC’s Vivienne GaarlandtBolsius, ‘is a bottom-up approach that encourages active involvement of citizens and allows partners to test their technologies in a real-life environment.’ She cites the example of Vehicle2Grid, which will enable owners of a new model of Mitsubishi electric car in the borough of NieuwWest to use their car battery to store locally produced energy (e.g. from solar panels). ‘Car owners can then decide what to do with the energy: use it immediately to power the vehicle or run household appliances, or redirect it to the grid for use at a more convenient time,’ she explains. ‘Currently in the pilot phase, the goal is to develop a suitable business model and roll out the cars globally.’ Similarly, the Energy Atlas, an open-data tool that provides information on energy use per urban area, neighbourhood and housing block, enables residents – and companies – to monitor their energy consumption and take action if necessary. Vehicle2Grid ‘Although we are often dealing with some Vehicle2Grid aims to advance the large-scale implementation of elecof the most advanced technology around, tric vehicles, the use of solar energy and the energy independence of what we do is not rocket science,’ says households. The three-year pilot project was launched in the AmsterGaarlandt-Bolsius of ASC’s role. ‘It’s a case dam borough of Nieuw-West in 2014. Residents participating in the of knowing what the needs of the city or pilot are able to use the battery in their electric car to store their locally a certain neighbourhood are and bringing produced energy (e.g. from solar panels). They can then decide what together the right partners. It’s all about to do with that energy: use it immediately, transfer it to the energy grid smart collaboration.’ or store it for later use to power the car or run household appliances. Energiek Zuidoost Energiek Zuidoost was established to reduce the total ecological footprint of the area between Amsterdam ArenA Stadium and the AMC University Hospital. The Energy Atlas (see below) identified this area as having significant potential for energy saving and generation. In collaboration with stakeholders, research is currently being conducted into possible sustainable development initiatives. These include capturing and using waste heat from the area’s numerous data centres and office buildings, switching to smart lighting (LED, WiFi, cameras etc.) and installing solar panels on AMC’s roof. Energy Atlas The Energy Atlas is an interactive digital tool that maps energy use. The tool, which gathers and makes publicly available data from a number of partners, can be used to track electricity and gas consumption from a citywide level right down to individual housing blocks. The City of Amsterdam has set the ambitious target of reducing CO2 emissions by 40% in 2025 (compared to 1990 levels). It hopes that the Energy Atlas will raise awareness among businesses and residents of energy use as well as highlighting opportunities for energy conservation and renewable energy generation.

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PRIZE-WINNING INITIATIVE ASC’s efforts have garnered widespread international attention. In 2011, the initiative won the European City Star Award for successfully demonstrating sustainable energy use. City Star is part of the Regio (Regional) Awards. These are handed out annually in Brussels to projects submitted by member states that serve as a shining example to other regions. ASC is the first Dutch project to win the award. A year later, the American magazine Fast Co.Exist published a ranking of Europe’s ten smartest cities, placing Amsterdam second (after Copenhagen) for its innovation in infrastructure, technology and entrepreneurship. <

In less than three years, the number of electric vehicles on the streets of Amsterdam has increased more than tenfold. With innovative new schemes taking hold – from charging stations to e-taxis – it seems the city’s future is electric text Megan Roberts

Electric dreams

Sander Ouwerkerk, CEO The New Motion. © Mike Roelofs

ELECTRIC TRANSPORT

SHARING IS CARING The electric car industry has, of course, been evangelising like this for many years, and for most drivers a world of electric cars may seem no closer now than it did in those 1960s comic books. But if there is anywhere it might work, it seems Amsterdam is that place. The fleet of plug-in electric vehicles in the Netherlands is the second highest per capita in the world (narrowly beaten again by Norway), at around 1.7 vehicles per 1,000 people: three times as many as the US and Japan, the world’s two largest electric vehicle markets by volume. Amsterdam is a remarkably compact city: within the Amsterdam ring road, you are never more than 2km from a public charging point. Along the city’s 400-year-old canals, electric vehicles silently charging at power points are becoming as common a sight as the hundreds of bridges spanning them. Meanwhile, car manufacturers from around the world – including Tesla and Nissan – have come here to test and showcase their latest electric vehicles in a notoriously forward-thinking market. Tesla not only established an assembly plant here in 2013, but also its operational headquarters and a lavish showroom on Amsterdam’s luxury shopping street, the PC Hooftstraat. ‘Tesla and the Netherlands share a similar vision surrounding energy sustainability and a clean future for generations to come,’ said George Blankenship, Tesla Motors’ former Vice President of Worldwide Sales & Ownership Experience.

‘The City of Amsterdam has realised that clean air is something that is important to society, and they have been a great partner to work with on the introduction of electric vehicles’ (Sander Ouwerkerk, CEO The New Motion) The New Motion, in short Founded in 2009 by software entrepreneur Alef Arendsen and banker Ritsaart van Montfrans, The New Motion’s stated aim is to help drivers of electric vehicles (EVs) ‘to be able to drive as many kilometres on electricity as possible using, as much as possible, electricity retrieved from renewable energy sources, eradicating fossil fuel in everyday transport’. One of the greatest challenges for pure electric vehicles is ‘range anxiety’: the fear that a battery may run dry while on the road. The New Motion has established a network of over 15,000 charging stations across the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Its product range is simple. You can buy a charging point for your home or business (costs range from €975 to €4,795; $1,100 to $5,470), which the firm claims is faster and safer than simply charging from a regular power outlet. Or, with a charge card from the firm, drivers can charge up at public charging points across the country and in parts of Europe (at around €1 per hour or €30 per hour for a fast charge; $1.14 and $34 respectively). A full regular charge takes from 2.5 to 4 hours, depending on the car model and charger hours, while a fast charge gets most EVs up to 80% in less than 30 minutes. www.thenewmotion.com

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VISION OF THE FUTURE ‘My son said the other day, “Daddy, what’s that sound the camera on your phone makes when you take a picture?” He’s never seen a normal camera. Our dream is that our kids also won’t know what it is to drive petrol cars,’ says Sander Ouwerkerk, CEO of The New Motion and evangelising advocate of electric vehicles (or EVs). His ideal sounds like a 1960s comic-book vision of the future, with cars hovering above the streets, emitting nothing worse than the low hum of their electric drive train. But in Amsterdam, hovering aside, that dream is slowly coming true. In 2013, 5.3% of all new vehicle registrations in the Netherlands were either electric or electric-and-petrol hybrids, the second highest proportion in the world, narrowly behind Norway. Part of the reason for that success is the company that Ouwerkerk runs. The New Motion has helped to create the network of over 15,000 charging points across the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany that keep the electric fleet running. A green certification plan means that any money you pay for electricity goes to sustainable energy providers. Ouwerkerk believes that the infrastructure in place here could see purely electric vehicles – excluding hybrids – account for 5% of all new vehicles sales by 2020, ‘and in the ten years after that, up to possibly 60%’.

ENABLING INNOVATION

Tesla, in short Founded in 2003 by a group of Silicon Valley engineers, Tesla Motors launched the Tesla Roadster in early 2008 as a sports car that can go from 0 to 60mph in 3.7 seconds and travel for 245 miles per charge. The premium sedan Model S arrived in 2012 to universal acclaim, receiving multiple ‘Car of the Year’ accolades. With 6,000 employees, more than 125 service centres and shops worldwide and road presence in 37 countries, Tesla opened an assembly plant in the Netherlands in 2013, as well as its operational headquarters. In June 2014, Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed that the company would be opensourcing its technology to increase the overall market for electric vehicles. www.teslamotors.com MisterGreen, in short Founded in 2008, MisterGreen was responsible for introducing the first electric vehicles to the Netherlands. A brand-independent, low-cost and full-service operational leasing company for EVs, MisterGreen also owns 25 super-charging locations next to the main highways between the five largest Dutch cities – Amsterdam, Utrecht, Eindhoven, Rotterdam and The Hague – which can be utilised for free by its operational lease clients. www.mistergreen.nl

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Car2Go, in short A subsidiary of Daimler AG and founded in Germany in 2008, Car2Go provides car-sharing services across Europe and North America, with around 12,000 vehicles serving 29 cities and 900,000 customers. In keeping with its reputation as a forwardthinking and efficient test market, Amsterdam was the first city to be serviced by an entirely electric fleet in November 2011. Car2Go provides some 300 electric Smart cars, with bookings managed via a downloadable smartphone app. The cars can be recharged at any of Amsterdam’s street charging points and, within the Amsterdam ring road, parking is free. The hourly rate is €12.90 ($14.70) and the daily rate (24 hours) €39 ($44), which includes insurance, taxes, electricity and parking fees. www.car2go.com Taxi Electric, in short Founded in 2001 by entrepreneurs Edvard Hendriksen, whose background is in telecoms, and Ruud Zandvliet, a former private equity fund manager, Taxi Electric was the first taxi company in Amsterdam to provide a fully electric fleet. In addition to minimising the environmental impact of a highly unsustainable industry, Taxi Electric also has a social enterprise element, helping the over-50s and those long excluded from the job market back into work. Within the next five years, Taxi Electric aims to offer its services in all major European cities. www.taxielectric.nl

COOPERATING FOR SUCCESS Statistics show that once people start driving electric vehicles their ‘repurchase intent’ is a staggering 95%. But for those who remain unconvinced of the benefits of going electric, Amsterdam’s EV leasing company MisterGreen is the perfect intermediary step. Responsible for introducing the first electric vehicles to the Netherlands, MisterGreen lease drivers travelled 976,000 electric kilometres in 2013. With conservative CO2 emissions averaging 100 grams per km – and with a single tree removing an average of 2.6kg of CO2 per year from the air – MisterGreen calculates that its drivers effectively planted 76,900 trees that year. And the Amsterdam municipality is keen to encourage such green-minded entrepreneurialism: the Amsterdam Climate & Energy Fund invested €2.5 million ($2.85 million) in MisterGreen last year, helping the company towards its ambition to reach 6,000 company car leases by 2016. Sander Ouwerkerk of The New Motion also confirms that a large portion of his company’s success is down to cooperation with the municipality: ‘The City of Amsterdam has realised that clean air is something that is important to society, and they have been a great partner to work with on the introduction of EVs.’ TRANSPORT OF TOMORROW, TODAY But in a compact city like Amsterdam, where most people’s main – and often only – form of transport is a bike, family cars aren’t necessarily the biggest polluters. The city’s many taxis, however, are a different story. Which is where Amsterdam’s Taxi Electric steps in, offering a fully electric fleet. And while travelling by aeroplane may not be the greenest mode of transportation, passengers landing at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol can at least get into town under pure electric power. In addition to Taxi Electric, which offers a full airport service, in late 2014 the airport introduced 167 Tesla Model S taxis, giving it the largest fleet of all-electric taxis of any airport in the world. ‘This represents a crucial step in our efforts to reduce CO2 emissions and become one of the world’s most sustainable airports,’ said Schiphol Group CEO Jos Nijhuis. Electric vehicle rental scheme Car2Go, meanwhile, straddles the ownership and rental markets. Established in Germany by automotive behemoth Daimler AG, Amsterdam was the first city to be serviced by Car2Go with an entirely electric fleet. The city’s 300-odd Smart EVs have a range that is estimated to be eight to ten times the average rental duration, effectively factoring ‘range anxiety’ out of the equation. Ouwerkerk’s electric dreams, it seems, are becoming more and more tangible. <

Clockwise from top Tesla Schiphol Taxi Tesla showroom, PC Hooftstraat Car2Go ÂŠ Elmer van der Marel

ENABLING INNOVATION

A sustainable way to fly

With biofuels emerging as an increasingly popular alternative to fossil fuels, Dutch national carrier KLM is demonstrating its industryleading clean energy credentials text Megan Roberts

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A timeline of KLM’s biofuel programme November 2009: KLM launches the world’s first successful passenger test flight operating on 50% traditional kerosene and 50% biofuel. 2009: KLM cofounds SkyNRG together with ARGOS (North Sea Petroleum) and Spring Associates. SkyNRG is now the world’s market leader for sustainable kerosene, supplying more than 15 carriers worldwide. June 2011: KLM becomes the first airline in the world to operate a series of 200 commercial flights, carrying 171 passengers, on aviation biofuels between Paris and Amsterdam. June 2012: KLM makes the world’s first-ever transatlantic flight fuelled partly by sustainable biofuels to Rio de

Janeiro. This was the longest distance that any aircraft had flown on biofuels. —The launch of the KLM Corporate BioFuel Programme offers KLM’s corporate customers the option to operate some of their air travel on sustainable biofuel. March 2013: KLM launches weekly transatlantic flights partly powered by biofuel – making the Dutch national carrier the first airline in the world to do so. The flights travel from New York’s JFK Airport to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol every Thursday for a period of six months. May 2013: KLM launches a series of biofuel flights to Aruba and Bonaire.

ENABLING INNOVATION DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE BIOFUELS According to Greenpeace, in the ten years between 1990 and 2000, emissions from aviation doubled. Figures from the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), meanwhile, show that the industry produced 705 million tonnes of CO2 in 2013. And while aviation currently accounts for a relatively small proportion of carbon emissions – around 2%-3% – with global air travel expected to expand substantially in the coming years, that percentage will increase at what is predicted to be an alarming rate. ‘Aviation will double in size worldwide in the next two decades,’ says Ignaas Caryn, Director of Innovation at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. ‘And because people will continue to fly, we need to take responsibility.’ In order to improve the sustainability of the industry – and its capacity for growth – existing jet fuel (kerosene) needs to be replaced with an alternative that produces substantially fewer emissions and can also be used in current aircraft. ATAG calculates that if commercial aviation were to get 6% of its fuel supply from biofuel by 2020, its overall carbon footprint would be reduced by 5%. KLM’s dedication to achieving greater sustainability has been confirmed by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, which has ranked KLM (together with AIR FRANCE) as industry leader in the Transport sector and the best in the Airline sector for the tenth consecutive year. KLM is structurally investing in the development of sustainable biofuels. Part of a short-term goal to integrate 1% of biofuel into all its flights by 2015 and the larger Climate Action Plan that sees the company aiming to reduce its carbon footprint by 20% in 2020 compared to 2009 levels, KLM became a joint founder of eco-efficient jet fuel supplier SkyNRG in 2010. ‘We believed the development of bio jet fuel was important, and that we couldn’t organise it within the boundaries of KLM, so we decided to come up with a new venture,’ says Caryn. ‘In the last five years, SkyNRG has supplied approximately 25 airlines and become KLM, in short involved in several biojet projects worldwide.’ KLM Royal Dutch Airlines was founded in 1919, Yet one of the criticisms levelled against producing biofuels is that making it the world’s oldest airline still operating in places where people rely on locally grown crops, it makes food under its original name. supplies even less reliable and potentially more expensive. So KLM In 2004, Air France and KLM merged to form the and SkyNRG are focusing instead on biofuel that does not create Air France-KLM Group, producing the strongest a conflict of interest in terms of the use of land for food or fuel European airline entity based on two powerful brands and hubs: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and production. One such sustainable biofuel is sourced from used cooking oil. It could result in 80% fewer CO2 emissions, KLM Paris Charles de Gaulle. In the Netherlands, KLM comprises the core of the estimates, and is among the first examples of the future range of KLM Group, which further includes KLM Cityhopsustainable alternatives for fossil kerosene. The sole remaining per, transavia.com and Martinair. KLM serves all obstacle in developing the market is the price. its destinations using a modern fleet and employs Biojet fuel is still three to four times more expensive than fossil fuel, in over 33,000 people around the world. large part because there’s no continuous production. KLM’s work with KLM is a leader in the airline industry, offering reliSkyNRG – and SkyNRG’s cooperation with airports around the world able operations and customer-oriented products to create supply chains of sustainable jet fuel – should, ultimately, bring resulting from its policy of enthusiasm and sustain- down the price. ‘With an increase in volume, we could see price parity able innovation. with fossil fuels within the next five to ten years,’ says Caryn. <

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‘KLM is a frontrunner in the development and use of sustainable biofuel to curb CO2 emissions in aviation’ (Johan van der Gronden, CEO WWF-NL)

KLM is a member of the global SkyTeam airline alliance, offering customers an extensive worldwide network. The KLM network connects the Netherlands to every important economic region in the world and, as such, serves as a powerful driver for the economy. www.klm.com

Colleen Geske

Nothing rhymes with orange

One month later I was back in town with two massive suitcases, a pair of rose-tinted glasses and endless questions. Over the years, most of my questions have been answered, but the Dutch and their unusual cultural quirks continue to fascinate. TULIP MANIA When most people think of the Dutch, they think of windmills, clogs and tulips. All very Dutch indeed – apart from the tulip, that is. The tulip’s colourful presence in the Netherlands is owed to the Ottoman Empire (by way of trade) and a Flemish botanist who discovered that the unusual flowers thrived in the harsh climate of the Lowlands. During the Golden Age, irrational enthusiasm for the flowers triggered a speculative frenzy and a spectacular market crash. Many a Dutch lost their entire life’s savings during ‘tulip mania’, yet the popularity of the tulip has stubbornly persevered.

Herring, on the other hand, is not for the faint of heart. For those brave enough to give it a try, it’s important to know that the very act of eating herring is an art in itself. To go Dutch, you must grab the fish by its tiny tail, throw back your head to a slightly uncomfortable angle and take one large bite. This delightful little performance has even the most humble Dutch person brimming with nationalistic delight. Of all the edible eccentricities, hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles) tops my list. In most countries, sprinkles are reserved for the likes of children’s birthday cakes. In the Netherlands, however, it is perfectly normal for an adult to lunch on a piece of bread covered in chocolate sprinkles. Who says you need to grow up? OUTGROWING THE COMPETITION Even with their interesting eating habits, the Dutch must be doing something right as they have literally soared above their competition. In only a century’s time, the Dutch went from being one of the shortest nations to being the tallest people on the planet. Was it a winning combination of health care, nutrition and living conditions or an evolutionary reaction to rising sea levels? One thing is sure: you will feel much shorter when visiting the Netherlands!

