Share of R&D within foreign investments increases in 2025

The Minister of Economic Affairs writes this, also on behalf of the State Secretary for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, to the House of Representatives upon presenting the annual results of the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) and the Invest in Holland network.

Minister of Economic Affairs, Vincent Karremans: “Especially in a challenging international investment climate, it is an important achievement that foreign companies choose the Netherlands because of our strong ecosystems and innovative strength. The growth of the share of investments in research and development and other knowledge-intensive activities shows that the focus on attracting projects with innovative activities is paying off.”

State Secretary for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Aukje de Vries: “Foreign companies are indispensable for a strong economy in the Netherlands. By working together purposefully, through our post network, in The Hague and with the Dutch regions via the Invest in Holland network, we ensure that investments land in the best place.”
 

The results for 2025 must be seen against the background of a challenging business climate. Worldwide, companies are more cautious with investments due to geopolitical tensions and uncertainty in the global economy. In the Netherlands, bottlenecks such as scarcity of space, labor, and grid capacity also play a role.

Against this background, attracting foreign investments has become increasingly demand-driven. Not only what the market wants, but also: what does the Netherlands need and where is there space and energy for. By choosing more strategically, the Invest in Holland network can focus its efforts on investments that align with the strategic priorities of the Netherlands. In 2025, all 180 supported projects contributed to this.
 

The supported investments show how foreign companies contribute to strengthening Dutch ecosystems. For example, the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca expanded its production site in Nijmegen, strengthening the Dutch life sciences & health ecosystem. At the High Tech Campus Eindhoven, the Japanese Dai Nippon Printing opened its first R&D hub outside Japan, focused on new technologies for the semiconductor industry. And in Rotterdam, the Canadian climate tech company CoeusAI established its global headquarters, from where it works on AI solutions to accelerate the energy transition.

The Invest in Holland network will continue to focus on investments with high added value for the Netherlands in the coming years. All this in line with industrial and innovation policy, and with an eye on opportunities in sectors such as defense and raw materials.
 

The Invest in Holland network is a nationwide collaboration of the national government, regions, major cities, and the 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. 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 co-directed by the State Secretary for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation.