The Netherlands is one of the largest startup ecosystems in Europe as it is home to innovation and unprecedented digital infrastructure. According to a latest Dealroom report, Amsterdam has the best startup business culture in the windmill country and has one-third of all startup jobs. However, another one-third of jobs are in cities such as Rotterdam, Utrecht, and Eindhoven, and the rest in the other Dutch cities.
As the number of startups and scaleups is on the rise, the number of jobs are also increasing. With the increase in the demand for skilled employees and innovative workplaces, the revenue models of these companies also change on a consistent basis. Taking cues from the report, here we have listed 6 most prospering tech cities in the Netherlands, apart from Amsterdam. Check out the list for more details.
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and home to the largest and busiest shipping port in Europe. Gradually, the city has become a competitive location for startups. Rotterdam’s shipping base has fostered port-related tech startups and helped them flourish. Back in 2018, CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center) based in the US chose Rotterdam as its first hub outside of its country. The city is home to some of the biggest names in the tech industry including Coolblue, Mendix, Helloprint and more.
Utrecht
Utrecht is known as the heart of the Netherlands. Its one of the healthiest and most sustainable environments in the world as its motto is healthy people, healthy minds, healthy environment. Utrecht ensures to provide superior quality of business and life. The European Commission named the city as the most competitive region in the continent. It is home to hundreds of startups like Picnic, Gitlab and a few incubators.
Eindhoven
In 2011, Eindhoven, the home city of the global tech consumer brand Philips was declared the world’s smartest region by the Intelligent Community Forum. It is a hub for high-tech systems as well as design. The city has a massive network of academic and R&D facilities such as the Holst Centre at the High Tech Campus and the University of Technology. The thriving tech environment in the city has helped bring together leaders from startups, government, research institutions, and businesses to create disruptive technologies.
Enschede
Enschede is where the Univeristy of Twente (UT) is located. This university has encouraged innovative entrepreneurs starting their own company with the TOP-loan programme. Notably, the Dutch Student Investment Fund (DSIF) is the first student-run venture capital fund in the Netherlands and this was founded at the UI to back and fund aspiring student entrepreneurs. One prominent name in the tech business ecosystem born in Enschede is Booking.com and another one Takeaway.
Assen
Assen is a city in the north eastern Netherlands and is the capital of the Drenthe province. This is where The Insitute of Engineering Assen, which is a part of the Hanze University Groningen is located. The university is a pioneer in Europe offering education in the field of sensor technology. This is where the startup Catawiki has been founded.
Wageningen
Wageningen University & Research is a well-established food tech education programme and one of the leading global food science and technology centres. The university combines five various areas of expertise including microbiology, process engineering, physics, chemistry, and quality and design. Notably, this is the only university in the Netherlands to focus on the concept ‘healthy food and living environment’. The university works closely with governments and business communities.
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