News item | 14-10-2022 | 17:00
The cabinet wants to at least preserve the already scarce space for entrepreneurs (2.6% of the surface in the Netherlands) and at the same time make better use of it. It is the first time that the opportunities and bottlenecks in terms of space for economic activities have been mapped at national level. Account is also taken of the expansion need of almost 7,000 hectares up to and including 2030. This will subsequently lead to a national approach that provides sufficient scope for making the Netherlands more sustainable, the growth of innovation and ultimately the maintenance of prosperity.
On the proposal of Minister Adriaansens of Economic Affairs and Climate, the Council of Ministers has agreed to set up the so-called national work locations programme. Together with provinces, municipalities, regional development companies and private parties that build or manage locations for entrepreneurs, the cabinet will work on the task of achieving sufficient, high-quality space for the economy.
Minister Adriaansens: “Our business climate deserves extra attention. The lack of space not only jeopardizes future jobs and income, but also our joint task to become more sustainable and thus achieve the climate goals. Various locations cannot grow now. Think of campuses, where students, researchers and entrepreneurs innovate together, but also SMEs with a construction or installation company that are going to make homes more sustainable. The pressure on space in the Netherlands is high and that requires a national approach for sufficient and more efficient business locations.”
Focus on campuses, SMEs, industry and balance large business location
In her letter to Parliament, Minister Adriaansens gives priority to four types of work locations: campuses, SMEs, industry and the right balance for large-scale business locations. The Netherlands currently has 35 campuses. Universities, schools, knowledge institutes and innovative entrepreneurs work together there on research and development. Several locations have to deal with a lack of space. This hinders innovation, because start-ups and scale-ups cannot continue to grow.
Sufficient business opportunities for SMEs form the second part of the approach. SMEs are often located on industrial estates within built-up areas. The proximity of personnel is of great importance to these companies. Conversely, those with a practical and intermediate level consider an accessible job to be of great importance. For this group of workers, 75% lives and works in the same city or village. A long(er) distance or travel time to a job can cause transport poverty or even unemployment for this group. Moreover, many of these locations are now under pressure, for example to partially or completely transform them into residential areas.
In order to achieve the industry’s objectives in the field of energy, climate and quality of life, the industry, which is mainly housed in five clusters such as Rotterdam and Chemelot in South Limburg, needs sufficient space. This simplifies mutual cooperation that is necessary, for example, for the transition to circularity. Finally, the rapid growth of large-scale business locations such as distribution centers requires a clear vision at a national level. According to the government, these development locations can also be used to become less dependent on raw materials and (semi-)products from outside the EU. It is necessary to maintain a better grip on these large-scale business locations.
Figures room for economy
Companies occupy 2.6% of the Dutch surface area excluding water. Dwellings account for 7.2%, nature has 14.9% and agricultural land has 66.3% of physical space. The Netherlands has approximately 3,800 industrial estates, including industrial clusters, campuses, regular industrial estates and sites with large-scale business locations. The productivity of industrial estates is high. 40% of the gross domestic product is earned and 60% of the investments in research and development (R&D) are made by companies on industrial estates.