For both domestic businesses and foreign ventures, the Netherlands encourages startup growth at every stage. The Netherlands has world-class companies and IT giants, including foreign startups that moved to Europe. Amsterdam is one of the fastest-growing startup ecosystems, and the country ranks 4th for startups in Europe. Dutch culture values creativity and entrepreneurship, and the country is a living lab for innovation that turns ideas into clever solutions.
International talent, top-notch education, and excellent work-life balance make the Netherlands a startup haven. Amsterdam ranks third in Western Europe on Startup Genome’s Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2020, with agri-tech and life sciences capabilities. Many tech businesses expand successfully in the Netherlands, regardless of industry. What brought that success? Combining the puzzle pieces below will show why starting a business in the Netherlands is a good idea.
Innovation and Startup Entrepreneurship.
In 2020, the Global Innovation Index (GII) placed the Netherlands fourth in innovation, ahead of Germany, the UK, and the Nordics. Startups are natural inventors and disruptors. In today’s competitive economy, being around like-minded, growing companies makes sense. The Netherlands’ tech sector has many startup clusters across industries, and the government prioritizes corporate innovation. Start-ups and established enterprises can apply for Innovation Credit to boost innovation and sustainability in the Dutch economy with the help of Wanneerishet.
Business Is Easier.
The Netherlands is noted for its open culture, collaborative corporate climate, and majority English-speaking workforce. The Netherlands scored third in a 42-country survey for ease of doing digital business by the Harvard Business Review (HBR), demonstrating its history of helping companies. The Netherlands is ranked as the world’s most connected economy by the DHL Global Connectedness Index (GCI) 2020. The Netherlands’ globalized economy, bolstered by excellent infrastructure and digital connectivity, ranks first.
For business travel in any startup industry, the Netherlands has excellent connections for both European and international trade. Companies may access 244 million people in 600 miles, including Europe’s main markets in Germany, the UK, and France.
Strong Dutch Startup Skill Pool
Startups can fail to scale without a consistent influx of international talent from top universities. Luckily, Amsterdam boasts 250,000 tech workers and the Netherlands has more software engineers per capita. The Netherlands has 10 leading research and innovation parks that address global issues like food security, and smart/green transportation. The country welcomes expats. Some of the 1 million international workers in the Netherlands are holders of the Highly Skilled Migrant Visa, which permits employers to attract global talent for five years with a simplified work visa.
Key Technologies Enable Idea Sharing.
The Netherlands’ flourishing IT sector shows that the Dutch are creative, making it perfect for corporations testing new technologies. AI and software development thrive in the Netherlands, supported by a forward-thinking government that values global competitiveness. Dutch technology is supported by a strong digital infrastructure. Quantum technology, 3D printing, and the IoT are also growing in the Netherlands.
Public-Private Collaborations Create Dutch Collaborative Startups.
The Dutch value active co-creation between industry, government, universities, and citizens. Foreign enterprises may innovate and succeed in this dynamic environment. Over 300 public-private partnerships operate in the Netherlands’ life sciences industry.
In Summary
Even though scaling up presents difficulties, the Dutch ecosystem has the potential for expansion by encouraging university spin-offs and cultivating a globally integrated venture capital (VC) market. In the meantime, by encouraging the formation of creative firms, the Dutch startup visa program is drawing in foreign talent.
