prime moves
A publication of the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency | Spring 2015 | UK & Ireland Edition
NFIA results 2014: a record year for investment
economy work like a magnet for investors.” The majority of inward investment to the Netherlands comes from the United States, followed by China, South Korea and India. Neighbouring countries are also important economic partners, as many companies based in the UK and Ireland (including US and Asian companies) take their next step into mainland Europe via the Netherlands. Big names – Big commitments
Left to right: Mayor of Eemsmond, Marijke van Beek, Google Head of Datacenter Design & Construction, Bryan Evans, Google Director Global Infrastructure Team, Francois Sterin, and Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Henk Kamp Source: ANP - Jannink, Vincent
Investing in the Netherlands works for everyone – from innovative startups to big multinationals.
6,000 jobs, with the bulk created in the IT industry and working from corporate headquarters.
The Netherlands is enjoying record levels of capital investment from companies around the world. In 2014,the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) helped to attract 187 new foreign investment projects. It estimates that the €3.2 billion of planned investment will create over
A magnet for investors “Investors are rightly seeing many opportunities to invest in the Netherlands,” says Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Henk Kamp. “Our well-educated labour force, world-class digital infrastructure, and the recovering
A number of well-known multinational companies have chosen to establish or expand their Dutch operations in 2014. Netflix, for example, chose Amsterdam for its new European headquarters, where around 30 staff will run its sales and marketing for the whole of Europe. In Bergen op Zoom, American fashion giant American Eagle is establishing a large distribution centre employing some 100 people, while Google is building a €600 million energy efficient data centre in the Groningen region. The right place to innovate But the Netherlands is not just a home for global giants. Its multilingual and business friendly climate is starting to attract more
Northland Power
North America 70
Investment 2014:
€3.2€billion 3,185 million investment
Europe 20
Ausnutria
Greenbase Energy
Hazera
ICL
Expedia
Netflix
Jobs 2014:
6,304
6,304 jobs (868 retention)
Africa 3
South America 1
Middle East 8
Oilinvest
Pantos Logistics Asia 84
Australia 1
American Eagle Almak Hek Yara
Europastry
Yili
Merino Darfon
Confirmed
projects 2014: 187 projects
187
QCP
DocMorris
Contents:
NFIA results 2014: a record year for investment
1
Newest regional partner: InnovationQuarter
2
The Netherlands: the place to be for startups
3
Testimonials by Bredero Shaw & Ebury
4
New landing pages & Director’s Cut
5
Primes Moves
6
foreign startup founders. To support their growth the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs has launched StartupDelta, headed by former EU Vice President Neelie Kroes (please see page 3 for more details). Aiming high The Dutch Government has big ambitions over the next five years to build on this strong position as a vibrant international business location. “The rest of the world is not standing still,” admits Mr Kamp, “so it is important we continue to aim high to ensure our country remains attractive to new business.”
The Dutch government is therefore stepping up its efforts to attract foreign investment in industries where the Netherlands already has a strong competitive position. This will create more business opportunities for foreign companies in the agrifood, chemicals, high tech systems, life sciences & health, and IT industries. Additionally, the NFIA will actively measure the ongoing health of the Dutch investment climate and advocate within the government where adjustments are needed. As a part of this strategy, 2015 sees the launch of the Invest in Holland network. This is a network of regional inward investment agency partners from across
Projects Other: 41
Other: 863
IT: 32
the Netherlands. They will work closely together and share top-level contacts to further tailor the services offered to current and potential investors. “As part of the Invest in Holland network we will focus on advising potential investors and positioning the Netherlands as an exciting business location,” says Ties Elzinga, Executive Director, NFIA UK & Ireland. “At the same time we will invest substantially in strengthening the highly valued relationships we have with our existing investors in the Netherlands and abroad. We will also work closely with our colleagues in the regions to attract more fast growing companies, particularly from important markets like the UK and Ireland.”
Jobs Talent
IT: 1560
Agrifood: 153
Access Happy & Healthy
Services: 183
Agrifood: 11 Services: 12
Life Sciences & Health: 22
Industrial Engineering: 216
Connected
Tax
Energy: 316 Chemicals: 17
Life Sciences & Health: 1107
Creative Industries: 446
Industrial Engineering: Electronics: 12 Creative 14 Industries: Energy: 13 13
Electronics: 539
Bonjour! ¡Hola! 你好 Hello! 今日は
Chemicals: 876
Multilingual
$ €¥
Already there
Strategic location
Newest regional partner:InnovationQuarter The Western Holland region between Rotterdam and Leiden is one of the most densely populated areas in the country. It accounts for over 20% of the country’s GDP and is home to around 2,250 foreign companies. InnovationQuarter (IQ), a newly established regional partner in the Invest in Holland network, is a key contact for the NFIA. Investors interested in Rotterdam, Leiden, Delft and The Hague can take advantage of this well connected region, where cities, companies, universities and research institutes are within
a 20 mile radius. The area has particular expertise in the following industries: •
•
Life Sciences & Health: the area is known as Medical Delta because clinical trials and drug development take place in close collaboration with the agri-food industry and research centres in Delft, Rotterdam and the Leiden Bio Science Park. Clean Tech: a scientific network with expertise in sustainable energy, industrial biotech, sustainable delta technology, water treatment and water management.
Newest regional partner: InnovationQuarter | page 2
•
(Cyber) Security: as a United Nations city The Hague is creating a knowledge hub developing safety and security solutions for companies, governments and international organisations. It will also host the world’s largest Global Conference on CyberSpace this April 2015.
Contact the NFIA for more information about business opportunities in the IQ region and their unique R&D matchmaking service. www.innovationquarter.nl/english
The Netherlands: the place to be for startups
Why should foreign startups choose the Netherlands? A key message on Twitter from Neelie Kroes, Special Envoy for startups.
startups, financiers and businesses. “StartupDelta represents an entire country working together to achieve a single goal. To create the ideal space for entrepreneurs to stand up, start up and scale up,” says Neelie.
Friesland
Water Technology
By connecting over 10 innovation hubs StartupDelta is creating one of the largest startup ecosystems in Europe. StartupDelta is also one of the most concentrated, since alltheclustersarewithin90minutestravelof each other. This is truly Europe’s West Coast and the Netherlands has some impressive global connections: Groningen such as Amsterdam’s close links with Silicon Data Services Energy Valley, Rotterdam’s with Healthy Ageing Boston, and Eindhoven’s partnerships with high tech companies across China.
“We’re inviting startups from around the globe, because here – you grow fast,” she also said. The Netherlands has a proud Leading Tech companies heritage of turning innovators, such as have long been attracted Philips, Unilever and AkzoNobel, into to the Netherlands global champions. Now the Dutch are because of its efficient Amsterdam busy nurturing a new generation of physical and digital Creative entrepreneurs and have The Hague Mobile infrastructure. Consistently Security Delta Internet big ambitions to be Twente high scores in major quality High Tech Systems High Tech the best country in of life indices also make Sharing Economy Systems & Materials mainland Europe Leiden it easy to attract global BioTech to start and grow talent. This vibrant, English Arnhem/ a business. This Nijmegen speaking, globally connected HealthTech thriving startup workforce also enables startups Utrecht Life Science scene has recently Healthy people to scale up rapidly into viable Wageningen Energy Healthy environment Food Smart Manufacturing international received a major Delft businesses. The Healthy mind Agriculture Engineering boost with the Netherlands is open for business Rotterdam CleanTech SmartPort with the rest of the world, with a newly MedTech CleanTech IT available visa for startup founders from MedTech non-EU countries. Energy Food
Eindhoven
Hardware High Tech Systems
launch of StartupDelta, with former EU ambassador Neelie Kroes as its Special Envoy at the helm. Europe’s West Coast StartupDelta brings together numerous initiatives involving government bodies, knowledge institutes, foreign
Limburg
Logistics Agro-Food Maker Industry Smart Materials
It unites people who understand the business challenges with a government committed to simplifying the rules, sharing expertise and opening doors.