The cultural quirks of the Dutch certainly are endearing: keep your eyes and ears open and chances are you will encounter many an The country’s most popular dish has also oddity while in the Netherlands. Prepare to managed to stand the test of time. Stamppot, be surprised, bewildered and intrigued as you potatoes mashed with one or more vegetables experience the beauty of a new culture slowly and usually served with sausage, is said to be revealing its true colours. In this case, don’t be the oldest Dutch dish, originating in the 1600s. surprised if it’s orange. < The Dutch diet, like stamppot, is a hearty one. It may not be as refined as its French or Italian neighbours, but it still knows how to please. Nothing beats a a mound of stamppot on a crisp winter’s night.

Going Dutch Colleen Geske is the best-selling author of the book Stuff Dutch People Like, based on the popular blog of the same name. The blog’s social community now numbers over 250,000 followers. Colleen is originally from Winnipeg, Canada and has lived in Europe since 2004. When not writing, she is a communications and social media consultant. www.stuffdutchpeoplelike.com photo Robin de Puy

‘Eating herring is an art. To go Dutch, you must grab the fish by its tiny tail, throw back your head and take one large bite’

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I first arrived in Amsterdam on a cold, wet day in 2004. I had precisely three days to determine whether I was going to pack up my entire life in Canada, kiss my family and friends goodbye and move to the Lowlands for a twoyear contract at an online media company. For three days straight the rain poured and the wind howled, yet somehow, stepping out of my hotel on that second day, I knew the decision had already been made. Amsterdam had stolen my heart and it wasn’t planning on giving it back anytime soon.

life in amsterdam

‘The happiest, most productive workplace in the world’ Just as the Google search engine is geographically localised, so too are the company’s regional outposts. Uniting local heritage and the bold, primary-coloured Google aesthetic, the quirky Amsterdam office has been designed to reflect and complement the company’s unique working culture text Megan Roberts photography Alan Jensen

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life in amsterdam

THE GOOGLE OFFICE AESTHETIC The world’s most popular search engine may have started life in a California garage (as did fellow multimillion-dollar companies Disney, Amazon, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and, famously, Apple), but it was with Google’s first campus in Mountain View that a distinctly ‘Google’ office aesthetic was born. Sprawling and sunny, Google Mountain View (aka the Googleplex) is a kind of parallel-universe Stanford University – where, incidentally, founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin first met. In the London office, meanwhile, walls are plastered in Union Jacks and curvy velvet Chesterfields line the relaxation areas, while the corridors of the New York office are complete with subway grates and fire hydrants. In Amsterdam, you know from the minute you reach the reception desk – which is fashioned to look like a Dutch carrier bike – that this is not your average workspace. This playful office aesthetic may be common in the creative industries today, but back in the early Noughties, Google was one of the first multinationals to recognise – and, crucially, to act upon – the fact that a company’s performance can be directly linked to how happy people are in the workplace. Google’s quirky offices – full of ‘huddle rooms’ to encourage collaboration, recreational facilities and dedicated meditation areas – not only support the company’s image but also probably contribute to its success.

In Amsterdam, architecture bureau D/DOCK was charged with redesigning the company’s offices in the south of the city. They took as their inspiration the garage where Page and Brin began Google, daubing walls with graffiti, hanging cardboard box lights from the exposed ceilings and adding in a healthy dose of Dutch heritage. The whimsy continues – stroopwafels hang from the canteen ceiling and a meeting room comes in the guise of a vintage caravan – but meets functionality in the desk bikes, where Googlers can exercise muscle and brain simultaneously. But behind the wit, ergonomics and sustainability were paramount to the redesign. D/DOCK exclusively used non-toxic materials and designed the space with a focus on minimising energy and water consumption, up-cycling old fittings and furniture wherever possible. Huddled around a central hub of meeting rooms, micro-kitchens and video booths, every workstation is adjacent to a window, so natural light is guaranteed – not to mention 180-degree city views. Coen van Dijck, partner at D/DOCK, explains the theory: ‘It is a place that makes the employee perform better by offering a work environment that meets their needs. Happiness, comfort, flexibility, relaxation, wellbalanced nutrition, exercise, daylight, fresh air and visual stimulation are some of the fundamentals that make this office a healthy one.’ Not only healthy, but also productive, as research carried out by the University of Exeter, UK, into the psychological effects of designled workplaces, confirms. ‘Not only does office design determine whether people’s backs ache, it has the potential to affect how much they accomplish, how much initiative they take and their overall professional satisfaction,’ says researcher Professor Alex Hassam. According to a spokesperson, Google aims ‘to create the happiest, most productive workplace in the world.’ Given that they’re consistently named among the world’s best companies to work for, it seems they’re close to achieving that aim. <

Google’s quirky offices not only support the company’s image but also probably contribute to its success

Google, in short Founded in 1998 and incorporated that same year, Google (a play on the word ‘googol’, the mathematical term for a 1 followed by 100 zeros) specialises in internet-related services and products. These include online advertising technologies, search, cloud computing and software. Google went public in August 2014, and today it has more than 70 offices in over 40 countries, employing in excess of 40,000 people. Google’s mission statement from the outset was ‘to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful’. The corporation has been estimated to run more than one million servers in data centres around the world (as of 2007), and to process over one billion search requests and about 24 petabytes of user-generated data each day (as of 2009). In October 2014, Interbrand ranked Google the second most valuable brand in the world (behind Apple), with a valuation of $107.4 billion. www.google.com

life in amsterdam

Life through a lens

The Amsterdam Canals Olivares’ latest publication, The Amsterdam Canals, is a celebration of modern life in the city’s UNESCO World Heritage-protected waterways. Viewed through his lens, the history of this 400-year-old marvel of engineering is placed in the background, behind the stories of the people who live and work here. http://toalaolivares.com

Above: Bird’s-eye view of the Canal Ring, taken from near Rembrandtplein, by Cris Toala Olivares Page 36: Rembrandt Tower; Zuidas by Roel Baeckaert Page 37: Rijksmuseum by John Lewis Marshall; Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Page 38: Skaters on Keizersgracht, by Cris Toala Olivares

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Ecuadorian-born Cris Toala Olivares (1982) moved to the Netherlands at age 18 to study social work. During a volunteer job at a hospital in Gaza, he discovered the power of photography and has never looked back. Since then the award-winning photographer has travelled the world telling the stories of the traditionally voiceless.

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events in

Keukenhof It’s worth the trip out of town to experience this annual theme park of flowers. Set amid the blazing carpets of tulips in the province of South Holland, the Keukenhof is an eye-popping floral fiesta featuring parades, special shows and pavilions just waiting for your camera’s attention. This year’s inspiration is Vincent van Gogh, who died 125 years ago in July. 20 March-17 May 2015 | www.keukenhof.nl

text Megan Roberts

Self-Portrait with two Circles, 1665-’6

Late Rembrandt Experimental, uncompromising and incorporating radical technical advances: despite falling out of favour, Rembrandt produced some of his finest, most daring and intimate work in the later years of his life. In association with London’s National Gallery, the Rijksmuseum presents its first retrospective of this final, distinctive phase of the Old Master’s oeuvre, with more than 90 paintings, drawings and prints drawn from museums and private collections around the world. Until 17 May 2015 | www.rijksmuseum.nl

MICExperience This three-day networking event brings together conference and meeting planners from around the world with the Amsterdam hospitality sector, showcasing all that the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area has to offer the meetings, incentives, conferences and events industry. 22-24 April 2015 | www.iamsterdam.com

King’s Day Mark 27 April in your diary with a bright orange highlighter: amid an outpouring of national pride, live music, street markets and parties, you’ll experience an atmosphere like no other. You’ll also be treated to a sea of vivid orange as everyone and their pet is clad head-to-toe in the vibrant hue in honour of the royal family, whose affiliation with the colour dates back to William of Orange. 27 April 2015 | www.iamsterdam.com

27 King’s Day

MICExperience

April 22-24

Keukenhof

20 March17 May

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March

until 17 May Late Rembrandt

2015

Holland Festival Presenting Western and non-Western masterpieces from the worlds of dance, theatre and music since its first outing in 1947, this trend-setting performing arts festival is a sell-out year after year. As well as more traditional theatrical performances, the 2015 edition also sees a pop-opera from Japanese hologram pop star Hatsune Miku, featuring 3D anime visuals. 30 May-23 June 2015 | www.hollandfestival.nl

I AMSTERDAM STORE Providing quality information, tickets and inspiration to residents and visitors alike, the new I amsterdam store housed in the redesigned IJhal at Central Station will showcase the best Amsterdam brands. Every few weeks the collection of products in the store will focus on a different theme, kicking off with the Sail15 event this summer. It’s set to be the place to get a daily overview of what’s happening in town and be inspired by the best Amsterdam has to offer.

Open Garden Days One of the things that makes Amsterdam’s 17th-century Canal Belt so special – as recognised by its place on the UNESCO World Heritage List – is its unique configuration of waterways, houses and gardens. While the first two are clearly visible to anyone passing, the latter, the gardens, are safely tucked away out of sight. For one weekend a year, the public gets access to 30 of the most majestic of these private oases hidden behind the city’s historic canal houses, gaining a glimpse into the luxurious lifestyle of the wealthy during the Golden Age.

Robeco SummerNights During July and August, Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw hosts two months of exceptional music – from classical to jazz and from cabaret to film scores – during Robeco SummerNights. Some 80 concerts feature internationally renowned orchestras and soloists. Dates to be announced, July-August 2015 www.concertgebouw.nl/en/robeco-summernights

19-21 June 2015 | www.opentuinendagen.nl

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Robeco SummerNights

July

JulyAugust

June

19-21 Open Garden Days

Holland Festival

May

30 May23 June

Opens summer 2015 | Central Station, IJhal | www.iamsterdam.com

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events in

Sail Amsterdam 2015

IBC2015 Compulsory viewing for those in this glamorous but competitive industry, the International Broadcasting Convention attracts more than 50,000 attendees each year to Amsterdam’s mammoth RAI convention centre, and incorporates an exhibition of stateof-the-art electronic media technology – not to mention unbeatable networking opportunities. For anyone involved in the creation, management or delivery of entertainment worldwide, it’s a case of tune in or miss out.

Cruising into Amsterdam every five years, Sail sees a flotilla of tall ships, historic sailing vessels and luxury boats from around the world float along the River IJ before docking near the city centre, where they can be visited free of charge for four days. The largest nautical event in the world – and the biggest event in the Netherlands – Sail is a don’t-miss celebration of the city’s maritime heritage. 19-23 August 2015 | www.sail.nl

Haarlem Jazz City The biggest free jazz festival on the continent takes place in the historic city centre of Haarlem, a hop, skip and a jump from Amsterdam. National and international artists and DJs play jazz, funk, soul, hip hop, R&B and electro at five stages across the city, each themed by genre. 19-22 August 2015 | www.haarlemjazzandmore.nl

10-15 September 2015 | www.ibc.org

Grachtenfestival They may have one of the world’s best-loved concert halls on their doorstep, but for ten days each August, Amsterdammers young and old squash together on deckchairs lining the city’s canals or in historic private residences where they rub shoulders with the young musicians they’ve come to see perform. A unique – and uniquely accessible – celebration of both classical music and Amsterdam’s distinctive aquatic architecture, the Grachtenfestival attracts around 55,000 visitors each year. 14-23 August 2015 | www.grachtenfestival.nl

IBC

September

10-15

Sail Amsterdam 2015

19-23

Haarlem Jazz City

19-22

14-23

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Grachtenfestival

2015

Fringe Festival Ten days, 80 theatre groups, 40 locations: Fringe is the edgy, experimental, language-no-problem little sister of the annual Dutch Theatre Festival (www.tf.nl). Expect performance, live art, (music) theatre, dance and uninhibited energy. 3-13 September 2015 www.amsterdamfringefestival.nl

Amsterdam Dance Event

The world’s biggest club festival and Europe’s leading electronic music conference, Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) is a true dance lovers’ Mecca. While 1,700 worldclass DJs entertain some 300,000 clubbers by night at venues across the city, the business of future trends and technological advances takes place in broad daylight, at the conference portion.

Munch : Van Gogh A unique exhibition showing for the first time the many striking parallels in the oeuvres and artistic ambitions of kindred souls Vincent van Gogh and Edvard Munch. Seventy paintings (including Munch’s ‘The Scream’) and 30 works on paper trace the artists’ common stylistic developments and influences. 25 September 2015-17 January 2016 www.vangoghmuseum.nl

14-18 October 2015 www.amsterdam-dance-event.nl

Unseen Photo Fair This year sees the fourth edition of Unseen, ‘a photo fair with a festival flair’. More than 50 international and Dutch galleries will be showing and selling work by undiscovered talents and unseen work by established photographers. Highlights include The Unseen Collection: 80 works under €1,000 for novice collectors.

Edvard Munch, Starry Night, 1922 © The Munch Museum/Munch-Ellingsen-Gruppen/BONO 2013

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25 September17 January 2016 Munch : Van Gogh

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18-20 September 2015 | www.unseenamsterdam.com

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events in

IDFA The world’s biggest and most dynamic documentary film festival takes over cinemas and other venues in the heart of Amsterdam, bringing new perspectives on hot topics and sparking intelligent debate. All films are subtitled in English, which is great news for visitors and film industry delegates alike. 18-29 November 2015 | www.idfa.nl

Museum Night A chance to see an array of Amsterdam’s museums and cultural institutions in a completely new light, when they open their doors late into the night for a host of special events, performances and presentations, many with an anarchic edge. One passepartout ticket grants you access to all the action. 7 November 2015 | www.n8.nl

Cinekid © GJ van Rooij

Amsterdam Art Weekend An annual showcase of contemporary art in all its forms. Held over four days and 40 locations, this year’s edition features exhibitions, performances, video screenings, debates, residencies and a programme for professionals. At the heart of the weekend is the discovery of young talent.

From the childhood classics of yesteryear through the pioneering technological techniques of tomorrow, the Cinekid children’s media festival celebrates and screens the best of youth-oriented media. Cinekid for Professionals, meanwhile, is a four-day industry programme aimed at international professionals working within the field of youth media. The event brings together broadcasters, distributors, directors, academics and journalists for the opportunity to network with the sector’s leading players. 15-24 October 2015 | www.cinekid.nl

26-29 November 2015 | www.amsterdamart.com

Amsterdam Art Weekend

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IDFA

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Arrival of Sinterklaas

November

7 Museum Night

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Integrated Systems Europe The world’s best-attended tradeshow for the professional AV and electronic systems industry returns to Amsterdam RAI for three days of global new technology launches, world-class education and countless business and networking opportunities. 9-12 February 2016 | www.iseurope.org

Amsterdam Light Festival Everything is illuminated for the Amsterdam Light Festival, which sheds light on some of the city centre’s most beautiful and historical locations during six of the bleakest winter weeks. Art installations, light exhibits, a canal parade and illuminated walking routes explore and celebrate the play of light and water that so enchanted some of the city’s Golden Age artists. Dates to be announced, November 2015-January 2016 www.amsterdamlightfestival.com

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Amsterdam Sashaying into town twice a year, Amsterdam Fashion Week not only brings together the cream of the international fashion scene, but also reaches out to the general public with its DOWNTOWN programming, encompassing pop-up stores, exhibitions, fashion shows and themed walking tours.

Dates to be announced, January 2016 www.amsterdamfashionweek.com

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STCA is an important centre of expertise for catalysis research and development. A researcher prepares a catalyst for testing

SHELL R&D

Shell invests more than any other international oil and gas company in the development of innovative technology. From its stateof-the-art research centre in Amsterdam (STCA), the company expects to devote several hundred million euros a year to R&D in the Netherlands alone

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Innovation is like a contact sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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text Paul Anstiss

the business of science

Shell Technology Centre Amsterdam by night, 2010

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‘I’m always amazed at how excited people get about the idea of working and living in Amsterdam’ (Hans Peter Calis, Site Manager STCA)

CATHEDRAL TO SCIENCE The first thing that you notice when you enter the Shell Technology Centre Amsterdam (STCA) on the north bank of the IJ is its sheer size. Your eyes are lifted upwards to the vast roof that covers 80,000m2 of laboratories, test halls, workshops and offices. Even on a grey day, the light streams through the glass walls. There is a perception of space. But how could there not be in a building the equivalent area of 11 UEFA-sized football pitches? And yet this cathedral to science and modernity has an intimacy of its own, where employees are encouraged to mingle and share ideas. The building boasts its own green credentials and is virtually CO2 neutral. Temperature is controlled by an underground heat/cold storage, in combination with heat pumps that are powered by electricity generated by Shell’s wind farm in the North Sea. Although there is a decisiveness to the structure, it is amazingly informal. In reality, nothing has been left to chance. Walkways linking different parts of the building are strategically dotted with comfortable sofas and chairs. It is here that scientists and researchers rub shoulders with colleagues over a cup of coffee and the next innovative idea is conceived. Interaction between people from different disciplines, backgrounds and experience is encouraged. Site manager Hans Peter Calis (or ‘HP’ as he is generally called) says it is a far cry from Shell’s previous research centre, which was located in the same area. ‘We had a research location here with 40 or so buildings and people would come in the morning and go to their respective workplaces, do their thing and go home in the afternoon.

shell

COMMITMENT TO R&D Shell spends more than any other international oil and gas company on the development of innovative technology. STCA is one of three major Shell technology centres worldwide, and invests about $1 million a day. It’s a significant sum of money and adds up to about one quarter of the more than $1 billion that Shell spends on R&D annually. The company expects to invest several hundred million euros a year more in R&D in the Netherlands in the future. The STCA building was commissioned in 2009 and staff recently celebrated its first anniversary. HP says the fact that Shell decided not to site its new research centre elsewhere demonstrates the company’s commitment to Amsterdam as a location. He points out that a lot of thought went into the decision-making since no one builds a technology hub to last just a few years. STCA’s main purpose is to create new and innovative technology that can be applied to such things as the design of a new platform or refinery. Once the technology has been developed, the centre also supports its operation. Within Shell, STCA is known for its expertise in enhanced oil recovery, gas technology and CO2 capture and storage, hydro processing, base chemicals and alternative energy solutions such as biomass usage.

STCA is one of three major Shell technology centres worldwide, and invests about $1 million a day

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We came to realise that innovation is like a contact sport like hockey or football. It only gets fun and productive if people bump into each other. If you want people to have these chance encounters where real inspiration starts, you need to put them under one roof. In terms of connectivity, having everyone in one big building contributes enormously to the exchange of ideas.’

the business of science

INTERNATIONAL DIVERSITY Although there are only 1,000 people working on the vast site, the workforce is very international. Some 27% per cent of the staff comes from 50 different countries. While some stay for a few years, others never leave. HP says Amsterdam’s easy transport connections to Europe and the rest of the world makes it very appealing to expats. ‘If we want the best brains in the world and to attract people to a location, it needs to be an international location. Amsterdam is a very international city. It ranks high in many of the lists of places to be.’ He adds: ‘Particularly for international staff, if you want someone to move to the Netherlands you need to offer them something. Amsterdam is an attractive city in which to offer people work. I’m always amazed at how excited people get about the idea of working and living in Amsterdam.’ Such is the range of challenging and rewarding projects on offer at the technology centre that scientists from around the world are keen to work there. Converting gas into liquid form is one of the key areas of research at STCA and Shell is considered the world leader in this technology. Gas as a liquid is much easier to transport to markets around the globe. It is also cleaner and cheaper. Shell started to work on alternatives to crude oil in 1973 and built its first pilot plant in Amsterdam in 1983. Minimising CO2 emissions is part of STCA’s mission. HP says that by producing novel products, Shell can help customers become more energy efficient. ‘Electricity from gas produces half the amount of CO2 compared to producing the same amount of electricity from coal.’

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‘If we want the best brains in the world and to attract people to a location, it needs to be international. Amsterdam is a very international city. It ranks high in many of the lists of places to be’ (Hans Peter Calis, Site Manager STC)

Scientists at the research centre are also focused on converting gas into synthetic substitutes for oil products such as transportation fuels, lubricants, feedstock, biodegradable detergents, plastics, fibres or raw materials for clothing. Recently, a new fully synthetic lubricant developed at STCA was brought to the market. According to HP, it has some unique properties and the benefits can already be seen on the streets of Amsterdam. ‘Cars and trucks drive more efficiently using less fuel and producing fewer emissions. It’s a great story, showing that technology being developed over the years in Amsterdam at some point comes back as products that help the city to become cleaner. I like to call it the development of things. It’s not like we make a discovery, like something is there and you find it, you are suddenly rich or you solve all the problems of the world. It’s more like Einstein said: “One per cent inspiration and 99% perspiration.” Breakthroughs often take a long time and long commitments.’ INNOVATE OR DIE As well as being recognised as one of the key players in the international oil industry, Shell has a strong reputation for developing new technology. HP sees innovation as key to Shell’s future and warns that: ‘If we don’t keep innovating, at some point we become obsolete.’ The laboratories and workshops at STCA are well equipped and much of the machinery and test equipment is designed and built in-house. Shell was the first to use an industrial computer in its work in Amsterdam. Today, STCA boasts the first and only state-of-the-art 3D metal printer in the Netherlands. It allows technicians in the Experimental Installations Department to create their own unique specialist instruments and print parts that were previously impossible to manufacture. Products are built layer by layer from metal powder with thicknesses of 20 to 80 microns. Lasers then melt the layers into a solid whole. The technique produces almost no waste. The revolutionary piece of equipment is similar to that used by NASA to build specific parts for the latest generation of space rockets. Literally, from a rough sketch conceived and drawn up on a napkin after a chance encounter with a colleague on one of the walkways, a concept can be honed with the help of a computer-aided design program and printed overnight in metal. It’s an invaluable piece of equipment for speeding up innovation.

SHELL R&D

CLOSE COLLABORATION STCA’s influence is felt beyond Amsterdam and its employees have the opportunity to share their knowledge, expertise and equipment with several Dutch universities and institutions. They collaborate closely with Delft University of Technology, for instance, on geophysics projects such as enhanced oil recovery and fluid flow. They also collaborate with Eindhoven University of Technology and Shell’s largest research partner in the Netherlands, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO). Two projects involving the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Mauritshuis in The Hague have helped to establish the authenticity of paintings by analysing chemicals used in pigments and brushstroke techniques. One Old Master at the Mauritshuis took on a new lease of life when STCA scientists were able to identify a black substance that covered it. As a result, they were able to develop a gel to clean the painting without damaging it. HP says not only is the collaboration a great help to the museums, it allows scientists and researchers to use their skills in other ways. ‘It presents new challenges. That’s what researchers like. They need to develop new techniques and then once they’ve helped the folks in the museums, they might also be able to use those techniques in our own R&D. So it cuts both ways.’ HP says that Shell’s commitment to R&D will take it well into the next century. He acknowledges that although mankind has made great strides and become twice as energy efficient over the last half century, there is still much to do. ‘We have increased our efficiency by a factor of two. The great thing is, we can do it again. It may take another 50 years, and even if you take that into account we will still need 60% more energy than today, just because the population is increasing and people are getting more prosperous. From that perspective, that’s why we have to innovate.’

Hans Peter Calis Photo: Titia Hahne

STCA, in short Shell Technology Centre Amsterdam (STCA) was established in 2009. It is one of three major Shell technology centres worldwide and invests about $1 million a day. This amount makes up around one quarter of the more than $1 billion that Shell spends on R&D annually. The company expects to invest several hundred million euros a year more in R&D in the Netherlands in the future. Occupying 80,000m2 – equivalent to 11 UEFA-sized football pitches – STCA houses laboratories, test halls, workshops and offices. The centre’s main purpose is to create innovative technology that can be applied to such things as the design of a new platform or refinery. Once the technology has been developed, the centre also supports its operation. Within Shell, STCA is known for its expertise in enhanced oil recovery, gas technology and CO2 capture and storage, hydro processing, base chemicals and alternative energy solutions such as biomass usage.

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STCA also has its own glass-blowing laboratory, where specialist glassblowers create research instruments used in experiments that can work under 70 bars of pressure and withstand heat of 1,000 degrees Celsius. However, despite cutting-edge equipment, the scientists at STCA are equally proud of an old lathe from the 1940s that is still in use today. It was originally funded as part of the US Marshall Plan in the desperate days of shortage following the Second World War. With typical Dutch pragmatism, HP says, ‘If it’s not broken and still does the job, why replace it with something else?’ However, he adds: ‘We want to be the most innovative company in terms of the technology and products we bring to the world. To achieve that, you also need to have modern equipment. The 3D printer demonstrates once again that we want to be the first to adopt the technologies available and use them for our own benefit.’

In 1914, Shell opened a new laboratory in Amsterdam, with a staff of nine, on a site suitable for expansion

SHELL R&D

Shell in Amsterdam By the turn of the new millennium, however, it became clear that a new facility was needed to keep up with the changes in science, research and technology. To stay competitive, Shell needed to innovate. The company decided to sell most of the site for development and construct a new state-of-the-art building with all activities under one roof. In 2009, Shell’s new technology centre was officially opened in the presence of His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange. The completed building marked a new era in science and research.

Today, what was an old and seemingly chaotic industrial site is being transformed into a sustainable and innovative urban environment, with STCA playing a major part. The ‘North Amsterdam Quarter’, also known as the Overhoeks district, is now one of the places to be. Swanky apartments with private gyms and balconies that overlook the water During WWII, research activity decreased have sprung up. EYE, the iconic new film considerably. In those years, scientists apand television museum completed in 2011, plied their skills and knowledge to other beckons those from across the water who are areas such as the conversion of cars so that mesmerised by its sleek lines and sparkling they could run on gas. They also looked at white facade. how certain agents could be used to protect Yet although there is little of the past left to plants against disease. see, not everything is being brushed into the After the war, Shell expanded again and history books. The Shell tower that was once invested heavily in its research work. Techat the heart of the sprawling former research nology developed quickly and the research complex is being given a new lease of life. centre soon occupied 27 hectares. However, Currently under construction and due to the higgledy-piggledy nature of the complex reopen in mid-2015, the revamped building meant that there were few opportunities for will house two clubs, a panoramic bar with a those working there to interact. The research dance floor, a 70-metre-high sky deck, sound centre was also isolated from the local comstudios and a hotel. It will also be the headmunity by high fences and the River IJ. Many quarters of three major events organisers: people living on the southern bank didn’t ID&T, Q-dance and MassiveMusic. < even consider it to be part of Amsterdam.

What was an old and seemingly chaotic industrial site is being transformed into a sustainable and innovative urban environment, with STCA playing a major part

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Shell started its research work in 1914, in a modest building on the north bank of the River IJ. At the time, there were only nine employees and their work was limited in scope, initially focused on solving production problems. Between 1914 and 1927, Shell’s researchers concentrated their efforts on gaining a better understanding of the chemical analysis of oil and oil processes. The nature of the work in the Amsterdam research centre intensified, and in 1927 a chemistry department was built. Scientists used the facility to create nitrogen fertilisers and petroleum products. Research into soaps and agrochemicals followed. Work expanded as the number of researchers grew. Pilot plants were built and attention shifted towards discovering how the results of experimental tests could be applied to the industry.

Former Shell research laboratory, 1914

ENZA ZADEN

The Dutch are the world’s largest seed exporters. From ‘Seed Valley’, just north of Amsterdam, the family-run Enza Zaden has grown into a global enterprise that has been applying new technology to the traditional discipline for some seven decades

‘For the green industry, this is the place to be’

text Matt Farquharson photography Amke

ENZA ZADEN

‘In the 17th century, Amsterdam was the centre of the world. Seed Valley was the supplier of Amsterdam’s vegetables, beans and so on, which were transported by boat down to the city’ (Jaap Mazereeuw, MD Enza Zaden)

and development, making it as much about science graduates in lab coats as agriculturalists in overalls. ‘To develop a new variety takes seven to 12 years. We introduce 150 new varieties each year, so there is a constant pipeline of innovation,’ says Mazereeuw. The firm doesn’t genetically modify its seeds, but relies on ‘classic breeding’, whereby two or more types of plant are bred together to see what benefits can be extracted. This is combined with modern, highly advanced technology to make the breeding processes a lot faster and more efficient. ‘We spend a lot of research on resisting pests and disease. In Holland, growers strive to minimise the use of HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE pesticides. We do a lot on resistance breeding to improve To understand what he means, it’s helpful to explore the product quality and prevent crop loss. We also put a lot main Enza Zaden site. Past the small fleet of Opel Ampera of research into taste, because there’s no such thing as hybrid cars, and the facilities for generating electricity from a “good taste”. Tastes vary per region, but also through water, are greenhouses and packaging stations. your life. We provide choices.’ Mazereeuw picks out a small hessian sack that holds about Perfecting those choices is a complex business. Mazera kilo of tomato seeds and is worth about the same as a car. eeuw estimates that as few as 2% of trials result in a seed ‘But that’s not the whole story,’ he says. ‘That seed that goes to market. maybe took ten years of research and €3 million ($3.4 ‘All the knowledge is in the genetics and the seed is the million) to develop. And in the end, every seed will give package,’ he says. ‘It has to do with yield consistency, 35kg of tomatoes. There’s a lot of food in here.’ reliability and consistency against environmental stress. The production of seeds is a high-tech business. Enza Every market has its own needs. We have 1,000 varieties Zaden spends around 30% of its turnover on research and each line is tailor-made. They vary a lot for climate, soil, disease, temperature, hours of daylight, whether grown in soil or a greenhouse. And for the consumer, it’s about health, taste, no pesticides and long shelf life.’

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TEACHING THE WORLD TO GROW FOOD A little way north of Amsterdam there is a peninsula of green fields that juts into the still, blue IJsselmeer lake. Its microclimate protects the land from the harshest heat or the coldest frosts, and the open ground gets lots of light. Despite being pretty flat, it is known as ‘Seed Valley’. Because much like Silicon Valley in the US teaches the world about the possibilities of new technology, for 400 years, Seed Valley has been teaching the world to grow food. ‘In the 17th century, Amsterdam was the centre of the world,’ says Jaap Mazereeuw, the MD of vegetable breeding company Enza Zaden. He is referring to the Dutch Golden Age, when Dutch art, science and trade reigned supreme. ‘Seed Valley was the supplier of Amsterdam’s vegetables, beans and so on, which were transported by boat down to the city. Then people needed seeds. The construction of the Enkhuizen-Amsterdam railway contributed to Enkhuizen’s development until it became a centre for seed trade and seed cultivation, the Seed Valley of today.’ The Dutch are now the world’s largest exporters of seeds, be they for fruit, vegetables or flowers, and the business brings in about €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) annually. Every year, around 40% of the planet’s new varieties of horticulture seed comes from the Netherlands, and many come from this special slip of land. Mazereeuw has worked this soil for decades. ‘As a child, I always had a hobby garden,’ he says. ‘I sold vegetables to the neighbours when I was ten.’ Those youthful green fingers are perhaps unsurprising, given that his grandfather founded Enza Zaden in 1938. ‘The love for plants was already there. I think it was genetic,’ he says, laughing. Enza Zaden is a family business that has grown into a global force, and Jaap is the third generation of Mazereeuw to be in charge. It now has subsidiaries in 22 countries and about 1,500 staff. The firm is part of a cluster of agricultural expertise in the region that Mazereeuw reckons is ‘the Champions League standard of horticultural development’.

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‘In Holland, growers strive to minimise the use of pesticides. We do a lot on resistance breeding to improve product quality and prevent crop loss’ (Jaap Mazereeuw, MD Enza Zaden)

Enza Zaden, in short Jacob Mazereeuw founded Enza Zaden in 1938 in Enkhuizen, a small town a short drive from Amsterdam. In 1959 his son Piet joined the company to start Enza Zaden’s breeding activities. His original greenhouse with its whitepainted steel and glass, still sits on the site of what is now a global enterprise with 1,500 staff and some of the world’s best vegetable breeding talent. Today, it is run by Jacob’s grandson, Jaap. For its first 20 years, Enza Zaden focused solely on producing and selling seeds. In the early 1960s, Piet began breeding schemes and soon made a breakthrough with the highly popular Extase variety of tomato. Today, the firm spends about 30% of its turnover on research and development. It sticks to ‘classical breeding’ – that is, breeding together two or more varieties to try and extract something new – without genetic breeding modifications. This is combined with modern, highly advanced technology to make the breeding processes faster and more efficient. Its main breeding programmes include tomato, cucumber, sweet pepper and leafy green vegetables. Varieties are bred for taste, disease resistance, higher yield and different climatic and soil demands, and the firm has around 1,000 different varieties. It has subsidiaries on every continent and seed production sites around the world. It was a founder of the Seed Valley partnership of horticulture firms, which focuses on educational programmes, guiding government policy and advising Dutch academic institutions on the talent needs of this high-tech industry. www.enzazaden.com

A MULTI-LOCAL BUSINESS Mazereeuw describes his business as ‘multi-local’. While most of the research happens in North Holland, product development is driven by demand in the firm’s breeding centres around the world. He gives the humble cucumber as an example: ‘In the Middle East it’s short – about 18cm. In Europe it’s about 30cm, but in China it’s 35cm with spines, and in South East Asia it’s green and white. The uses are also different: we use it in salads; in Asia they use it in cooking.’ For Europe, vegetable variety development tends to focus on taste. Enza Zaden has a green pepper, for instance, that matches the full taste of a more ripened red pepper, but keeps its colour to fit perfectly with the red, yellow and green ‘traffic light’ packs popular with consumers. In Africa and Asia, with growing populations, larger distances from farm to table and more extreme weather, the shelf life and reliability of production become more important. ‘In Indonesia, we have sold seeds to 1.1 million farmers who have seen their incomes rise 20 times because of better yield and reliability,’ says Mazereeuw. But this kind of expertise requires a steady stream of talent. Firms in this cluster are reckoned to be growing by around 7% per year, and in the case of Enza Zaden, ‘every year we need 100 new people,’ says Mazereeuw. His firm is one of the founders of the Seed Valley organisation, which brings together local flower, fruit and vegetable seed producers. With the help of government funding, they appointed a professor of quantitative genetics at the University of Amsterdam, and have helped launch a bachelor’s degree in green biotechnology. ‘Seed Valley’s mission is to strengthen the economic position and anchor the cluster in North Holland. The Seed Valley Foundation achieves that in part by investing in the cluster’s image, which begins in the classroom,’ says Mazereeuw. Alongside higher education, the industry supports vocational courses and school visits. ‘We want to show that it’s not just dirty work, but it’s high-tech: we have robots and gene sequencers.’ Enza Zaden and others help formulate curriculums and there is open discussion between the industry, government and academic community. That level of advanced thinking is part of what makes Dutch seed companies the best in the world. ‘For the green industry,’ says Mazereeuw, ‘this is the place to be.’ <

yakult

In the city of Almere, famously built on land won from the sea, the Japanese firm Yakult built its European headquarters to profit from the high quality of Dutch water and milk, the ease of doing business and the quality of living. Tomoyuki Sako, Managing Director of Yakult Europe, explains

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This is quite an easy place to liveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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text Paul Anstiss photography Mark Horn

the business of science

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‘When I came here again it felt almost like a homecoming. So I think that shows that I feel very comfortable here’

Japanese communities in Amsterdam With some 350 Japanese companies – including multinationals such as Hitachi, Yakult, Yamaha and Mitsubishi – based here, the Amsterdam Area is home to just under 1,000 Japanese expatriates. The region has a wealth of dedicated Japanesespeaking service providers, such as tax advisors, estate agents and employment lawyers, as well as services and locations tailored specifically to Japanese expats, such as specialised medical care and Japanese schools. The Amsterdam Area also hosts a variety of Japanese cultural events, including the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Amstelveen and the J-Dream Cup football tournament. The Rijksmuseum’s Asian Pavilion houses a rich collection of art brought together from Japan, China, Indonesia, India, Vietnam and Thailand and dating from the period between 2000BC and 2000AC. In winter 2015, the exhibition Asia in Amsterdam, will present the exotic treasures – porcelain, lacquer ware, ebony, ivory and silk – that arrived in the Dutch Republic as a result of lucrative trade agreements made between the Netherlands and Asia at the start of the Golden Age (17 October 2015-17 January 2016; www.rijksmuseum.nl). Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, meanwhile, operates direct flights to three Japanese cities (Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka). In 2013, Japanese imports to the value of €8.4 billion ($9.5 billion) entered the Netherlands, which acts as a transit port for goods from Japan entering Europe, and Japan remains the Netherlands’ most important trading partner in Asia.

