West Betuwe unlocks new business spaces to boost local jobs and innovation
Entrepreneurs in West Betuwe can now expand as the municipality secures provincial approval for new business parks. With over 14,000 jobs at stake, the move aims to meet high demand for space while strengthening key sectors like logistics and manufacturing.
| Key Data Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Region | Rivierenland (Gelderland) |
| Municipality | West Betuwe |
| New Business Parks | Hondsgemet (Geldermalsen), De Geer (Ophemert), Zeiving (Vuren) |
| Demand for Business Space | 125 hectares |
| Jobs Supported | Over 14,000 in West Betuwe |
| Key Sectors | Agribusiness, manufacturing, (regional) logistics |
| Future-Proofing Focus | Zeiving (Vuren) |
| Provincial Programme | Regional Programme for Work Locations (RPW) Rivierenland 2025-2029 |
The Municipality of West Betuwe collaborates with the Province of Gelderland to allocate and develop business spaces, balancing economic growth with regional planning. Its role includes advocating for local entrepreneurs and aligning development with provincial frameworks to sustain job creation and innovation.
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Municipality of West Betuwe working to create more space for entrepreneurs
At the end of last year, the Province of Gelderland, together with the Rivierenland region, established the Regional Programme for Work Locations (RPW) Rivierenland 2025-2029. This presents development opportunities for the business parks Hondsgemet in Geldermalsen, De Geer in Ophemert, and Zeiving in Vuren.
Demand for business space in the Rivierenland region is high, at 125 hectares. However, supply is limited. The regional municipalities are therefore focusing both on more intensive use of existing sites and the development of new locations. This is also due to the significant economic importance of business parks. In West Betuwe, business parks provide for over 14,000 jobs, the highest number in the region.
Deputy Rutger van Stappershoef is pleased with the new opportunities and ambitions. ‘The underlying research shows that the economic position of our municipality is very strong. West Betuwe hosts the highest number of innovative companies in the region and has a large share of XXL plots and ready-to-use sites. The fact that we now have the green light from the province to proceed with the development of new business parks is good news for the companies and entrepreneurs in our municipality.’
Green light
When the province finalised the RPW at the end of 2025, the position of Zeiving was still under discussion. This month, the regional cooperation consultation between municipalities and the province decided to give the green light for the further development of Zeiving with immediate effect.
Gerard van der Meijden, Chairman of the Lingewaal Industrial Association (IVL): ‘As an entrepreneurs' association, we are extremely pleased that the municipality has advocated for our interests with the province. We appreciate the deputy’s efforts in this regard. Finally, we can get to work on further developing our Zeiving business park. There is a great deal of interest from our entrepreneurs in this.’
Room to grow
Although public space is under pressure due to housing construction, the energy transition and nature restoration, businesses in Rivierenland are being given room to grow. The new RPW focuses on agribusiness, manufacturing and (regional) logistics. These are sectors that fit West Betuwe well, according to Van Stappershoef. ‘By focusing on these sectors, we are strengthening the existing economic structure and utilising the unique qualities of the region.’
For several sites, the municipality is in talks with entrepreneurs about their wishes regarding expansion. Discussions are also underway with the province about the administrative frameworks. And we are in dialogue with developers about concrete plans for these business parks.
Future-proof
The region wants to take an additional step by making existing business parks future-proof. Specifically, this means better utilisation of available space, greening, sustainability, improving spatial quality and increasing the level of organisation. By this, we mean that entrepreneurs from a particular business park will work more closely together. This can be done in various ways, such as forming a Business Investment Zone (BIZ) or holding more frequent consultations. Each municipality will work on making at least one business park future-proof. For West Betuwe, this involves Zeiving in Vuren.
Gerard van der Meijden and Rutger van Stappershoef at Zeiving in Vuren