The Netherlands: the place to be for startups | page 3
If it works here, it works anywhere The Dutch are open to new tools and technologies so the Netherlands is a natural testbed. In fact, its openness, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit has led many to say “if it works here, it works anywhere on the planet.” Indeed, several of Europe’s best known accelerators, including Rockstart and Startupbootcamp, started here. www.startupdelta.org
team will be strengthened further when the highly experienced Mr Kevin Reizer takes the helm in the Netherlands as our new Senior Vice President Eastern Hemisphere.” Connecting well in Leiden Bredero Shaw (part of the Canadian group ShawCor Ltd) is the global leader in pipe coatings for the oil and gas industry. It has 5,000 employees across 20 locations worldwide and opened its EMAR (Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia) headquarters in Leiden in August 2014. Location, tax and talent “We chose the Netherlands mainly because of its central location,” explains Bredero Shaw’s President Henri Tausch, from Houston, USA. “We, and our customers, travel a lot so we needed a headquarters within easy reach of a very well connected international airport. We also needed to be
Helping clients trade globally from Amsterdam Ebury started out in 2009 as a London broker helping SMEs with foreign exchange. Since then they have enjoyed impressive growth and now have 300 people in offices across Europe. Ebury helps over 3,500 companies manage currency risk and strategically plan their overseas payments. By adding trade finance to their services, they have become a specialist for SMEs who trade internationally.
Testimonials | page 4
able to hire good talent in a competitive tax environment. The Netherlands works on all three counts.” Leiden works for our team Bredero Shaw manages all its customers and factories in the EMAR region from offices next to Leiden’s train station. This is just 15 minutes from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and close to many key subsea engineering contractors in the Leiden,Delft and The Hague area. “Being well connected is a big plus for us,” confirms Henri. “We’re very cosmopolitan so our team wants to be close to transport hubs, hotels, restaurants, culture, and international schools.”
In touch with the right people Although Bredero Shaw already had a legal entity in the Netherlands, it still needed to find premises and hire staff. “We spoke to the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) and WestHolland Foreign Investment Agency (WFIA),” says Henri, “and they found us a Dutch project manager. When we needed to transfer some of our own people with specific skill sets from outside the EU, they put us in touch with relocation consultants and helped with the immigration process. Both organisations have been assisting us expertly in the Netherlands and closer to home in the USA and the UK.”
The Leiden office continues to grow. “As of this spring,” Henri continues, “the
www.brederoshaw.com
Growth potential
“Ebury focuses on SMEs. Tailored products and a personal service are key elements of our strategy. Our currency and trade finance specialists need to be able to meet clients faceto-face and Amsterdam is a great hub for both international trade and finance.”
Rob Adrichem opened Ebury’s Amsterdam sales office in May 2014 because he saw the potential of the many import/export businesses in the Netherlands. “We are already working with around 300 companies,” explains Rob. “There are around 35,000 potential clients for us in the Netherlands, however, many Dutch importers and exporters are not used to dealing with a financial service provider other than their bank. We especially cater for SMEs, a segment that rarely gets competitive rates and personal service from their banks. The response is very positive, so we are excited about the growth potential of the Dutch market.” Good business in Amsterdam Rob feels it is essential to have a team in the Netherlands and Amsterdam was the logical choice for a company that values being close to its clients.
Being in Amsterdam – close to their clients – is obviously working as Rob expects his 23-strong Dutch team to grow to around 40 within the next year. “We’re enjoying working with the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) and local partner amsterdam inbusiness (aib),” concludes Rob. “They’re pro-active and we’ve made many useful contacts at NFIA and Amsterdam networking events.” Ebury is now looking to use this experience of setting up in Amsterdam as a model for their expansion across Europe to countries including Poland, France, Germany and Ireland. www.ebury.nl
Source: Marco Kesseler
Director’s Cut We made a fresh start in 2015 after 2014 turned out to be one of the best years ever for foreign investment into the Netherlands. Source: Netherlands Enterprise Agency
Source: Gemini Windfarm
Discover key business opportunities at nfia.co.uk You can find comprehensive information about key industries on the Why Invest in Holland section of www.nfia.co.uk. These include high growth sectors such as agrifood and chemicals. We have now added two new industries - IT and offshore wind energy - so you can read the latest news alongside industry specific information on business opportunities in the Netherlands. Supporting digital creativity Launched as the Digital Gateway proposition companies such as Optimizely, Tech Mahindra and Interxion take the opportunity to share their experiences of doing digital business in the Netherlands. They remark it is a very advantageous location where you ‘sit on top of the connection of the internet to the entire continent’. Key locations and specific
features of the proposition are listed for companies interested in developing their digital business. Committed to energy innovation The Netherlands is a cost effective location from which to serve business and consumer energy markets across Europe. It is home to major offshore energy companies and an innovative offshore wind energy supply chain. The Dutch government introduced a number of incentive programmes in 2014 to increase the offshore wind energy capacity by 3450 MW in 2020. The first of five tenders is planned for this year. Industry Specific information You can find all the details, data, latest industry news, links to useful industry organisations and expert contacts on www.nfia.co.uk.