DUTCH HOMECOMING Yakult Europe’s Managing Director Dr Tomoyuki Sako likes Amsterdam so much that he’s now on his second posting to the country. The first time he came to the Netherlands, it was as a scientist in 1997. He stayed for four years. In 2009 he returned as chief scientist but a year ago he was appointed to his current job as the man whose mission is to promote Yakult’s probiotic health drink in Europe. Despite being a long way from Japan, Mr Sako says that he and his family are happy to be here: ‘When I got my second posting here, I didn’t expect it because it’s not usual for Yakult to send someone to the same place twice. When I came here again it felt almost like a homecoming. So I think that shows that I feel very comfortable here.’ SPEAKING ENGLISH BREAKS DOWN BARRIERS For Mr Sako, the fact that many Dutch people also speak English means that communicating is easier – not just for business, but for making friends. Japanese business people often learn English and sharing the international language of business helps to break down barriers. ‘To me, in the Netherlands, at least I can use English to talk to people and neighbours as well. I don’t feel any problem with communication. But if we go to Germany not so many people speak English and in France barely anyone at all. So the Netherlands is quite an easy place to live.’ However, being able to use a common international language is not the only reason why Yakult chose the Netherlands as the place to build its European headquarters. THE RIGHT WATER According to Mr Sako, the country also has the right kind of water needed to make Yakult. ‘Sometimes the quality of the water influences the fermentation efficiency needed to produce Yakult. But it’s not just water; the Dutch also have an established dairy industry. These are important factors for us when it comes to producing a good quality product.’ Mr Sako is very open about the fact that he is first and foremost a scientist, and being Managing Director of Yakult’s European operations has taken him out of his comfort zone and he is learning on the job. He now oversees all of Yakult’s activities in Europe, including sales and marketing.

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A SCIENTIST AT HEART Yakult’s factory is situated in Almere, about 30 kilometres east of Amsterdam. As he walks around the laboratories and production area it is easy to see that Mr Sako has a real affinity for the science behind every bottle of the probiotic drink. As he says, it’s a little bottle with a big story. The first bottle of Yakult came on to the Japanese market 80 years ago after years of research by Japanese scientist and founder of the company, Dr Minoru Shirota. The drink was first produced at the European factory in Almere in 1994. It now produces around 600,000 bottles every day, and constant testing by scientists ensures that the culture of healthy bacteria found in a bottle of Yakult sold in Europe is the same as that sold in Japan. Each Yakult drink contains 6.5 billion Lactobacillus casei Shirota bacteria. According to Mr Sako, the Dutch drink more of it on a regular basis than anywhere else in Europe. Today the plant employs around 120 people including scientists involved in setting up clinical studies with hospitals and universities. In order to satisfy the stringent demands made by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), it is their job to make sure that the product’s claims stand up to scrutiny. Mr Sako says the clinical trials play an important role in the work carried out at the Dutch site. ‘Yakult is known for the probiotics that influence your gut microbiota. The gut is key to our science activity.’ Yakult Europe, in short • 1930 Dr Minoru Shirota discovered a unique strain of lactic acid bacteria that was robust enough to survive through the intestines. It is known as Lactobacillus casei Shirota • 1935: the first bottle of Yakult containing the bacteria was produced in Japan • 1994: Yakult Europe started a production plant in Almere, Netherlands (30 kilometres east of Amsterdam). The site was chosen for its central location and easy distribution to the rest of Europe • The Netherlands was chosen as the first coun try in Europe to start selling Yakult. The Dutch are well known for their love and knowledge of dairy products • Almere has the best quality of water for fermentation to take place • Yakult Europe produces 600,000 bottles of Yakult every day • Each Yakult drink contains 6.5 billion Lactoba- cillus casei Shirota bacteria • Yakult markets to 11 countries in Europe • Each year around 10,000 people visit the factory in Almere to experience the corporate story and see the actual production of Yakult • In 2009 the factory in Almere received its 100,000th visitor

TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE AIDS EXPANSION Mr Sako is hesitant to give too much away, but he acknowledges that there are plans to expand operations in Europe and he sees Yakult’s plant in Almere as playing a major role. He admits that the European market is a tough nut to crack and establishing an effective distribution network is not easy. Yakult is currently marketed in 11 countries across the continent. Mr Sako says Amsterdam’s transport infrastructure, centred around the Port of Amsterdam and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, makes it easier to do business from the Netherlands. He says the support of the Dutch government and other official agencies have made it easier for the Japanese company to become established in the Netherlands. For its part, Yakult is actively engaged in Dutch cultural life and sponsors the acclaimed Dutch Philharmonic Orchestra and the Van Gogh Museum. It also sponsors Almere’s annual festival and classical concert in the harbour. Mr Sako says cultural activity is a good way for the company to establish its presence in society, introduce people to its brand and make friends. Mr Sako says Yakult’s mission is to contribute not only to people’s health but also to their happiness. <

The AmsterdamJapan connection (Source: Japan-Amsterdam Historical Ties, published by the City of Amsterdam, Amsterdam City Archives, amsterdam in business and Amsterdam Marketing)

More than 400 years ago, in 1598, five ships sailed from the Netherlands to Asia via the southern tip of South America. The expedition did not go well: three ships were wrecked, one returned to Dutch waters and the final ship was stranded on the Japanese island of Kyushu. The crew was so exhausted and decimated by disease that only a few were able to go ashore. Shortly before its departure, the stranded ship was renamed Liefde (love), which seems to have had a symbolically predictive value: the curiosity and affection that arose between the Japanese and the Dutch proved mutual and lasting. The exchange of knowledge began in the 17th century and Amsterdam physician and merchant Isaac Titsingh played an important role. For several years he was chief agent in Deshima, a small fan-shaped artificial island built in the bay of Nagasaki in 1634 and used by the Dutch as a trading post from 1641 until 1853. Thanks to his personality and influential connections, Titsingh soon established a dynamic relationship with several influential Japanese scholars, enabling him to collect extensive material about the country’s rich customs and culture.

In this way, Titsingh created the first European collection of Japanese cultural and scientific artefacts. In exchange, he imported Dutch books containing European knowledge on various subjects into Japan. He also wrote several books about his stay in Japan, expressing his respect for ancient Japanese culture and civilisation. In Japan, Titsingh’s knowledge exchange allowed Japan to keep abreast of Western technology and medicine during the isolationist period, and resulted in the practice of Rangaku – literally, ‘Dutch study’. Fast forward a few centuries, and in 1963 the first Japanese company opened a branch in Amsterdam. From the beginning, the director built an excellent relationship with officials from the municipality of Amsterdam, who went to much trouble to not only ensure that the company had a good start in Amsterdam, but who also helped the president and his family find a good home. Since then, many more Japanese companies have found their way to the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, and the provisions for the Japanese community in Amsterdam and Amstelveen are impressive and varied. <

View of the island of Deshima in the bay of Nagasakiby Kawahara Keiga, 1800-1850. Collection Scheepvaartmuseum Amsterdam

Equinix AM3 data cantre. ÂŠ Martin van Welzen

sciEncE parK

Where business and science meet

Home to 120 companies – from start-ups to multinationals – Amsterdam Science Park is a thriving hub for scientiﬁc research, education and entrepreneurship text Megan Roberts portraits Amke

the business of science

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1&12 Ventures, in short Start-ups Amsterdam Scientific Instruments and Omics2Image are spin-offs of the renowned NWO/ FOM physics research institutes AMOLF and Nikhef. Under the umbrella company Particle Physics Inside Products (a joint venture between the aforementioned research institutes and active angel investor 1&12 Investment Partners), these companies are developing state-of-the-art imaging instruments for research and bio-medical applications. Says Hans Roeland Poolman, Director of 1&12 Investment Partners (pictured), ‘One of the megatrends in the coming decades is the shifting focus in health, wellness and wellbeing to the individual patient. Our proprietary technology platform allows the production of next-generation radiation cameras. We provide high-sensitivity solutions for sharper and faster imaging, which enable scientists and product developers in industries such as life sciences or manufacturing to produce high-impact discoveries.’ www.1and12.biz

MonetDB Solutions, in short MonetDB Solutions is a high-tech consulting company specialised in innovative database technologies for business data analytics. It was co-founded in 2013 by four researchers from Amsterdam Science Park’s CWI, the national research institute for mathematics and computer science. Co-founder Martin Kersten (pictured) received the prestigious ACM SIGMOD Edgar F Codd Innovations Award in 2014. ‘We want to expand MonetDB Solutions into a healthy and stable company, which is known for its innovation and its bridging function between research and industry,’ says Ying Zhang, Manager Research & Development (pictured). ‘We want the core product, MonetDB, to become the open-source column-based database system. MonetDB Solutions offers highly competitive alternatives for customers who currently use products from, for example, IBM, Oracle and SAP.’ MonetDB Solutions’ first major product, the MonetDB integration with the R statistical software suite, will be available globally on the Amazon Web Service Marketplace in 2015. www.monetdbsolutions.com

A VIBRANT START-UP SCENE In November 2013, Wired Magazine named Amsterdam one of the most buzzworthy start-up scenes in the world, and a hotspot in Europe for tech start-ups. A concentration of the city’s most successful tech and science start-ups can be found at the Amsterdam Science Park. This 70-hectare polder – bigger than 98 football pitches – is home to the largest concentration of beta sciences in Europe. It’s also where the University of Amsterdam Faculty of Science and the Amsterdam University College have their campuses. Dozens of renowned research institutes and companies in the fields of science, physics, chemistry, ICT/ infrastructure, green life sciences and advanced instrumentation all add to the innovative melting pot. SUCCESS STORIES Among the many success stories at Amsterdam Science Park, ACE Venture Lab, founded in 2013 as a collaborative enterprise between Amsterdam’s universities and MIT Stanford, is playing a key role. Some of the companies this science and technology incubator nurtures have grown by a staggering 300% in the last year. In October 2014, it was announced that Photanol, a cleantech corporate spin-off of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) also based at Amsterdam Science Park, and AkzoNobel will collaborate to develop technology that converts CO2 into valuable organic compounds with the use of engineered bacteria and sunlight. These ‘green’ building blocks will eventually replace raw materials that AkzoNobel currently obtains from fossil-based production. Another Amsterdam Science Park start-up and UvA spinoff, Euvision is a specialist in image recognition applications powered by artificial intelligence. It was recently acquired by Qualcomm, an American producer of 3G, 4G and next-generation mobile chips, for an undisclosed sum that runs in the tens of millions of euros. AGC Chemicals, the chemical division of the multinational Asahi Glass Co, has also announced that it is expanding its European branch with a new technical centre at Amsterdam Science Park. The company specialises in manufacturing and marketing fluoropolymers and fluorochemicals to the EMEA region. The technical centre supports customers of fluorine and speciality chemicals and will be operational from early 2015. Like a microcosm of Amsterdam Science Park, the Ad-

sciEncE parK

EXCEPTIONAL CONNECTIVITY As one of the most densely cabled locations in Europe, Amsterdam Science Park is currently home to more than 150 network hubs. It also houses internet exchanges such as AMS-IX, the largest data transport hub in the world, known for its superior quality and low costs, and NL-ix (Netherlands Internet Exchange). Amsterdam Science Park is capable of reaching 80% of customers in Europe within 50 milliseconds. Among the companies taking advantage of this exceptional connectivity is CWI, the national research institute for mathematics and computer science. CWI was the birthplace of the European internet, and also invented the popular and internationally used programming language Python. The national supercomputer Cartesius is based at SURFsara, also at Amsterdam Science Park. Used for research in various areas – including clean energy, climate change, water management, noise reduction and improvement of medical treatments, it is one of the most powerful – and one of the greenest – computer systems in the Netherlands. SURFsara offers an integrated ICT research infrastructure for academia and industry, providing services in the areas of high-performance and grid computing, data storage, visualisation, networking, cloud and e-science. <

scyfer, in short Specialising in deep neural networks, Scyfer bridges the gap between the existing knowledge of machine learning in the academic world and the companies seeking to maximise the business value of big data. Using state-of-the-art modelling techniques to analyse millions of variables and data points, Scyfer has improved current predictive models by up to 20%. These models can be used to predict buying behaviour and determine supply and demand. Exciting applications in medicine (brain scans) and security (image recognition) are also being explored. ‘What makes Scyfer unique is that it can handle an unlimited number of variables,’ says General Manager Jörgen Sandig (pictured). ‘Moreover, we perform most data analyses on a laptop. This means that companies don’t need to make major IT investments in order to use our technology and start to benefit from their data.’ A University of Amsterdam spin-off, Scyfer was named ‘most valuable concept for the future high-tech industry’ at the Accenture Innovation Awards Best of High Tech 2014. www.scyfer.nl

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vanced Research Center for Nanolithography (ARCNL) is a unique collaboration between science and business. Officially opened in November 2014, ARCNL is a public-private partnership between the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM), UvA, the VU University Amsterdam and the semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML. ARCNL focuses on the fundamental physics involved in current and future key technologies in nanolithography, primarily for the semiconductor industry. ARCNL’s strategic position at Amsterdam Science Park sees it embedded among other pioneering researchers in a stimulating environment for cooperation, collaboration and the exchange of ideas.

Metrica sports, in short Part of ACE Venture Lab, Metrica Sports is a football data consulting company focused on helping football clubs improve performance through tailor-made data and video analysis software. Bruno Dagnino (pictured), who has a PhD in cognitive neuroscience, is one of three co-founders. ‘Metrica started as a hobby just because we love football,’ Dagnino explains. ‘Then it became a project on the side and almost without noticing we were a real company! We realised a lot of companies provided football clubs with tons of data and one-size-fits-all solutions, but there wasn’t a good way to take advantage of all that data. Villarreal FC [Spanish First Division] became our first customer. Having a club with their history and trajectory is without doubt our greatest accomplishment so far. Now we’re talking with several coaches and analysts across Europe with the goal of developing top-quality products that will fit their needs and establish Metrica Sports as a leading model for tactical football analysis.’ www.metrica-sports.com

illustration: Rob de Wit (Art Box)

the business of science

Photanol BV biotechnologybased production of commercial organic chemicals, including biofuels

Outside the picture on the left: IJburg The cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new residential district, built on reclaimed land with 18,000 houses and 45,000 citizens

EQUINIX AM3 Data centre

GREENHOUSE University of Amsterdam

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Ring Road A10 TO BE DEVELOPED 155,000m2

HOTEL AND CONFERENCE FACILITIES 200 rooms; 2,500m2 conference space

MATRIX INNOVATION CENTER Multi-tenant buildings for ICT and life sciences

MATRIX VI 6,000m2 multi-tenant building, with lab space and offices

(student) HOUSING

UNIVERSITY SPORT CENTRE With Café Restaurant De Oerknal

NIKON INSTRUMENTS EUROPE Centre of Excellence

NIKHEF National Institute For Subatomic Physics VENTURE LAB AMSTERDAM AMSTERDAM SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS

AMS-IX TRAIN STATION Amsterdam Central: 10 min Schiphol Airport: 30 min

BLUEBUBBLELAB SURFSARA NETHERLANDS ESCIENCE CENTER

1&12 VENTURES CWI Dutch National Research Centre for Mathematics and Computer Sciences

AMOLF Dutch institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics

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FACULTY OF SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF AMSTERDAM 4,000 students

CAFÉ RESTAURANT POLDER

AMSTERDAM UNIVERSITY COLLEGE 900 students

start-up city

StartupDelta is strengthening the position of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area as a breeding ground for new business. It is good for the start-ups, good for the many established companies and good for the region’s business climate

‘This is the era of the disruptive economy’

text Hans Kops photography Duco de Vries

start-up city

Does this mark a break from the business development policy pursued to date? ‘No, it’s complementary. We will continue our efforts to attract existing companies to Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands. Their presence is itself a precondition for an attractive start-up climate, as they help create an ecosystem that facilitates fast growth. And, vice versa, businesses that are already established here want to be challenged and like to be located in environments where new ideas grow and business models develop. As local government, we are aware of this and want to bring as many innovative people and their business ideas to Amsterdam as possible. StartupDelta is a highly suitable vehicle for this.’

