Amsterdam Metropolitan Area

The Netherlands' capital, Amsterdam, and the surrounding Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, form a thriving hub for business and industry. Maintaining its traditional openness to the rest of the world, Amsterdam is an excellent business environment, offering a competitive cost to quality ratio, and an outstanding international network of professional services designed to assist international businesses. Another advantage is the ready availability of a highly educated, flexible, and motivated workforce, with the highest levels of language skills in Europe.

The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area is strategically positioned, with a dense network of air, road, water, rail, and cable connections to the rest of Europe. The presence of an international airport and major seaport makes Amsterdam a multi-modal hub with easy global accessibility, in addition to its unique position as a gateway to all major European markets. In addition, the presence of an international network of service providers allows for outsourcing possibilities.

Quality of life is high in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, making it one of the world's favourite places to live and work.

Key industries

• Commercial, financial and regional headquarters as well as distribution activities

Access nationally / internationally

• Schiphol International Airport and Amsterdam Seaport, with access to inland waterways
• Part of the European network of high-speed trains (Thalys)

Foreign companies

• Cisco Systems, Boeing, Hewlett Packard, Unisys, PeopleSoft Inc., Canon, Yamaha Motor, Nissan, Ricoh, Cargill, Autoliv, Mattel, Seagate, Bank of Scotland, TSMC, NEC, UPC, Intel, Dell

Demographic figures (2006)

• Population: 1,358,000 (Greater Amsterdam Area)
• Labor force: 799,000 (Greater Amsterdam Area)
• Unemployment rate: 10.0% (Greater Amsterdam Area)

Regional development agency

• Amsterdam inbusiness (is a co-operation between the foreign investment agencies of the cities of Amsterdam, Almere, Amstelveen and Haarlemmermeer) - www.amsterdaminbusiness.com

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