New landing pages & Director’s Cut | page 5
Not only do we want to build on these great results, we are also working on further strengthening the Dutch investment climate and improving the resources and tools available to foreign companies. We offer a special Startup Visa, a fast-track Orange Carpet Visa programme available to more companies than ever before, and a team of industry specialists connecting you directly to relevant contacts in your industry in the Netherlands. The beginning of 2015 has also seen the launch of our brand new Digital Gateway proposition, highlighting the unrivalled opportunities for digital businesses. Please contact us if you want to learn more. Finally, we are planning to host our annual India and Japan receptions again this year, for which we will send you a personal invitation in due course. In the meantime, I am always available to discuss whatever question or issue you may have!
Prime Moves
Stryker Corporation, a US-based medical technology company, announced the grand opening of the company’s European Regional Headquarters, in Amsterdam. “There is significant opportunity for growth in Europe. Stryker is committed to continuously improving our business in this region so we have established the new headquarters to support these aspirations,” said Lonny Carpenter, Group President for Global Quality and Operations, and European Business Operations. Fleetmatics Group, Irish fleet managment cloud-based company, launched its entry into the Dutch market from Utrecht. “Our expansion into the Netherlands will allow us to provide our innovative solutions to more businesses that choose to work smarter,” said Jim Travers, Fleetmatics CEO and Chairman of the Board. Indian global BPO provider, HCL Technologies and Dutch insurance company Aegon, announced the opening of their joint cXstudio. The cXstudio in The Hague is designed to enable Aegon to better meet the needs of increasingly demanding consumers, whilst retaining the efficiency needed to work within budget restrictions and the constraints of legacy IT infrastructure with HCL tools. Danish logistics provider Damco opened a new commercial office in Eindhoven. Jean-Baptiste Elslander, Chief Commercial Officer for the Benelux, said: “Our ambition is to significantly grow our global footprint in the years to come. The opening of the office in Eindhoven is part of that ambition.” Netflix,the US media streaming giant, opened its European headquarters in
Source: Mika Ruusunen
Amsterdam. “Now, this is just the European Headquarters, but it is a matter of time before this office will serve as the headquarters for Africa and the Middle East as well,” says Netflix’s vice president, Joris Evers, who expects the company to grow substantially in the coming years. New Zealand-based Fonterra Cooperative Group has commissioned its new dairy ingredients plant in Heerenveen. Regional Director Europe, Middle East and Africa, Hans Huistra, said: “The plant’s location and capacity will enable Fonterra to better serve its European and global customer base, delivering a secure, reliable source of high quality ingredient products.”
NFIA UK & IE Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands 38 Hyde Park Gate London SW7 5DP United Kingdom T: +44 20 7590 3286 info@nfia.co.uk www.nfia.co.uk www.twitter.com/NFIALondon
Editorial: Wendy Sayer Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency The Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) is a division of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs which has been established with the objective of providing assistance and information to companies interested in setting-up, expanding or restructuring their pan-European operations in the Netherlands. The NFIA is here to assist you at every stage and with every aspect of your strategic decision making, by offering a combination of information, advice and practical help in strict confidence, without any obligation. Contact us today or visit our website www.nfia.co.uk for more detailed information on how we can take care of your business. While information in this newsletter has been compiled from reliable sources, the Government of the Netherlands takes no legal responsibility for any of the statements made. Articles in this newsletter may only be reproduced with permission of the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency. Editorial: Wendy Sayer