Government and Regions: The Netherlands Must Remain a Top Destination for Foreign Investments

The government aims to keep the Netherlands attractive for foreign investments. With the new phase of the Invest in Holland strategy, the Netherlands wants to remain a leader in innovation and resilience in the coming years. Therefore, the government continues to focus on quality rather than quantity when attracting foreign companies. This means that new investment projects should not only stimulate our economic growth but also help prepare our country for the future. This is stated by Minister Beljaarts (EZ) on behalf of Minister Klever (BHO) to the House of Representatives.

The Invest in Holland network, led by the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA), plays a crucial role in attracting high-quality foreign investments. In the coming years, the focus will remain on investments that strengthen Dutch ecosystems. In ecosystems, companies collaborate with knowledge institutions and governments. The Invest in Holland network will also explore opportunities in sectors such as defense, raw materials, and financial technology in the coming years.

Of the projects from foreign companies that the network guided to and in the Netherlands in 2024, 97% (187 out of 193 projects) aligned with the strategic priorities of the Netherlands. These investment projects contribute to innovations in areas such as healthcare, agriculture, and chemistry, or support the governments goal of spending 3% of GDP on research and development (R&D) by 2030.

“Foreign companies make an important contribution to strengthening our innovative ecosystems and our future resilience,” said Minister Beljaarts of Economic Affairs. “With this strategy, we ensure that we guide and retain those companies in the Netherlands that contribute to our economic strength and innovation.”

Minister Klever: “Foreign companies provide more than a million jobs in the Netherlands and account for nearly 150 billion euros in added value for our economy. As a government, we are committed to creating a good business climate. The NFIA works together with our embassies and consulates worldwide to attract the most innovative companies to the Netherlands. This brings knowledge and innovation to the Netherlands, which benefits society as a whole.”

With strong and innovative ecosystems, highly educated talent, excellent digital infrastructure, and a high quality of life, the Netherlands is attractive to international companies. This is also reflected in the increase of follow-on investments from existing foreign investors in the Netherlands. These rose from 19% in 2023 to 28% in 2024 (of the total number of guided projects). At the same time, entrepreneurs face significant challenges daily. Shortages of labor, limited (environmental) space, and a strained electricity network are examples of bottlenecks. Additionally, many entrepreneurs experience high regulatory pressure and a government that is sometimes perceived as unpredictable.

Therefore, the government, led by Minister Beljaarts of Economic Affairs, is working on the Business Climate Pact. This pact, which is being shaped in collaboration with the business community, aims to remove bottlenecks and reposition the Netherlands as one of the most competitive economies in the world.

The Invest in Holland network is a nationally covering collaboration of the state, regions, large cities, and Netherlands Distribution Land (NDL), focused on attracting and retaining foreign investments for the Netherlands. The NFIA (Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency) represents the national government in this. The NFIA is an executive organization that is part of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). The NFIA falls under the responsibility of the Minister of Economic Affairs and is also guided by the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation.