I amsterdam - Gateway to Europe

Historical Hub
Since the Golden Age of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the 17th century, which established Amsterdam as the hub of exploratory world trade, the capital of the Netherlands has maintained its status as a leader in entrepreneurial dynamism, as a trading nation that plays a pivotal role in worldwide logistics. Amsterdam’s compact city centre and the unique canal side cityscape were built on the prosperity this global trade generated.

Sea Ports
Infrastructure is key to the Amsterdam Area’s gateway status. The Port of Amsterdam includes the ports of Amsterdam, Beverwijk, Velsen/IJmuiden and Zaanstad along the North Sea Canal. It is the fifth largest seaport complex in northwestern Europe and ranks 17th worldwide, transshipping more than 70 million tonnes annually. The port area is also important for the processing of raw materials and logistical services, creating added-value of more than €3 billion annually and employing over 38,000 people. International companies located in the Port of Amsterdam include Hitachi, Starbucks and Mitsubishi. About 100 ocean liners and 700 river cruisers call at Amsterdam each year, many at the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam. The Amsterdam Cruise Port foundation (ACP) recently estimated that these visitors generate income of €90 million each year.

A Dynamic Junction
This water-based complex, which serves the high seas as well as the European hinterland, is complemented by modern-day aviation. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol ranks fourth in Europe for passenger traffic (42.5 million passengers in 2004) and third for cargo (1.4 million ton in 2004). It is the base for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Schiphol Group is an airport operator active around the world, for example at New York’s JFK Airport and Brisbane Airport, where it implements its ‘AirportCity’ concept to provide 24-hour, full-service facilities – a complete city and dynamic junction where people and business, logistics and shops, information and entertainment meet. An award-winning international hub and a transfer point for European and intercontinental passengers, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol generates employment for about 56,000 people.

Amsterdam Airport Area
Schiphol Airport is surrounded by light industry, logistics and service enterprises, a highly attractive European base for international companies. Schiphol also has its own World Trade Center, four interconnected towers of transparency adjacent to the terminals. Public- and private-sector organisations involved in the area’s continued economic development participate in the Amsterdam Airport Area partnership, a one-stop shop for relocation. Partners include the Schiphol Area Development Company and the Schiphol Real Estate division, which develop and manage thousands of hectares of high-quality, airport-related business parks and facilities.

International Exchange
Besides being a physical crossroads, the Amsterdam Area can also boast of being a virtual international interchange, a crossroads for Internet and data traffic. The Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX) at Science Park Amsterdam is one of Europe’s biggest independent hubs for Internet traffic. Such high-tech infrastructure draw innovative IT companies, and these clusters spur interaction between advanced research institutes and high-tech businesses.

A Cosmopolitan Draw
As a creative hub, long renowned for its religious and intellectual tolerance, Amsterdam drew the likes of the French philosopher Descartes as residents, and the Dutch capital still draws the creative spirit of designers of all creeds, global advertising agencies, and artists and musicians. Creativity and academic excellence also lead to innovation, reflected in new media as well as biotechnology. All this depends on the human resources that are the bedrock of any knowledge-based economy and, thanks in part to its two main universities, the Amsterdam Area has a highly educated and multilingual workforce. Add to that the extremely advanced communications infrastructure, and you can see why high-tech innovators and new media find the Amsterdam Area so attractive, and why it is so popular as a base for European corporate headquarters. The Amsterdam Area can compete with metropolises ten times the size in terms of cultural heritage and contemporary culture, and it is a vital and inspiring setting for the creative industries in the broadest sense.