News item | 13-10-2023 | 4:15 PM
Companies now occupy 2.6% of the Dutch surface area excluding water. Homes account for 7.2%, nature has 14.9% and agricultural land has 66.3% of physical space. The government expects that population growth, sustainability ambitions and the objective of a circular economy will require a growth of approximately 15% (from 2.6% to 3%) in 2050 in terms of physical space for activity on campuses, science parks and business parks.
At the proposal of Minister Adriaansens of Economic Affairs and Climate, the Council of Ministers has agreed to the Space for Economy Program, which includes a national approach to these spatial economic challenges. This national program was previously announced by the government in October 2022. This also takes into account the already increased demand for space for activities, which amounts to an expansion need of 700 hectares annually up to and including 2030.
Minister Adriaansens: “Sustainability and digitalization not only change our society, but also require more physical space. Consider the innovative high-tech manufacturing industry, a rapidly growing energy infrastructure with batteries and hydrogen production or the raw material processing and storage required for a circular economy. That is why the government will implement a national program to ensure sufficient economic space. The aim is to prevent companies from coming or leaving here due to a lack of space, from not achieving climate goals or from having too few locations where innovative researchers and startups can collaborate.”
Population growth, energy transition, circular economy and digitalization
The additional space required is partly a result of population growth: the working population grew by approximately 1.3 million people in the past decade to 9.7 million. Economic changes also play a role. The transition to a sustainable energy system requires batteries, transformers, wind farms, hydrogen factories and high-voltage lines and stations. Replacing fossil fuels with sustainable ones requires – at least temporarily – extra space at work locations.
A circular economy involves raw material processing and storage for reuse. As a result of e-commerce, digitalization and the transition to a circular economy, both a future-proof logistics network and logistics companies are needed. Geopolitical developments require the maintenance of strategic stocks and a Dutch share in the production and distribution chain of critical raw materials and semi-finished products.
Minister Adriaansens wants to implement the program in close collaboration with all those involved (other ministries, municipalities, provinces, regional development companies, campus organization and entrepreneurs).
In addition to the program, the government will present a national Spatial Economic Exploration Survey for the first time early next year in order to integrate activity into the existing spatial visions in areas such as housing, mobility, nature and climate & energy.