News item | 17-02-2022 | 06:00
It Invest in Holland network, in which the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) represents the national government as a partner, was involved in 423 investment projects by foreign companies in 2021. This concerned both new branches and expansion investments in the Netherlands. These projects are expected to provide nearly 13,400 direct jobs and an investment value of EUR 2.3 billion in the first three years.
This brings the number of companies opting for the Netherlands back to the level of 2019. In 2020, the number was substantially lower, when, partly influenced by corona, foreign companies postponed or changed investment decisions. A growing number of these companies strengthen regional (knowledge) ecosystems and actively contribute to the social and economic goals that the Netherlands has set itself.
Micky Adriaansens, Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate and responsible for the NFIA emphasizes the importance of foreign companies: “Companies and entrepreneurs are indispensable for the Netherlands. Foreign companies also make an important contribution to our economy. For example, they account for 30% of total private expenditure on research and development in the Netherlands. Commissioned by the cabinet, NFIA has been focusing more on attracting high-quality activities related to innovation, digitization and sustainability since 2020. I am pleased that we are seeing the first results of this in the annual figures.”
Hilde van der Meer, NFIA commissioner and chairman of the Invest in Holland collective: “The Netherlands is committed to finding sustainable, innovative and digital solutions to societal challenges. That is why Invest in Holland is happy to welcome and assist foreign companies that contribute to this and strengthen our international ecosystems. Our country offers an excellent business climate for developing future-oriented innovations for the European and global market.”
Investing in the future together
Since 2020, the NFIA and the Invest in Holland network have proactively focused on attracting companies that accelerate sustainability, provide new digital applications or enable future innovations. Several examples of this could already be seen in 2021.
For example, the American Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) started the construction of their first European CAR T-cell therapy facility in Leiden in 2021. In this factory, BMS develops personalized therapies for patients with blood cancer, and contributes to the growing role of the Netherlands as an international leader in the field of CAR T-cell therapy.
The Scottish Enough started building a factory that produces alternative proteins in 2021. The factory in Sas van Gent produces circular raw materials from residual products from the nearby Cargill facility; and leads a European research consortium into alternative proteins, in which Wageningen University & Research also participates.
The Indian-American Quantiphi announced last year to open a new service delivery center in Amsterdam. From there, they help streamline healthcare, education and public sector processes through AI, cloud and data solutions, among others. The company aims to grow further in the Netherlands in the future and to further develop their R&D together with Dutch engineers.
Increasing share of companies from Europe
Of the 423 foreign companies that chose the Netherlands in 2021, a third come from Europe (32%), a third from North and South America (30%) and Asia (30%). The share of European companies was larger in 2021 than in previous years.
This growth is largely due to the increase in the number of Brexit companies that decided to establish themselves in the Netherlands last year. Since the referendum in 2016, 316 Brexit companies have chosen our country. Together, the plans of these companies are expected to be good for almost 8,000 jobs and 782 million euros in investments in the first three years.
Invest in Holland and the NFIA are committed to attracting foreign companies with economic added value to our country. The organizations do not support letterbox companies or other paper constructions. During the work, specific attention is paid to companies that help the Netherlands to achieve social goals; companies that accelerate sustainability, provide new digital applications or enable future innovations.