NFIA RESULTS 2007: Upcoming markets bring more investments and jobs to the Netherlands
Ministry of Economic Affairs
Press release | 21 February 2007
The number of foreign investment projects that landed in the Netherlands, with the assistance of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, increased by 40% last year in comparison to 2006. This resulted in 60% more new jobs. At the same time the total investment amount was 25% higher than in 2006. The largest share of these projects came from the upcoming markets in Asia.
These are the 2007 results for the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) that Minister for Foreign Trade Heemskerk (Economic Affairs) announced on Thursday 21 February during the ABN Amro globalization congress in Rotterdam. In 2007 the NFIA realized 155 projects with a total investment amount of 578 million Euros. In due course these projects will create 3107 new jobs.
The figures show that projects from Asia account for 60% of the total. In 2003 Asian projects only took up 40%. The Asian projects represent more than half of the new jobs. The number of projects from India, Korea and China grows most rapidly, followed by Singapore and Japan. This is in line with the bigger acquisition effort made in upcoming markets (Asia and the Gulf Region) where the NFIA now has 11 offices.
The new investment projects mostly landed in the provinces South Holland, North Holland, North Brabant and Gelderland, and came mainly from industries such as information technology, machinery & equipment, electronic components, medical technology and food & nutrition. The majority of the projects is related to marketing & sales, distribution and headquarters operations.
Heemskerk emphasized in Rotterdam that he is convinced that globalization has a positive effect on an open economy such as the Dutch one. "Globalization is good for employment, purchasing power and government finances. But it doesn't happen just like that," says Heemskerk. "The foundation for open borders is decreasing. Companies, together with the government, have to make an extra effort to enlarge the base for an open, enterprising economy again."
More details on NFIA's annual results for 2007 can be found on www.nfia.nl.
More information:
For more information on this subject you can contact the Dutch center for public service information (Postbus 51), telephone 0800 - 8051 (from the Netherlands) or +31 70 3081985 (from abroad), e-mail: ezinfo@postbus51.nl.
For journalists:
Ruud Stevens, spokesperson Ministry of Economic Affairs, +31 70-379 72 56 / +31 6461 52 406, r.p.stevens@minez.nl