The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area is the fourth most competitive urban agglomeration in the world, according to PwC

SEAMLESS AMBITION Participation in the StartupDelta fits seamlessly with the ambition of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area to be among the top four urban agglomerations expected to be Europe’s growth centres in 2030. Ten years ago, the economic policymakers that preceded Ollongren developed a policy aimed at turning the Dutch capital into a centre of administrative and economic innovation. One way to achieve that ambition is by ensuring there is enough input of new ideas and entrepreneurship. ‘This is the era of the disruptive economy: changes happen within a few years, and sometimes even faster. Business models can also prove obsolete from one day to the next due to market developments or because an online provider can do it cheaper and faster. So continuity nowadays requires continuous innovation. As the municipal government, this means we have to pursue a twin-track policy when it comes to business development: to remain attractive for established businesses, while at the same time ensuring that enough new businesses and start-ups come to the area. They create the dynamism needed to keep the ecosystem healthy. ‘Amsterdam has an edge in these economic relationships. Internationally, we have a reputation as a place where people from different cultures and nationalities want to live and work. It’s no accident that footloose businesses have set up their head offices in the heart of Amsterdam. Eighty per cent of the people who make a difference for them are from abroad and want to work for them because they are located here. This also enhances the international nature of the city, making it even more attractive for other talented people. Add to this the fact that the region has the world’s second highest broadband density, that Schiphol and flights to the rest of the world can be reached within 30 minutes from the city centre and that Amsterdam is an affordable and culturally interesting place to live, and it’s clear that the city has a very clear competitive edge as a location in these new economic relationships.’ Is government intervention really necessary in such a naturally favourable business climate? ‘We restrict our activities to making the preconditions as attractive as possible. By removing obstacles and creating an environment in which businesses, knowledge institutions and capital providers can find each other, we make

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CHALLENGING THE ECONOMIC ORDER Amsterdam’s aim is to be the leading international breeding ground for start-ups, where innovative business models and technologies and the most talented people from across the globe come together to grow – faster than anywhere else – into companies that challenge and enrich the existing economic order. That is the highly ambitious objective of the Amsterdam edition of StartupDelta, says Kajsa Ollongren, the alderwoman in charge of the Dutch capital’s economic affairs and an enthusiastic ambassador of the project. ‘StartupDelta is in many respects a very special initiative,’ says Ollongren, from her office overlooking a city that has always been a ‘warehouse’ for groundbreaking ideas and companies. ‘This is a new policy approach for the Netherlands. The project has been conceived and developed at department level and is also receiving funding from The Hague. Innovation hubs have been set up in ten different locations around the country, making this the largest support network for start-ups in Europe. As the local authority, we immediately saw the potential in this and made additional funds available, so that the Amsterdam hub – StartupAmsterdam – can have the most comfortable start possible.’ Amsterdam also plays a vital role in this network. ‘We are a strong brand and have a reputation as an international meeting place. These are key conditions for successfully taking on the competition from other interesting clusters for start-ups, such as Tech City in London. What’s more, I think the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area – certainly in combination with other knowledge clusters in the Netherlands – has more creative and innovative capacity and is thus a potentially richer source for start-ups. I see it as the ultimate challenge to bring these advantages within reach of young entrepreneurs both from the Netherlands and abroad.’

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‘Innovation hubs have been set up in ten different locations, making this the largest support network for start-ups in Europe’ (Kajsa Ollongren, Amsterdam alderwoman and Deputy Mayor)

it easier for start-ups to mature and grow into profitable drivers of employment and innovation. This is good for the future prosperity and well-being of the Netherlands. As a local government, you can never do enough to be instrumental in such developments.’

Kajsa Ollongren, in short Kajsa Ollongren (1967) has been responsible for the Economic Affairs and Art & Culture portfolios in the newly formed Municipal Executive since the summer of 2014. As Deputy Mayor, the Democrat also stands in for the Mayor in his absence. Previously, as SecretaryGeneral to the Ministry of General Affairs, Ollongren was the highest-ranking civil servant in the Netherlands and the right hand of Prime Minister Mark Rutte. In 2011, this position of trust earned her the title Most Influential Woman in the Netherlands.

EUROPEAN START-UP PARADISE Amsterdam has many successful incubators like Rockstart and Spaces Amsterdam (see pages 86-93). Why does it need another start-up platform? ‘We add to these. It is thanks to breeding grounds like Rockstart and Spaces that highly successful start-ups such as Peerby (a digital borrowing platform), Nimbuzz (a messaging service) and Blendle (a type of Spotify for news articles) have developed and thrived. But there’s also a need for a party that operates on a national scale and that looks after both public and private interests. And that is exactly what this initiative adds to the incubator network in the Metropolitan Area. It has been received with enthusiasm and is actively supported by all of the parties that have long been advocates of start-ups in the area. ‘Thanks to the StartupDelta network, participating businesses now have access to other knowledge clusters in the Netherlands as well. These include the Eindhoven area, which excels in the field of mechatronics applications; Wageningen, a global leader in the field of life sciences; Delft, a scientific hotspot for civil engineering and water management; and Leiden, which duels with Cambridge as the European hub for new developments in bioscience. Combining the strength and reputation of Amsterdam with these clusters of companies and scientific institutions creates fantastic innovation and entrepreneurial potential. If we can interest even more foreign entrepreneurial talent in this, we will be able to compete against London and Berlin as a European startup paradise.’

Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, in short The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area is the fourth most competitive urban agglomeration in the world (after London, New York and Singapore) according to the study ‘Amsterdam, a City of Opportunity’ by PwC. The area excels in the quality of its health care, safety, sustainability, liveability, international orientation of the working population, stable political and business climate, interconnectivity and high level of willingness to change. Foreign entrepreneurs experience the legal obstacles on the labour market (the law on dismissal), the many laws and regulations with which businesses have to comply and the congestion issues as downsides. These are also the action points for the Dutch government and Amsterdam’s municipal government.

In line with this ambition, former EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes has been appointed special envoy. ‘We are certainly very proud that she is the figurehead of this initiative. During her tenure as EU Commissioner for Competition and European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes had an enormous network and gained extensive expertise in digital transformation. She is known to almost all the CEOs of large companies across the world and has free access to most politicians in Europe and beyond. As such, she has many valuable means of accessing most of the networks that are relevant for our start-ups. She was also responsible for the European policy aimed at the digitisation of society and the economy. From that perspective, she also understands what start-ups need. We gave her and her staff carte blanche to develop StartupAmsterdam into a valuable knowledge and support platform for start-ups and all of the parties that contribute to their endeavours.’ <

start-up city

Amsterdam’s annual Next Web Conference has become a Mecca for some of the most promising tech start-ups and inspiring brands on the planet. It has also helped to cement Amsterdam’s reputation as a magnet for entrepreneurs and influencers

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text Paul Anstiss

‘Forget New York. If you can make it in Amsterdam, you can make it anywhere’

Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten, founder The Next Web. ÂŠ Julia de Boer

start-up city

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‘Amsterdam is a great test market. Dutch people are very eager to try out new things’ (Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten, founder The Next Web

The Next Web, in short The Next Web is widely known for its media outfit thenextweb.com, which delivers an original perspective on remarkable technology news and developments, attracting 7 million readers per month. The Next Web events base organises The Next Web Conferences in Europe, the US and Latin America, unconventional business events which are a must-attend for web enthusiasts and tech companies around the globe. On 23-24 April 2015, The Next Web Conference celebrates its tenth anniversary in Amsterdam. Up to 4,000 people are expected to attend the two-day event, where they will discuss the latest web trends, learn about best business practices and meet the world’s technology and innovation influencers. In 2014, The Next Web launched Boost, a programme dedicated to accelerating the growth of early-stage start-ups from around the world. Successful applicants are invited to launch their new products and services for €1,500 ($17,000) in the conference’s business area. There they will benefit from exposure, expert feedback and access to funding. TNW Amsterdam – April 2015 TNW New York – November 2015 www.thenextweb.com/conference

a forum for technology influencers This April, some 4,000 entrepreneurs from around the world will gather in Amsterdam for the tenth Next Web Conference. Long before any speakers were even announced, tickets to the two-day event were already selling fast. Founder and organiser Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten is amazed at how the conference has become a forum for the world’s technology and innovation influencers to do business, share ideas and discuss the latest in web trends. He says hosting the event has put Amsterdam on the map for tech start-ups. ‘It shows that we have been able to find a particular tone of voice, a certain quality that attracts people. But it wasn’t always like that. I remember the first three or four events when it felt like every ticket I sold I had to talk to 20 people and beg them to come. Today, visitors have come to expect quality from us and they can depend on it being a good event with international allure. We’ve brought the event to Sao Paolo and New York, which was a logical step for us since Brazil is an important emerging market and New York has the biggest readership of our media outfit, thenextweb.com.’ He adds: ‘I think we charge about one fourth of what other conferences charge, so it’s very cheap. This is a very inspiring event where you have 3,000-4,000 of your peers coming together. The money that you will save on visiting these people in their own countries is enough to make the ticket worthwhile.’ APPEAL OF DUTCH INFORMALITY One of the things that makes the Amsterdam conference so appealing is its informality. The organisers’ aim is to make those who attend feel like they are more than just a member of the audience. Unlike other events, speakers at The Next Web Conference are encouraged to mingle, even shaking cocktails and pouring coffee in the Speaker Bar as they field questions and share ideas. Although some speakers stay for only 20 minutes, others have been known to linger for up to six hours talking to delegates. Veldhuijzen van Zanten says it’s all about personalising the event. Being different underlies much of what makes Amsterdam such an attractive place for tech entrepreneurs, not only to visit but to set up base. Veldhuijzen van Zanten puts it down to the city’s free spirit, which he believes breeds creativity and entrepreneurialism. He compares Amsterdam’s allure to a story about tulips. ‘We are world famous for our tulips, but if you look at the best place in the world to grow them then the Netherlands would not be at the top of the list. We don’t have enough sun; there’s too much wind; the ground is too wet. But because of all this, we’ve become really good at it. So if you ask me where is the best place in the world to have a start-up, I’m not going to say Amsterdam as the logical first place. But what you see is that start-ups that begin here are very robust and we’re very good at building them because of the conditions. Forget New York. If you can make it in Amsterdam, you can make it anywhere.’

The Next Web. ÂŠ Julia de Boer

networks

COLLECTIVE SUCCESS Across the city in a former merchant’s house on the Herengracht canal, a group of tech entrepreneurs have created a co-working space for members of their collective, called Hackers & Founders. The group was started by James Bryan Graves who, five years ago, ditched his American dream to pursue a new one in Amsterdam. ‘I was all over the start-up scene. In the US I spent time in California and also in New York, but I have to say that one of the great things about the Dutch people is that they’re extremely honest, very straightforward. Here, you’re not necessarily trying to outdo other people, which is a big culture especially in Silicon Valley. I really appreciate that. I find it easier to collaborate with people here because of their honest transparency. That’s great!’ In the beginning there were just 12 members of Hackers & Founders; today, there are 2,000 across the Netherlands. The group meets once a month, often in bars or restaurants, to share ideas, offer support and exchange contacts. For those who hate the idea of working on their own at home, the collective has rented the building in the city’s historical heart. It provides a workspace on several floors for around 85 people. Bryan Graves says that flexibility is key to its success. Desks can be rented for €230 per month ($260) and can be cancelled any time with two months’ notice. There are single freelancers and small companies of 12 or more. It’s relatively cheap for such a central location and allows start-ups to scale up or scale down depending on

circumstances. Working within such close proximity to other entrepreneurs also means that there is always someone on hand to answer questions about such things as fundraising, databases or programme languages. Current start-ups include a company that conducts trend analysis and detection for large multinational corporations, a consumer-based application that connects people with personal trainers, a social shopping platform and a company that builds hardware for medical devices. BUILT BY ENTREPRENEURS Bryan Graves says it’s interesting to note that while cities such as Paris and London were built by empires, Amsterdam was built by entrepreneurs. ‘We don’t have these giant avenues with empire buildings. We have these beautiful canal houses which were built by individuals. It really is a city built by entrepreneurs and I think that there is a little bit of inspiration that can be pulled out of that. Just now we are starting to see the birth of another era of entrepreneurialism in the city and I think that it is very exciting.’ Fellow Hacker & Founder Fergal Finnegan from Ireland came to Amsterdam in 2000. He planned to try his luck in California’s Silicon Valley but, after working in Amsterdam for six months, he decided to stay. He says that for him, Amsterdam’s easy access to other European cities made it a perfect location. ‘After living here for a while, I realised that there were far more advantages for me personally than on the West Coast of America. The quality of life, the fact that you’re not in a car culture. It’s a fitness culture – bicycles and walking. The pollution in the city is not bad compared to other cities. In fact, the whole city has been made for people.’ AVOIDING THE PITFALLS Quality of life, transparency, the sharing of ideas and Amsterdam’s enterprising spirit have all helped to contribute to the city’s reputation as a place where things happen. Tech entrepreneurs from around the world are now turning to Amsterdam’s experts to learn the secrets of what makes a successful start-up. Startupbootcamp is held twice a year in the centre of Amsterdam and is designed to teach entrepreneurs everything they need to know in order to avoid pitfalls and get their business off the ground. Co-founder and CEO Patrick de Zeeuw says Startupbootcamp’s biggest asset is time. ‘If new start-ups lose time by focusing on the wrong markets or focusing on the wrong products, then that could be expensive. So what we do is make sure that in a very short amount of time, they are able to focus on the markets where their products are most in need. In three months, we do what you would normally do in the real world in 12 to 18 months.’

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EMBRACING THE NEW When asked what advice he would give to anyone thinking of launching a tech business in Amsterdam, Veldhuijzen van Zanten says it is important to establish what the long-term goal is. If it is to be in the spotlight, raise money and sell a company fast then, he says, there are perhaps better places to go. But if someone takes a more grounded approach, has a long-term vision, is at ease with himself and wants a good quality of life, he believes that there’s no better place than Amsterdam. He sees the Dutch willingness to embrace new things as an important factor for tech start-ups. ‘Amsterdam is a great test market – as is the whole of the Netherlands. Dutch people are very eager to try out new things. They’re always in the top percentage of users of new services even though we are a very small country. There is a certain type of entrepreneur who is attracted to that.’ This desire to embrace the new is at the heart of an ambitious new initiative to strengthen the international position of the Netherlands, and in particular Amsterdam, as the best place in Europe to start a business. Called StartupDelta, it is a collaboration between government bodies, knowledge institutes, start-ups, financiers and companies and will be headed by former EU commissioner Neelie Kroes (see pages 72-77).

Startupbootcamp

networks

FINDING START-UP SUCCESS One Startupbootcamp participant who thought the programme was so good that she came back twice is Michal Hubschmann from Israel. After seven successful years, she sold her first venture to one of the largest travel companies in the Netherlands. Her new initiative is a data engine designed to help brands get more from their online advertising campaigns. She says everyone tries to help each other. ‘I learn from my mentors. I learn a lot from the management of Startupbootcamp. They show you the right way to think and validate your product. I’m very happy to be here.’ Each boot camp culminates in Demo Day, where participating start-ups are put on stage and given ten minutes to make their pitch in a room filled with 400 investors from around the world. This is the open door they’ve been waiting for. While some will return home, others will stay in Amsterdam. De Zeeuw says not only is it a place where new tech startups can find success, they can also make mistakes and learn from them without receiving the attention of the international press. He says Amsterdam has always been driven by innovation and shown an openness to new ideas. But even though these are good reasons in themselves to be there, he concludes that there is something else. ‘Business is important, but even more important is that you enjoy the business you run – and you also have some nice free time to spend in a beautiful city!’ <

Some speakers at The Next Web conference have been known to linger for up to six hours talking to delegates

Hackers & Founders, in short Hackers & Founders is a community of technology developers and entrepreneurs based in the heart of Amsterdam. The informal network of start-up companies and self-employed techies gets together once a month to provide advice and support and to socialise. The group offers a co-working space in a large building on Amsterdam’s historic Herengracht canal, where entrepreneurs can rub shoulders with other like-minded people and share tips on starting up an enterprise. Single freelancers as well as small new tech companies can rent a desk for €230 a month ($260), which can be cancelled with two months’ notice. www.hackersandfounders.nl Startupbootcamp, in short Startupbootcamp began in the Netherlands in 2010. It now runs accelerator programmes in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, Eindhoven, Israel, Istanbul, Singapore, Dublin and London. It boasts an international alumni group of more than 2,000 worldwide. Competition for each place is strong. Ten start-ups are chosen from more than 500 global applicants after a series of online and face-to-face interviews. Two programmes are held in Amsterdam every year, each one lasting three months. Participants receive help and advice from the organisation’s 750 global community of volunteer mentors and advisors who provide coaching and connections to customers, partners and investors. During the programme, participating start-ups receive €15,000 ($17,000) to cover living expenses and free co-working space. At the end of three months, the start-up teams get a chance to pitch to top investors and venture capitalists on Demo Day. Since Startupbootcamp began, 85% of the start-ups are still going strong. On average, more than 70% of teams go on to receive funding. www.startupbootcamp.org

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De Zeeuw first got the idea for Startupbootcamp after his own experience as a 15-year-old entrepreneur. ‘I made all the mistakes in the world. I had some successes, but I mostly learned from my failures. I had very like-minded friends and entrepreneurs in my field of interest and I said to them: “Why don’t we go and help these early-stage companies to avoid making the same mistakes as we did and make the most of the network that we have built internationally?”’ There are more than 1,000 applications for every Startupbootcamp. The most recent programme saw applications from more than 60 different countries, including North Korea. It’s an arduous selection process. After a series of online pitches and face-to-face interviews over a period of six months, the course is eventually whittled down to ten finalists. De Zeeuw says he’s not looking for complete novices. ‘What we’re looking for is qualified, high-energy, dedicated teams that already have some skills.’ Each programme costs around €1 million and is funded by Startupbootcamp’s corporate partners and informal investors. The ten lucky start-ups each receive €15,000 ($17,000) to help them launch in Amsterdam and cover expenses for a six-month period. In return, Startupbootcamp takes 8% of the equity in each budding company for up to six years, during which time the companies have access to the knowledge and advice of experts and alumni. Any money earned is ploughed back into funding new boot camp programmes.

