Amsterdam ranks 5th in tech cities of the future study
Amsterdam held its top five position in the fDi and TNW Tech Cities of the Future ranking, which assesses cities on foreign direct investment, startup environment and innovation.
Tech city of the future
Amsterdam has held its top 5 position in the fDi x TNW Tech Cities of the Future 2021 ranking, despite a challenging period for the global economy.
The Dutch capital placed fifth in the annual study that highlights European cities with the most promising prospects for startups, technology and innovation investment.
Researchers collected data from 76 cities across 31 European countries and ranked them under five categories: Cost Effectiveness, Economic Potential, FDI Performance, Innovation & Attractiveness and Startup Environment.
London placed first, followed by Paris, Dublin and Berlin. Amsterdam performed well in FDI Performance and Startup Environment, reflecting its large number of FDI projects in IT and software services and its range of financing options for startups.
A tech community for a changing society
The report praised tech communities for their vital role in not only keeping national economies afloat, but also pivoting to provide solutions to challenges faced by pandemic-hit societies.
In Amsterdam this included tech innovations like medical-grade heart monitoring on a smartphone by Happitech, cashless payment systems from Adyen, a social distancing tool by Aura Aware, and a loneliness-busting app from niluk.
Amsterdam’s thriving tech scene has long garnered international attention. Pioneers like WeTransfer, bunq and Mollie started here, while tech giants such as Tesla and Netflix have chosen Amsterdam as their European base. Microsoft recently opened an AI research lab in the city, and FinTech companies such as Agicap and Onfido recently chose Amsterdam to scale up their European presence.