In 2013, 115 new international companies established offices in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, collectively creating direct employment for a total of 1,727 people. These new figures were presented today by amsterdam inbusiness, the organisation responsible for acquisition in the region. The majority of these jobs were created in the Creative industry and the ICT sector, while the increase in the number of new companies in the Life Sciences sector is also particularly striking. The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area is currently home to 2,500 international companies, employing 140,000 people.
Amsterdam Alderperson Carolien Gehrels (Economic Affairs) commented on developments, saying: “In recent years, the region has attracted between 100 and 120 new international companies annually. Amsterdam has invested heavily in attracting international companies to the region and we are now reaping the rewards. In 2013, this helped to create direct employment for 1,727 people.”
North America and Asia
In 2013, a significant proportion of the companies that established offices in the region have their roots in North America: a total of 44 companies with 860 employees. Electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors opened their headquarters and showroom, fashion group PVH Europe (Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger) intensified their presence in the region and Carnival Corporation extended their operations with a hotel/maritime training facility in Almere. The limited growth of the American economy resulted in a steady flow of start-ups and SMEs looking to enter international markets. With 29 new offices and 167 jobs, growth from Asia is somewhat limited. The Asian economy is growing more rapidly than the European economy and as such, it is easier for companies to acquire market share in Asia than to compete in the European market.
Europe
A total of 37 European companies set up offices in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area in 2013. The majority of these are marketing & sales offices planning to use Amsterdam as a test market to introduce new products into Europe, such as British technology company Ve Interactive. While logistics company Euroports, based in Luxembourg, decided to set up shop here in light of Amsterdam’s impressive infrastructure. In general, companies choose Amsterdam ahead of rival German, British and French cities due to the internationally-oriented business service providers and the favourable price/quality ratio.
Life Sciences
2013 saw continued growth in the number of Red Life Science (health care and medical apparatus) companies, in part contributable to the increasingly ageing global population and new healthy living developments. Overall, 12 new companies established offices in the region in the past year, creating 312 jobs. Eight of these companies are based in the United States.
Headquarters
Various international rankings indicate that the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area remains a leading candidate as a location for European headquarters. In 2013, the region attracted 23 headquarters and 53 marketing & sales offices, collectively creating 1,392 jobs. A number of significant trends ensure that the region remains an attractive option, including internationalisation, consolidation in strongly performing regions, the availability of fast internet connections, quality of life and the availability of domestic and international talent.
Collaboration within the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area
Headed by the Mayors and Alderpersons for Economic Affairs of the municipalities of Amsterdam, Almere, Amstelveen and Haarlemmermeer, a series of trade missions were organised in 2013. These trade missions visited destinations including China, Brazil, the United States, India, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan.
Amsterdam inbusiness
Founded in 2008, amsterdam inbusiness assists international companies setting up shop in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area and supports the international business community already present in the area. Within amsterdam inbusiness, the four participating municipalities collaborate to create an attractive business climate for international companies.
Source: Iamsterdam