Spaces

AAA LOCATION

Amsterdam’s 17th-century canals are home to some of the most innovative ICT start-ups in the world, part of a cluster that generates €18 billion in annual turnover and has placed the city at the forefront of digital innovation

‘A very collaborative mind-set’

Rockstart, in short Rockstart was founded by publisher Oscar Kneppers to provide support to startup tech enterprises. It does this in a number of ways. Its accelerator programme guides start-ups through their first 150 days. In return for 8% of their company, start-ups get space to work, participation in the intensive accelerator programme, a €15,000 investment ($17,000), the guidance of mentors and access to Rockstart’s funding network. It has three verticals in which it runs its accelerators: smart energy, web/mobile and digital health. The 39 firms that have been through the accelerator have so far raised a total of $22.6 million in funding. Rockstart Spaces lets out space in the firm’s grand Herengracht HQ, while Rockstart Answers is a series of Q&A sessions held around the world, where start-ups can present their ideas and get advice and input from their peers. www.rockstart.com

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text Megan Roberts photography Mike Roelofs

start-up city

THE WORLD’S MOST DIGITALLY CONNECTED ECONOMY Once at the forefront of urban planning, Amsterdam’s UNESCO-protected Canal Belt was constructed in the 17th century during a period of rapid expansion. The many wealthy merchants’ houses that line these canals demonstrate how this small country has for many years been a worldwide trading network. Today, the 21st century’s most dominant network is less visible to the naked eye, but beneath the streets of this old city lies a modern fibre-optics network, and these same canals that once housed the Golden Age elite are today home to some of Amsterdam’s – and the world’s – most innovative ICT businesses. There are 64 data centres in the Netherlands (ranking the country third in Europe). The Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX) is the largest internet hub in Europe in terms of members (over 700) and second largest in terms of traffic (with an average peak load of over 3.5 terabytes per second), while Surfnet is the most advanced research network in the world. A growing list of international companies is already benefitting from the excellent digital infrastructure here – including Google (see pages 30-32), Facebook, Netflix, Microsoft, Oracle and Cisco – and there are plenty of start-ups hot on their heels.

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‘There’s a very collaborative mindset. If I need to go fundraising, I talk to other people that are doing that, who lead me to the right lawyer or tax guy’ (Jelte de Jongh, founder Leeruniek)

base, a nurturing infrastructure and policy agenda plus qualified personnel. Amsterdam more than meets those criteria: it is home to leading universities and research institutes; the Amsterdam Economic Board is actively collaborating with entrepreneurs to grow the sector; and the exceptionally high standard of living means an educated workforce actively chooses to live here.

THE ROCK BANDS OF BUSINESS Increasingly, the success of the ICT cluster is dependent on the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of individuals, and hubs dotted around Amsterdam’s Canal Belt are engendering such innovation. Housed in a five-storey converted townhouse on the Herengracht canal, Rockstart is one such start-up hub. It picks promising people and ideas and guides them through their first 150 days as a business. In three years, its accelerator programmes have helped 39 companies raise a total of more than $20 million and create more than 280 jobs. In exchange for a space to work, participation in the intensive accelerator programme, a €15,000 ($17,000) investment, the guidance of mentors and access to a funding network, Rockstart gets 8% of each start-up that takes part. Of those 39 companies Rockstart has helped, one didn’t make it, a couple are doing okay and the rest are doing well, says founder Oscar Kneppers. ‘Statistically, we’re really doing well because normally eight out of ten start-ups fail within the first three years.’ Originally a journalist, Kneppers went on to become a publisher, founding the tech business news website www.emerce.nl, which he sold in 2001, and www.bright.nl, which looks at tech and innovation from more of a consumer perspective and which he sold in 2008. Then he found himself with his previous office in Amsterdam empty and a lot of time on his hands so began giving away his space to small companies. ‘Start-ups are the rock bands of business: small teams, great ambitions,’ he says. ‘It’s not about the money, it’s always CROSS-BORDER COLLABORATION about sharing the stuff that they create with their audiences. Very few cities can match the cross-border collaboration be- But with start-ups, if they’re successful, you might be too.’ tween the digital, creative and marketing workforces that are And so Rockstart was born. It moved six times in three years thriving in Amsterdam, and its ICT strength lies in the crea- before settling in the larger space on Herengracht that it tive crossover between this and other sectors. That spirit of now occupies. Today, Rockstart helps new companies in a collaboration is, perhaps, embedded in the Dutch DNA. In number of ways. It has the accelerator programmes (the last the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, ICT is not just a sector programme had more than 600 applications from around unto itself, but an important source of economic innovation the world for its ten spaces). It rents out parts of the Herenand a foundation for economic growth in other clusters. The gracht site and runs workshops, called Rockstart Answers, Amsterdam Economic Board estimates that 96,000 people which bring together nascent start-ups and industry experts work directly in the sector (with many more working in for Q&A sessions and networking. related fields) for some 21,000 ICT companies, generating ‘The accelerator is just one product,’ explains Kneppers. an annual turnover of €18 billion ($20.4 billion). ‘We’re developing formats to help start-ups in any way The reasons for Amsterdam’s ICT cluster success include a we can. Acceleration is a very good 2.0 or 3.0 version of highly flexible workforce, a national mentality of constructive incubation. Incubation is how we did it back in the ’90s, and compromise and a location at the crossroads of world trade was about making sure that the company didn’t die while relations. Experts agree that prerequisites for ICT success it was starting. Acceleration is about speeding the process include the presence of a scientific and technical knowledge of growth to help them build faster and more solidly in a

Oscar Kneppers, founder Rockstart

Spaces

AAA LOCATION

‘A GREAT PLACE TO BUILD A START-UP’ There is a popular Dutch saying that roughly translates as: ‘better a good neighbour than a far friend’. It is popular because in Europe’s most densely populated country, neighbourliness is considered a virtue. Combine that spirit with the city’s thriving start-up community and you get Peerby, a free sharing network that is being hailed from Schiphol to San Francisco, and which also calls the Rockstart Herengracht space home. Like most good ideas, Peerby is incredibly simple. If you need a drill or some golf clubs or a paddling pool, you log on to Peerby and put out a request. Then any neighbours willing and able to lend you their drill, golf club or paddling pool get in touch. No money changes hands and no contracts are signed. It’s all based on neighbourly trust, and it’s the idea of founder Daan Weddepohl. The website was launched in 2012 and in the era of peer-to-peer sharing, the idea is gaining traction around the world. A quick Peerby search reveals 100,000 active members and more than 4,000 objects available within a 30-minute stroll of the firm’s office. In June 2014, at the international New Cities Summit in Dallas, Peerby beat competition from across the globe to win the ‘best new urban app’ award. Having raised $2.1 million from investors in November 2014, Peerby is now being piloted in eight US cities.

‘Amsterdam is a dynamic, small city that has everything to attract the human capital to get to the right initial point of being a start-up’ (Martijn Roordink, founder Spaces) Spaces, in short Spaces started in 2006, with Martijn Roordink and a group of co-founders who believed that ‘the world of working was changing and could be more fun and effective by creating an inspiring social place for people to go to and interact’. The first site opened in September 2008, coinciding with the global financial crisis. One upside to this catastrophic shudder of the markets was that people did indeed begin to look at new ways of working. Spaces rents out flexible office space to small- and medium-sized businesses. Tenants can take a basic membership, which gives access to the communal working areas of all four sites from 8am to 6pm during the working week. Prices for membership with a locker start at €245 ($278) per month. Or they can take a private office at a fixed location, with their own lockable door, 24-hour access and the option to personalise the place for their own needs. Along with the usual ICT support and reception, each site has a cafeteria (open to all) and meeting rooms (bookable by the hour). Current office tenants include the Dutch offices of Facebook, Twitter, Uber and HBO. The firm now has 42,000m2 of space across four locations: Herengracht and Vijzelstraat in Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed Canal Belt, the Zuidas business district in the south of the city and The Hague. The ethos today remains as it was in the beginning: ‘offer energy and inspiration for entrepreneurs to be successful in what they do best.’ www.spaces.nl

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moving marketplace.You make sure that every mistake you would make in the first two years, you make that in three months, but then in a controlled environment.’ Rockstart’s success stories are plentiful. Christian Bello is the Columbian co-founder of BomberBot, a tool that teaches children how to code. ‘The network of mentors here is really good,’ he says. ‘We finished the programme and decided to stay, because our business is here but also because of this building. People are always willing to help.You have a coffee and meet people who are doing something really interesting. I really like having lunch here because you don’t talk about football or TV, you talk about work and how you can cooperate.’ Jelte de Jongh’s business, Leeruniek (‘learn unique’ in Dutch), which uses big data to improve children’s literacy, is also located in the building. De Jongh chose to base himself at Rockstart after returning from Silicon Valley where he attended Singularity University thanks to a prestigious Google/NASA scholarship. ‘Rockstart has a very collaborative mind-set,’ he says. ‘Learning from each other is the most important thing here. If I need to go fundraising, I talk to the other people that are doing that, who lead me to the right lawyer or tax guy.’ Filemon Schöffer is Head of Community at 3DHubs, which has just been through a Rockstart accelerator programme and received funding of $4.5 million from Balderton Capital. Schöffer’s company has built the world’s largest network of 3D printers, with over 11,000 in 140 countries. Users simply buy the file they want printed and make use of the 3D printer nearest to them. Options vary according to size and materials, with some even ‘printing’ in gold or chocolate. ‘When you start, there are a lot of things you’ve never done before and in an isolated place you’d probably try and figure it out and do the wrong thing,’ says Schöffer. ‘Here, you look around and see, “Oh, they’ve done it like this and it makes sense.” And the ability to learn from other companies takes you a lot further.’

start-up city

The insurance option ‘Peerby Warranty’ is currently being implemented in Amsterdam and will role out across the UK this summer. Key to the success of Peerby so far has been the ‘runway’ that accelerators have allowed. In start-up-speak, ‘runway’ is the time a firm needs to turn a profit. If it begins with €20,000 and costs €2,000 a month to run (the ‘burn rate’), that gives a runway of ten months before the cash runs out and investors need to see a profit or enough progress to reinvest. It is also the point at which many fail. But Weddepohl is convinced that his location gives him a distinct advantage. ‘This is a great place to build a start-up,’ he says. ‘You don’t need as much money to live off, compared to London or New York or San Francisco, which are really expensive. I’d say the quality of life here is better and you spend less on it. So I think that’s a good basis for trying to develop something new, you know; you won’t be in deep trouble if you don’t make a lot of money. There’s a lot of support from organisations like the Amsterdam Economic Board and the government.’

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‘This is a great place to build a start-up… There’s a lot of support from organisations like the Amsterdam Economic Board and the government’ (Daan Weddepohl, founder Peerby)

Peerby, in short Peerby is an app and website that enables people to borrow the things they need from others in their neighbourhood. With Peerby, you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on things you only use once or once in a while, and you feel good by helping somebody out. Members post something they want to borrow, and neighbours get an email or push notification to which they can respond with a single click. It allows you to save money, meet people and live green: one eighth of all the CO2 emissions in the world is caused by the production and consumption of consumer goods. Members and transactions are growing exponentially since the launch in September 2012. With more than 100,000 active monthly members, Peerby has mature communities in the Netherlands and Belgium, London and Berlin, and is currently emerging in eight US pilot cities. www.peerby.nl

That support will soon be strengthened even further with the launch of StartupDelta, an ambitious public-private initiative to position the Netherlands as a start-up hotspot. With funding from The Hague, innovation hubs have been set up in ten different locations across the country, including Amsterdam, making StartupDelta the largest start-up ecosystem in Europe (see pages 72-77). BUILDING COMMUNITY Rockstart isn’t alone in providing a city-centre hub where innovation thrives. At its core, Spaces is a simple office rental business. Renters take either a private space with a lockable door and 24-hour access or a membership fee that gives office-hours access to communal work areas. But the Spaces twist is the community it builds, which sees one-person start-ups rubbing shoulders with the Dutch offices of Uber, Guess and Citrix. ‘One of the starting points of the Spaces concept was the architecture,’ says founder Martijn Roordink. ‘We talked to a lot of people about creating a dynamic flow.’ That flow results in large, shared working areas that include a cafeteria, little break-out rooms and the quiet buzz of contented folk going about their work. Beyond the convivial nature of the physical space, Spaces directly tries to bring people together. ‘We communicate a lot both online and offline. We do drinks, we organise events and we have breakfast meetings. We have barbecues four times a year, we give boat tours,’ says Roordink. The newest of four Spaces sites, the Vijzelstraat branch is spread over five floors between the grand canals of Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht. ‘We didn’t know if it the concept would work,’ Roordink says, ‘but my background was real estate for ten years and I knew our research in the demographics. The average company in Amsterdam is about seven people and the company age is five years.’ That eager start-up dynamic and the abundance of entrepreneurs in need of good-quality space has seen Spaces go on to open further branches at Zuidas, Amsterdam’s business district of gleaming office towers, and in The Hague. Of the many companies thriving in Spaces locations, one of the most innovative is online translation management solution Live Word (nl.livewords.com). In the midst of a major funding round, the six-person start-up based in the Spaces Zuidas offices is on the brink of big things. Amsterdam, it seems, is well suited to the Spaces business concept. ‘Everything is within about ten minutes and very social and there is a low entrance for setting up. It’s a dynamic, small city that has everything to attract the human capital to get to the right initial point of being a start-up,’ says Roordink. With ICT innovations including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and the Ideal online payment system all originating in the Netherlands, it’s clearly a case of watch this space(s). <

Daan Weddepohl, founder Peerby

building brands

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Dutch have an inner drive to do things differentlyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Since the Golden Age, the Dutch have exported goods and ideas far beyond their borders. This enterprising spirit lives on in highly original brands that rarely stay close to home

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text Cecily Layzell

Moooi

building brands

‘I checked out airport locations, but we want to be in the inner city, on the canals, because of the energy’ (Raymond Cloosterman, founder and CEO Rituals)

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Marie-Stella-Maris, in short In 2010 the United Nations adopted resolution 64/292, which recognised access to clean drinking water and sanitation as a basic human right. The resolution was the inspiration for a new kind of brand based on sharing: for every product purchased, MARIE-STELLAMARIS donates a fixed amount towards clean drinking water projects around the world. The brand was launched by creative director Patrick Munsters and former telecoms executive Carel Neuberg in 2011 with bottled mineral water. It was soon extended to include skin-, body-, hair- and home-care products. The water is available in more than 150 select restaurants and supermarkets in Amsterdam and in the Water Bar below the brand’s flagship store on the historic Canal Belt. www.marie-stella-maris.com

COMMERCE AND CREATIVITY Since the Golden Age, the Dutch have exported goods and ideas far beyond their borders. As a port city, Amsterdam was at the start and finish of some of the most lucrative trade routes, becoming a thriving centre for both commerce and creativity. One of the earliest companies to take advantage of this location and enterprising spirit was Heineken. From a single brewery in 1864, Heineken has grown into the world’s most international brewer, with an identity that is recognised around the globe. When supervising the restyling of the art deco typeface in the 1950s, Freddy Heineken, the founder’s grandson, is said to have proposed the ‘laughing e’ to make the logo less formal. The cheerfully sloping cross-bar, which effectively branded a letter of the alphabet, has been charming consumers ever since. Over the years, home-grown businesses such as interior designer Piet Boon and international fly-ins including social enterprise foorwear company TOMS have followed Heineken’s lead, establishing head offices and regional outposts in The Netherlands’ capital. ‘Amsterdam is a hub for social innovation, sustainability, creativity, and fashion,’ says Martin Johnston, managing director of TOMS EMEA of the company’s decision to open its EMEA headquarters in Amsterdam. And it has proven to be the right choice: ‘The city has definitely adopted TOMS.’ Johnston was already living in Amsterdam, and he is a fan of the city: ‘It has the feeling of a big city with the pleasantness of a village,’ he says. ‘Creativity needs the freedom and casualness of a city like Amsterdam. It attracts people. It is such a welcoming place for so many different cultures,’ says renowned Dutch designer Marcel Wanders. With Casper Vissers he founded Moooi in 2001, bringing together some of the most innovative design studios in the country. The showroom and brand store in the heart of the beautiful Jordaan neighbourhood holds furniture, lighting and accessories, and in this carefully considered space, each piece looks like a design classic. It is more art gallery than furniture shop, but with a simple, beautiful aesthetic that most artists fail to achieve. On an upper floor of Moooi’s premises, Wanders sits in a ‘Smoke Chair’ by Maarten Baas. It is a black wood and leather armchair, with the wooden parts blasted with a blowtorch for a burned finish. It is a prime example of what Wanders and Vissers call ‘the unexpected welcome’: the pleasant surprises to be found in Moooi designs, and perhaps the defining feature of what the firm creates. ‘We hide a lot of the innovation,’ says Wanders. ‘We don’t want to make things that look new. We want to make things that look as if you already know them. And that’s very innovative thinking. There’s nothing that grows old so fast as the new.’ Adds Vissers: ‘A philosophy of ours is to turn around classical approaches and classical shapes. Everything has been done in this world, so rather than try and do completely new things, we work on the evolution of things. A product is easier to sell if it’s in some way familiar.’ This creative philosophy is supported by keen commercial instincts. ‘The big danger for a design company is that you

Rituals, in short Rituals is a cosmetics and home-care brand, founded in a graffiti-covered basement by former Unilever executive Raymond Cloosterman in 2000. Its first retail location was on Kalverstraat, the main pedestrian shopping street in Amsterdam. The firm now has 350 stores in 15 countries, and has stated its aim to have 1,000 stores of its own. Along with its own shops, it sells through department stores, in-flight, online and its own branded spas. The breadth of the brand’s product offering distinguishes it from similar cosmetics brands. Along with skincare and cosmetics, its offering includes washing-up liquid, tea, candles, clothing and ‘car perfume’. The brand name comes from the idea of turning routines into rituals, whether those things are household chores or part of a grooming regime. www.rituals.com

homegrown brands

CHANGING ROUTINES INTO RITUALS A short distance away, behind an imposing Golden Age facade on the Keizersgracht canal, the HQ of cosmetics brand Rituals fills several hundred square metres of prime Amsterdam real estate. ‘We launched in 2000 with three people in a basement that was covered in graffiti,’ says founder Raymond Cloosterman, of the office that was home to the company for its first four years. ‘The journey we’ve made with our offices is reflective of the journey we’ve made with our company. On day one of our first store, it was not working at all. We turned over 140 units, of which 100 were bought by the sister of one of our partners because she felt sorry for us.’ Since then, Rituals has built up 350 stores in 15 countries, and reached thousands of shops, spas, department stores and hotels. ‘Our passion is helping people to enjoy the little things in life, to rediscover the magic in the everyday. So often, we live life on automatic pilot. We have to change those routines by reinventing these everyday products into something special. That’s the philosophy of the brand: changing routines into rituals.’ The original seeds for the brand were planted while Cloosterman worked for Unilever. As a Vice President for New Business, he had a secure corporate career based between Paris and Brussels. One day his boss asked him to investigate new ways of brand building and setting up business lines. His mission took him to boutique stores, trend gurus and R&D labs around the world. ‘I came back completely hyper with a lot of new insights to take back to Unilever. Those insights, today, you will find in Rituals,’ he says. ‘I decided that I would resign and do this myself, because a small, special idea is very vulnerable in a corporate environment.’ He gathered input from investors and talent, including leading perfumers, anthropologists and others, and took himself off to a basement. As the firm grew, it took office space above shops, until finally taking up residence on the prized Keizersgracht site. ‘I checked out airport loca-

Moooi, in short Moooi has been producing bright and witty products since 2001. Founded by renowned Dutch designer Marcel Wanders and business partner Casper Vissers, it brings together some of the most innovative design studios currently working in the Netherlands. The bulk of its products are seating, storage, lighting and accessories. Better-known designs include the ‘Smoke Chair’ by Maarten Baas (with wood finished by blowtorch), ‘VIP Chair’ by Wanders (designed for World Expo 2000 in Hanover) and the ‘Horse Lamp’ by Front (a lamp in the shape and dimensions of a real horse). The name is a play on the Dutch word mooi, which means ‘beautiful’, the extra ‘o’ standing for the extra quirky beauty that the firm offers. Moooi describes its style as ‘exclusive, daring, playful, exquisite and based on the belief that design is a question of love’. The lightness or wit in the work soon becomes clear. www.moooi.com

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have beautiful things that are well produced, but people see them as art pieces rather than stuff to use every day,’ says Vissers. ‘We founded the company on the idea that we would do creative things, but within a commercial reality.’ It’s a combination that is clearly working. Moooi sells its products through a network of more than 50 dealers around the world and has opened a second showroom in West London to complement its flagship space in Amsterdam.

building brands tions that, from an efficiency point of view for me and the people who travel internationally, would make sense. But in the end, we want to be in the inner city, on the canals, because of the energy. In our creative company, we need this kind of energy.’ That energy was key to starting out in Amsterdam in the first place. ‘For me, Amsterdam is an eclectic place. Everybody who is raised here is born with an outside perspective. It’s an open society from a cultural and design perspective, so a lot of new things happen.’

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REINVENTING THE TWO-WHEELER Taco Carlier, co-founder of Vanmoof bicycles, agrees. ‘The Dutch are used to being independent and have a sort of inner drive to defeat the status quo, to see if something can be done differently,’ he says. After graduating from Delft University of Technology, he set up Vanmoof with his brother Ties in Amsterdam in 2009. Originally importers and Piet Boon, in short distributors of folding bikes, the siblings were inspired to reinvent the Founded by Piet Boon in 1983, the eponytwo-wheeler during a trip abroad. mous brand initially started out as a small ‘Sometimes you have to go to another city to realise how great your own design practice in Oostzaan, just north of city is,’ he says. ‘We were in New York and discovered it was a fantastic Amsterdam, specialising in bespoke homes. place to cycle. We started thinking about how we could get more people In 1986, interior designer Karin Meyn joined the company as business partner and creative in New York – and other cities around the world – to adopt the Amsterdirector. Together, Boon and Meyn lead an in- dam way of commuting. So we decided to start a company dedicated to innovating city bikes. That’s also why we chose the name Vanmoof. ternational team of designers, architects and stylists. Still based in Oostzaan, which is home We didn’t want to found a company but a movement, a movement to promote cycling.’ ‘Van’ is a nod to the brand’s Dutch heritage, he adds, to offices, a studio and flagship showroom, ‘and we thought it sounded cool in English.’ Piet Boon has grown into a global enterprise From the start, the company’s design philosophy has been based on the with an impressive portfolio of private, corprinciples of affordability, functionality and durability. The result is a porate and commercial clients. The company lightweight aluminium frame with a patented integrated lock, puncturealso regularly collaborates with like-minded creative partners, most recently on The Jane, resistant tyres and lights developed in conjunction with electronics the ‘fine dining meets rock ‘n’ roll’ restaurant giant Philips. A closed chain guard is standard, ‘so you don’t get grease of top Dutch chef Sergio Herman in Antwerp, on your clothes. We believe that you should be able to wear a suit on a Belgium. bike,’ says Carlier. Today, one Vanmoof bike is sold every hour through www.pietboon.com a global network of distributors, suggesting that the brand’s movement is gaining a loyal following. ‘Cycling has changed Amsterdam and it can Vanmoof, in short change other cities in the future too,’ he believes. Founded by brothers Ties and Taco Carlier in 2009, Vanmoof have rethought the traditional Dutch commuter bike. Stripping back all the paraphernalia – ‘visual noise’, they call it – the tubular frame with patented integrated chain lock is made from aircraft-grade aluminium alloy and the lights are designed in conjunction with electronics giant Philips. Punctureresistant tyres and a closed chain guard are standard and each bike is a flyweight 13kg. The name is a reference both to the brand’s Dutch heritage (‘Van’) and its philosophy of building not just a bicycle but a cycling movement (‘Moof’). The focus for the future is on tackling bicycle theft. Electric models are already fitted with a GPS GSM tracker so that stolen bikes can be located and retrieved. The company expects all of its bikes to be fitted with a similar system in the next six months. www.vanmoof.com

MESSAGE ON A BOTTLE Perhaps unsurprisingly, the ‘drive to defeat the status quo’ has translated not only into innovative products but also into innovative business models. A 2010 United Nations resolution recognising access to clean drinking water and sanitation as a basic human right was the inspiration for MARIE-STELLA-MARIS, which describes itself as ‘a social brand that stands for sharing’. For every product purchased, MARIE-STELLAMARIS donates a fixed amount towards clean drinking water projects in developing countries. The brand was established by Patrick Munsters and Carel Neuberg in 2011 with mineral water, each bottle of which carries the UN resolution on its label. The range was soon extended to include skin-, body-, hair- and home-care products. ‘Our mission is not to go only for the usual business objectives like turnover, profit and product development,’ explains Neuberg. ‘Our mission is to provide clean drinking water to as many people as possible. And that’s something new. So a contribution to the world is in the DNA of the brand.’ The Dutch Golden Age may officially be over, but the tradition of exporting goods and ideas is clearly still flourishing. <

Moooi Toms

Scotch & Soda

dutch denim

‘In Amsterdam, denim has evolved into a highcouture product’

A denimobsessed population, a high density of international designers and the world’s first jean school has put Amsterdam at the cutting edge of indigo innovation

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text Cecily Layzell

building brands Denham launched his own label in 2008. From the start, Denham the Jeanmaker has distinguished itself by targeting the upper segment of the luxury jeans market. ‘What all the jeans products in our range have in common is that they give the wearer the greatest possible freedom to add a personal mark,’ he explains. ‘We also pay more attention to how a product is prewashed and use exclusive types of denim JEAN-ETIC BLUEPRINT from Japan and Italy.’ Seven years on, his ‘worship tradition, Amsterdam has the highest condestroy convention’ approach to denim culture has seen the centration of jeans brands in the label expand to three stores in Amsterdam, with outposts in world. Its inhabitants own and Berlin, London, Tokyo and Sydney. wear more jeans than those of any Denham attributes much of his success to his small but other city and are willing to spend highly international team. ‘It successfully ties together a more money on them, too. The range of different fashion traditions. We’ve infused it with denim cluster in Amsterdam is the Italian flair for style and a creative take on accessories. worth an estimated €500 million My British colleagues and I were raised in the tailor’s tradi($569 million), according to a con- tion of solid quality and the perfect fit; the Japanese have servative estimate by the municipal taught us a keen attention to detail and the Americans take research bureau O+S, but Mariette denim back to its roots – to the idea that it all started with a Hoitink of the House of Denim pair of trousers that are basically suitable for any occasion. innovation platform believes the And last but not least, the Dutch people in and around the real number is much higher. ‘Don’t call Amsterdam a label have added pragmatism and an international orientafashion capital; that’s a title we can’t yet live up to. But we’re tion to the mix. Never before have I experienced that intera denim capital for sure,’ she says. ‘When Dutch fashion de- national dimension within the design process as manifestly signers make it big they go abroad – just look at Viktor&Rolf as I do now. Our location plays a part in that respect, too; or Iris van Herpen. The denim industry, on the other hand, a melting pot of nationalities like we have here can thrive comes to us. That’s our strong point. We’re apparently doing in Amsterdam like nowhere else. More to the point, if we something right.’ weren’t based in Amsterdam, we would never have been able to get and keep such a unique group of people together. INDIGO INVASION Our love for this city binds us.’ The indigo invasion began in the 1990s, when Pepe Jeans moved its headquarters from London to Amsterdam. Tom- BEHIND THE SEAMS my Hilfiger, Diesel and Levi’s Vintage Clothing followed, The creative spirit that made Amsterdam the epicentre of and from the banks of the IJ, home-grown brand G-Star the denim world has spawned its own parallel economy. began its international expansion. In time, employees from House of Denim was established in 2009 as a platform to these companies started their own denim labels, such as foster innovation and sustainability in the denim indusK.O.I. (Kings of Indigo). try. It has since opened the first dedicated Jean School, a The appropriately named Jason Denham (‘even my name three-year curriculum to train the next generation of denim flirts with denim,’ he jokes) was a pioneer of high-end jeans. developers and designers. The Amsterdam Denim Days, a He exchanged his native London for Amsterdam almost multi-day event for industry professionals and consumers, two decades ago and has never looked back. ‘Amsterdam followed in May 2014. It was also founders James Veenhoff is the personification of everything jeans represent,’ he says. and Mariette Hoitink who persuaded Andrew Olah, the ‘Unyielding, slightly rebellious, adventurous, firmly opinion- man behind the renowned American Kingpins denim trade ated, never afraid to make a statement and always uniquely fair, to bring his inaugural European event to Amsterdam. individual. From the first day, I felt like I had come home. ‘There were many reasons to select Amsterdam as our Moreover, all the best and most creative designers want to location,’ says Olah of his decision. ‘The most salient reason live and work here. That’s exactly what drove Levi’s to move was the chance to collaborate with the House of Denim and its design studio from Brussels to Amsterdam, for example share Amsterdam’s energy towards blue jeans. There is a – they were afraid that all their best talent would eventually culture for jeans like in no other place and a jean school to leave if they didn’t.’ supply a long-term flow of educated jeans lovers.’ Adds Veenhoff: ‘Amsterdam is a brilliant, energetic city full of creative people. And yet it’s small enough not to feel lost in.’ Veenhoff and Hoitink’s most recent initiative is the Denim City HQ, a denim archive, embassy, upcycling workshop and ‘Blue Lab’. The opening in October 2014 was timed to coincide with the first Global Denim Awards, which they

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‘When Dutch fashion designers make it big they go abroad. The denim industry, on the other hand, comes to us’ (Mariette Hoitink, founder House of Denim)

Clockwise from top left: Tommy Hilfiger Denim; James Veenhof, Jeans School; G-Star; G-Star womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s store, Amsterdam

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House of Denim, in short House of Denim was established in 2009 by James Veenhoff, a former director of the Amsterdam International Fashion Week, and Mariette Hoitink, director of HTNK fashion recruitment and consultancy, as a platform to promote craftsmanship and innovation in the denim industry. The platform has since grown to encompass Denim City HQ, which houses a Blue Lab, a networking Embassy, a denim Archive and a Jean School. A major element of the Jean School, a dedicated three-year programme to train the next generation of denim artisans, is teaching sustainability, say the founders, who created the motto: ‘Towards a brighter blue’. Students graduate with traditional skills such as cutting, sewing and stitching, as well as innovative approaches to water use, chemicals and recycling. House of Denim also organises the annual Amsterdam Denim Days trade show and the Global Denim Awards. www.houseofdenim.org G-Star, in short Since its inception in 1989, G-Star’s singleminded approach to ‘Just the Product’ has resulted in several firsts: fusing luxury denim with street style to create a new sector, positioning untreated ‘straight-from-the-factory’ jeans as desirable consumer items; and incorporating 3D design techniques into denim construction. Its RAW Sustainable programme uses organic cotton as a base for a range of products that contribute towards a more sustainable future without compromising on quality, comfort or design. In 2014, the brand announced a collaboration with singer and producer Pharrell Williams to develop RAW for the Oceans, an environmentally conscious collection made from recycled plastic found in the world’s seas. G-Star sells its products in more than 6,500 outlets worldwide and has flagship stores in Amsterdam, Paris, London, Milan and New York. www.g-star.com

Above: Denham the Jeanmaker Below: Pepe Jeans London, custom studio

dutch denim

BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN This sentiment is echoed by House of Denim’s motto, ‘Towards a brighter blue’, which strives to make the denim industry dryer, cleaner and smarter. It takes 7,000 litres of water and several chemicals, dyes and softening agents to make a single pair of jeans. Every self-respecting jeans brand has one eye on sustainability these days – and here too Amsterdam is leading the way. ‘Consumers are critical and well-informed when it comes to their food; we want them to apply the same attitude to clothing, starting with denim,’ says Hoitink. ‘If you want to know if your jeans have been sustainably produced, look at the price tag.You can’t buy a pair of sustainable jeans for a few bucks; it simply wouldn’t be possible to cover the production costs. As an end product, though, jeans are sustainable – or perhaps more accurately, durable: the longer you wear them, the better they become.’ Last year, G-Star joined forces with pop artist Pharrell Williams to develop RAW for the Oceans, an environmentally conscious collection that uses plastic from the world’s seas and transforms it into denim and other apparel. Dutch company Kuyichi – another venture in which Jason Denham had a hand – was the first to use 100% organic cotton and wood pulp from eucalyptus trees in its products. It also introduced ‘Deposit Denim’, a closed-loop lifecycle scheme that encourages consumers to exchange their old jeans – which are recycled – and receive a discount on a new pair. But perhaps the real sustainability innovator is Tony Tonnaer, the founder of K.O.I. Under the motto ‘recycle, repair and reuse’, K.O.I. not only uses recycled materials but also hands out mending kits and organises repair events for customers to prolong the life of their favourite jeans. This may seem like a counterintuitive business strategy, but where there is a consumer demand, companies will follow, says Willa Stoutenbeek of sustainable communication agency W Green. ‘A brand is ultimately dependent on what consumers buy. If more and more people want sustainable jeans, the industry will adapt.’ The logic is not lost on Denham. He prefers to work with reused fabrics, he says, but boasts a healthy profit range of €150-€500 on each pair sold. ‘In Amsterdam, denim has evolved into a high-couture product,’ he says. <

‘A melting pot of nationalities can thrive in Amsterdam like nowhere else’ (Jason Denham, designer and founder Denham the Jeanmaker) Denham the Jeanmaker, in short After leaving the Amsterdam branch of Pepe Jeans, British designer Jason Denham became involved in a number of denim-based initiatives, including co-creating Kuyichi, the first organic jeans brand. He launched his own label, Denham the Jeanmaker, in 2008. From the outset, the label targeted the upper segment of the jeans market. In the company’s design studio on the historic Canal Belt, a small, international team of designers translates Denham’s ‘respect tradition, destroy convention’ approach to denim culture into high-end casual wear that is sold in the brand’s three local stores and more than 250 retail locations around the world. www.denhamthejeanmaker.com Tommy Hilfiger, in short Born the second of nine children in New York, Tommy Hilfiger began his fashion career as a high-school student in 1969 with $150. Today, his eponymous brand is one of the world’s leading lifestyle players and is recognised globally for its celebration of classic American style. The brand has built an extensive distribution network in over 90 countries and more than 1,400 retail stores in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Hilfiger Denim, which has had its head office in Amsterdam since 2009, consists of casual sportswear with a focus on denim-related separates for men and women. The collection is described as ‘slightly more fashion forward’ than the main Tommy Hilfiger label, and targets style-savvy 18 to 28 year olds. nl.tommy.com

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also helped to organise. The second edition of the Amsterdam Denim Days is planned for 13-18 April 2015. ‘We hope that the event will mobilise people to do cool things together. And make them realise that denim is not cheap rubbish, but rather something valuable,’ says Veenhoff.

AMS FACTS ABOUT

$22.6 million Amount raised by 39 Amsterdam start-ups that have been through Rockstart’s accelerator programmes. (Source: Rockstart start-up hub, 2015)

#1 The Netherlands’ place on the European Commission’s Digital Agenda Scoreboard for fixed broadband coverage. (Source: European Commission, Digital Agenda Scoreboard, 2013)

Close to the markets that matter

530 million consumers live within a 1,300km (800 mile) radius of Amsterdam

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The ‘Blue Banana’ comprises the European economic heartland (50% of European GDP)

The so-called ‘Blue Banana’ (also known as the Hot Banana, European Megalopolis or European Backbone), extends from northwest England in the north down to Milan in the south, and covers one of the world’s highest concentrations of people, money and industry. The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area sits at its centre, with easy access to Europe’s approximately 530 million potential customers. It also sits in the heart of the European euro zone.

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The Netherlandsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; position in the IBM Plant Location International rankings 2014, which rates countries according to the value of investment projects based on an indicator that assesses the added value and knowledge intensity of the jobs created. The Netherlands rose 15 places from its 2012 ranking, to enter the top ten worldwide. (Source: IBM-PLI Rankings, 2014)

2nd At the annual Skytrax World Airport Awards, passengers voted Amsterdam Airport Schiphol the second best airport in Europe and the fifth best in the world. The easy airside transfer process, shopping and food & beverage options were among the reasons given for the airportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top spots. (Source: Skytrax World Airport Awards, 2014)

Amsterdam placed 39th on the Mercer Cost of Living Rankings, which compares the cost of living for expatriates in 211 cities worldwide. The Dutch capital ranked significantly lower than its more costly European counterparts Paris (27), Copenhagen (15) and London (12). (Source: Mercer, Cost of Living Rankings, 2014)

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Number of new foreign companies that established in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area in 2014. Together these companies brought in 1,308 new jobs, which they expect to expand to 2,359 within three years. Existing foreign companies in the region generated a growth of 1,611 new jobs. Last year, the Expatcenter Amsterdam assisted 8,000 internationals with settling in the area. (Source: amsterdam in business)

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low cost of living

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4.6%

In the global list of countries with the fastest average internet connection speeds, the Netherlands was ranked sixth, with an average connection speed of 14.0Mbps (megabits per second). Country South Korea Hong Kong Japan Switzerland Sweden nETHErLAnDs Ireland Latvia Czech Republic Singapore

Mbps 25.3 16.3 15.0 14.5 14.1 14.0 13.9 13.4 12.3 12.2

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

(Source: Akamai’s State of the Internet report, Q3 2014)

A record 55 million passengers passed through Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in 2014, an increase of 4.6% over 2013. (Source: Schiphol Group, 2014)

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ToP TEn The Netherlands’ ranks eighth in the Global Competitiveness Index by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The WEF defines competitiveness as the set of institutions, policies and other factors that determine the level of productivity of a country. In Europe, only Switzerland, Finland and Germany surpass the Netherlands. (Source: World Economic Forum, Global Competitiveness Index, 2014-2015)

number four Amsterdam’s ranking among the world’s most competetive cities in PwC’s global Cities of Opportunity report. (Source: PwC, Cities of Opportunity, 2014)

‘size is not the answer’

(Source: Size is Not the Answer: The Changing Face of the Global City, 2014)

5th

Safest cities in the world 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Tokyo Singapore Osaka Stockholm AMsTErDAM

(Source: The Economist’s Safe Index 2015, based on the measurement of four types of safety: digital, health, infrastructure and personal)

€500 million Estimated value of the denim cluster in Amsterdam, which has the highest concentration of jeans brands in the world. (Source: Research and Statistics Department, Amsterdam Municipality, 2013)

Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, NFIA For foreign companies wishing to establish their business in the Netherlands and to take advantage of the Dutch business environment as a strategic base to cover Europe, the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) is the first port of call. The NFIA was established for the specific purpose of helping and advising such companies by providing them with advice, information and practical assistance, quickly and on a confidential basis, as well as providing them access to a broad network of business partners and government institutions, all free of charge. Founded 35 years ago, the NFIA is an operational unit of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. Throughout the years it has supported thousands of companies from all over the world to successfully establish their business in the Netherlands. NFIA support starts in the country of origin. To that end, the NFIA has offices in Europe (HQ in The Hague, London, Istanbul), the US (New York, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco), Asia (Tokyo, Osaka, Taipei, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Seoul, Delhi, Mumbai, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur), the Middle East (Dubai, Tel Aviv) and Brazil (São Paulo). In addition, the NFIA closely cooperates with Dutch embassies, consulates-general and other organisations that represent the Dutch government around the world, as well as with a broad network of domestic partners in the Netherlands. NFIA Headquarters Prinses Beatrixlaan 2 2595 AL, The Hague THE NETHERLANDS postal address PO Box 93144 2509 AC, The Hague THE NETHERLANDS T: +31 (0)88 602 1142 W: www.nfia.nl E: info@nfia.nl

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A research report placed Amsterdam and the Randstad 16th among the top 20 most influential cities in the world. Entitled Size is Not the Answer: The Changing Face of the Global City, the report argues that ‘smaller, focused urban regions are becoming truly critical global hubs, unlike most larger cities, which are simply tied to their national economies’. Conducted by the Civil Service College (Singapore) and Chapman University (USA), the report eschews standard evaluation methods for a new set of criteria, ranking cities based on factors including foreign direct investment, corporate headquarters, air connectivity and diversity.

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‘gateway to continental Europe’ Wired magazine, 2014 ‘English is widely spoken and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is one of the continent’s busiest and most efficient. The city is also a convenient launchpad for Scandinavian markets, which, with their high GDP per capita and high broadband penetration rates, can be lucrative for start-ups. Crucially, Amsterdam measures high on qualityof-life indices, which makes it easy to hire talent.’

sEConD The Netherlands’ ranking on the World Bank’s global Logistics Performance Index. Published every two years, the index benchmarks countries’ performance using six key dimensions: customs, infrastructure, international shipments, logistics competence, tracking & tracing and timeliness. Only Germany placed higher. 110 AMs

(Source: World Bank, Logistics Performance Index, 2014)

11 Position of the Netherlands in the Forbes list of the world’s best countries for business. (Source: Forbes, Best Countries for Business, 2014)

sEVEn 21,000 Approximate number of companies in Amsterdam operating within the ICT industries. (Source: Research and Statistics Department, Amsterdam Municipality, 2014)

The Netherlands’ position in the IMD World Talent Report. The report assesses a country’s ability to develop, attract and retain talent for companies that operate there. Country Switzerland Denmark Germany Finland Malaysia Ireland nETHErLAnDs Canada Sweden Norway

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

(Source: IMD, World Talent Report, 2014)

At-a-glance: the Dutch tax system Bred for progress and expansion, the Dutch tax system is transparent and stable – and flexible enough to anticipate the rapidly-changing requirements of international economic flows.

1 A competitive corporate tax rate well below EU average 2 Advance tax assessment certainty on future transactions, investments or corporate structures 3 Participation Exemption: all benefits relating to a qualifying shareholding (including cash dividends, dividends-in-kind, bonus shares, hidden profit distributions and capital gains) are exempt from Dutch corporate income tax 4 Double taxation relief for individuals via the Royal Decree for the Avoidance of Double Taxation 5 The Innovation Box: an effective tax rate of 5% for income related to a patent or an R&D declaration (certain conditions apply) 6 Withholding of tax on outgoing interest and royalty payments under certain circumstances can be 0% 7 No capital-tax levy on the contribution of capital to a company and any later expansion of share capital

8 The 30% ruling for expats: tax-free reimbursement of 30% of an employee’s salary, provided that the employee has been recruited or assigned from abroad and has specific expertise which is scarce in the present Dutch labour market 9 Horizontal Supervision: the Dutch tax authority is the first in the world to make prior arrangements with large- and medium-sized taxable businesses on the tax liabilities expected in the course of the year, and how they are going to manage them. If tax payers can show they have an adequate ‘tax control framework’, then in principle no tax audits are needed for determining the tax liability 10 Tax treaties with the majority of the world’s trading nations, which prevent double taxation for businesses 11 The Netherlands has excellent tax facilities for distribution and transport companies. These facilities avoid unnecessary leakage of VAT and custom duties

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Companies established in the Netherlands profit from various tax advantages, including:

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Position of the University of Amsterdam in the QS World University Rankings 2014 – eight places higher than in 2013. (Source: QS World University Rankings, 2014)

Top 15 Amsterdam appears in the top 15 of the Reputation Institute’s City RepTrak global survey. The Dutch capital has risen swiftly through the ranks of the world’s 100 most reputable cities, having been listed in 41st place as recently as 2012. City Vienna Munich Sydney Florence Venice Oslo Vancouver London Barcelona Montreal Copenhagen Helsinki Brussels AMsTErDAM Paris

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

(Source: Reputation Institute City RepTrak, 2014)

50%

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Half of all businesses with at least ten employees in the Netherlands use social media. The use of microblogging sites in particular is high, with more Dutch companies using Twitter than anywhere else in the European Union. (Source: CBS Eurostat, 2013)

congresses

A worldclass conference destination Joining forces: Clusters & Conventions Convention professionals and specialists from the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area business community are joining forces in an initiative titled ‘Clusters & Conventions’. The project provides organisations considering holding their international convention in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area with the opportunity to tap into the vast knowledge and innovation available within seven economic clusters: financial and business services; ICT; creative industries; logistics and trade; life sciences; flowers, food & fish; tourism and conventions; and high-tech materials. The Clusters & Conventions project provides optimal support concerning conference organisation and content as well as tailor-made tours that tap into the expertise within the regional market. The service is provided completely free of charge. For more information or a meeting without obligation, please contact: Miranda Geerlings, project coordinator Email: m.geerlings@iamsterdam.com Telephone: +31 (0)20 551 2648

Recently released data indicates that more international congresses were held in Amsterdam in 2013 than ever before – 16% more than in 2012, across both the corporate and non-corporate sectors, covering such topics as ICT, medical technology and safety. The city’s reputation as an international conference destination was confirmed when the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) named Amsterdam the second most popular conference destination in the world. With 114,000 conference delegates visiting the city in 2013 – second only worldwide to Barcelona – the number of participant days for the Amsterdam conference industry also increased by almost 26%. A quantitative measurement that takes into account both the duration of a meeting and the number of delegates, participant days are a good indicator of economic impact. These results were largely influenced by the arrival of the Congress of the European Society of Cardiology with 30,000 visitors, the European Cancer Congress with almost 16,000 visitors and the International Liver Congress with nearly 10,000 participants. In the future, those figures are set to rise further still, with the arrival of the biennial international AIDS conference AIDS2018, which is expected to welcome some 20,000 delegates. Being chosen to host this major conference is a sign of recognition for both Amsterdam’s world-leading conference reputation and the role played by the Netherlands in the international fight against AIDS. It is particularly poignant for the Dutch AIDS research community, which lost researcher Joep Lange and other AIDS activists on flight MH17 in July 2014, on their way to AIDS2014. Acknowledging the Netherlands’ unique position within the global convention market, Ton Coenen, director of the Aids Fonds and Soa Aids Nederland, summed up the honour thus: ‘It is fantastic that Amsterdam is to organise this conference. The Netherlands also has the major advantage that all groups most affected by the epidemic can come to the Netherlands for the conference, including drugs users and sex workers. This would not be possible in many countries.’ <

Editorial Board Frans van der Avert, Hilde van der Meer Editor-in-Chief Bart van Oosterhout Project Management Mariken van den Boogaard, Sladjana Mijatovic Art Director Sabine Verschueren Designer Sandra Nakken Cover Photography Herman van Heusden Copy Editors Cecily Layzell and Megan Roberts Writers Paul Anstiss, Matt Farquharson, Colleen Geske, Hans Kops, Russell Shorto Photographers Amke, Julia de Boer, Titia Hahne, Mark Horn, Elmer van der Marel, Phenster, Robin de Puy, Mike Roelofs, Duco de Vries

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COLOPHON

amsterdam inbusiness in brief The official foreign investment agency of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, amsterdam inbusiness provides free, active support and independent advice to organisations planning to invest or settle in the region.

amsterdam inbusiness is the official foreign investment agency of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area (Amsterdam, Amstelveen, Almere and Haarlemmermeer). amsterdam inbusiness assists foreign companies with the establishment and expansion of their activities in the Netherlands. We can help you create a convincing business case for setting up in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area by offering practical advice and relevant information. And it’s all free, strictly confidential and without any hidden agenda. Our commitment does not end once you have set up an operation in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. We strive to build a long-term relationship in order to be supportive in any phase of development of your company. Considering setting up your business in the Amsterdam Area? Don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to welcoming you in Amsterdam!

Customised solutions By combining your data with ours, we can provide you with relevant information for your organisation. Our services for organisations planning to set up in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area include: •

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Market Intelligence: providing specific data on markets, industries and sectors in, for example, IT, financial services, media, advertising, life sciences, food, gaming, aerospace, logistics, etc. Investment climate: providing information about the Dutch tax climate, incentives, legal & regulatory framework and labour market. Developing independent benchmark reports on salary levels, office rent, cost of living etc. for your European location study and/or supply-chain study Fact-finding visits: tailor-made fact-finding programmes to get informed about the fiscal climate, the market, availability of talent, business climate and quality of service providers, and to visit office locations Legal & tax advice: organising free introduction meetings with internationally oriented business service suppliers to elaborate on legal and fiscal structures that meet your current and long-term needs Talent: tapping into the labour market via introduction to recruiters and/or networks and communities of professionals Business & partner networks: introductions to strategic partners, business networks/associations, knowledge institutions, tax authorities, governmental agencies and when possible potential clients Relocation support: assistance in search and selection of temporary, flexible and permanent office space including site visit tours Support for international staff: apartment search for expats (short stay/long stay), introductions to international schools, expat clubs and referrals to doctors, dentists, accountants, etc.

The numbers • Over 2,500 international companies are located in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area • amsterdam inbusiness assisted 115 new companies in 2013

info@amsterdaminbusiness.com www.amsterdaminbusiness.com

Amsterdam

PO Box 2133, 1000 CC Amsterdam Telephone: +31 (0)20 254 5045 amsterdam@amsterdaminbusiness.com

Almere

PO Box 200, 1300 AE Almere Telephone: +31 (0)36 539 9487 almere@amsterdaminbusiness.com

Amstelveen

PO Box 4, 1180 BA Amstelveen Telephone: +31 (0)20 540 4423 amstelveen@amsterdaminbusiness.com

Haarlemmermeer

PO Box 250, 2130 AG Hoofddorp Telephone: +31 (0)23 567 6135 haarlemmermeer@amsterdaminbusiness.com

What the Expatcenter can do for you

Opened in 2008, Amsterdam’s Expatcenter cuts through the bureaucratic red tape for the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area’s growing number of international companies and their migrant employees.

Amsterdam’s appeal lies in its rich cultural heritage, creative culture, commercial dynamism and high quality of life. Ultimately, however, the city’s greatest asset is its people, a healthy – and growing – percentage of whom are international. The Expatcenter was one of the first Dutch schemes to cut the red tape for expats, drastically streamlining relocation procedures and helping them settle in. Seven years later, the Expatcenter offers a comprehensive range of services. Together with

its partners from the I amsterdam portal site, the Expatcenter continues to expand its digital support for Amsterdam’s international community, both practical and pleasurable. Partnerships – with banks and childcare providers, movers, lawyers, language schools and more – mean the Expatcenter has the tools to make an expat’s first few months a little smoother. Because the first step of a journey doesn’t have to be the most difficult one. Welcome to Amsterdam!

New residence permit for entrepreneurs As of 1 January 2015, a new regulation allows ambitious entrepreneurs to apply for a temporary residence permit for the Netherlands. The so-called ‘scheme for start-ups’ gives entrepreneurs from outside the EU one year to launch an innovative new business in the Netherlands. Under the scheme, new international start-ups will be offered the necessary support to develop into mature enterprises. This scenario is not only beneficial for the entrepreneur but also creates a solid foundation for job creation and economic growth in the Netherlands. For full details, see www.iamsterdam.com/startup

One-stop shop for employees • •

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The Expatcenter services international companies and their migrant employees across the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area The Expatcenter is a joint initiative of the cities of Amsterdam, Amstelveen, Haarlemmermeer, Almere, Hilversum and Velsen, along with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) and the Tax Office Employers can use the Expatcenter to initiate residency applications before a new employee even arrives in the Netherlands Fast-track services mean qualifying expats can begin work as soon as two weeks after their employers apply to the IND In one appointment, employees can collect their residence permit and registration with their municipality. This will provide them with a citizen service number (BSN), allowing them, for instance, to open a Dutch bank account Following an agreement with the Dutch Tax Department in 2011, applications for the employee 30% tax ruling can now be made via the Expatcenter The Partnership Programme, created in 2009, connects expats with service providers operating in the expat market

The numbers

• Over 850 international companies and their expat employees make use of the Expatcenter’s services • Over 500 new expats visit each month • Companies rate the services provided by the Expatcenter an excellent 8.4/10 on average • More than 27,000 expats have visited the Expatcenter for registration assistance

expatcenter@iamsterdam.com www.expatcenter.com +31 (0)20 254 7999 Or visit us at: World Trade Center Amsterdam F-Tower, second floor Strawinskylaan 39 1077 XW Amsterdam Opening hours: Monday-Friday 09.00-17.00