Zeeland

Zeeland is located in the southwest of the Netherlands. It is criss-crossed by the Ooster- en Westerschelde estuaries. To the west is the North Sea; to the north, the province of Zuid Holland; Noord-Brabant is to its east and Belgium is to the south.

The area of the province (land and water) consists of more than 293,000 hectares. Of this, 143,800 hectares are for farming, 2,500 ha for forests, 8,700 ha for nature, 11,100 ha built-on land and almost 114,000 ha of water. The remaining land (13,200 ha) is zoned for industrial, traffic and recreational use. Thus, two-thirds of the province is land and one-third water. The average population density is 209 inhabitants per square kilometer. 

The province for entrepreneurs

Zeeland offers you many advantages from which your enterprise will benefit. Economic developments follow one after the other in rapid tempo, there are sufficient large high-quality business and office locations available. Due to the construction of the Westerschelde tunnel and traffic-free roads, companies can easily be accessed. Add Zeeland's well-educated labour force, the magnificent living and working environment to the bustling towns, the three-dimensional landscape and the perfect location in Europe, and you have found the ideal location for your enterprise! 

Central location

Zeeland is situated in the south-west of the Netherlands. This strategic location in Northern Europe, between the world ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, is an ideal basis for business. It is no wonder that many companies have already found their way to Zeeland. In Zeeland there is the space to do business, moreover. The cities of Middelburg, Vlissingen, Goes, Zierikzee and the channel zone near Terneuzen offer places for small and large (industrial) companies. In the smaller municipalities, small and medium-sized entrepreneurs can locate themselves on modern business parks. 

Excellent connections by land and water

The province consists of a number of peninsulas and a strip of mainland along the border with Belgium. The connections with the hinterland and between the different peninsulas and the mainland of Zeeland are excellent. A well-maintained network of roads, bridges and tunnels ensures this. Car and goods transport can count on traffic-jam free roads in Zeeland. Zeeland also has excellent public transport facilities by bus and train. Goods transport by rail is likewise possible in Zeeland, via the Sloe line to the seaport of Vlissingen. In a province as abounding in water as Zeeland, shipping takes an important place. The largest flow of goods in Europe goes via the water from the Netherlands and Belgium via the Rhine to Germany, eastern France and Switzerland. The ports of Vlissingen and Terneuzen along the Westerschelde river play an important role in this route, due to their link with the North Sea.

Via the Scheldt-Rhine-Canal, Rotterdam and Antwerp are easily accessible by inland vessels. The Ghent to Terneuzen Canal provides a link between the Westerschelde river and the Belgian port of Ghent.

High-quality education and qualified personnel

Well-qualified personnel are indispensable for almost every enterprise. Zeeland's educational institutions provide high-quality education. Together, these institutions fulfil the demand for competent staff. They offer a wide range of educational possibilities and certainly, as far as professional training is concerned, a great deal of collaboration with the business community takes place to achieve as optimal as possible cohesion between education and professional practice.

At the forefront in corporate social responsibility

Zeeland is at the forefront in the area of corporate sustainability or corporate social responsibility. Education and the business community undertake numerous initiatives to ensure that their operations are not at the cost of a proper balance between people, planet and profit. The business community in Zeeland is stimulated by an involved authority. The Province supports entrepreneurs with platforms, projects and initiatives like the Environmental Barometer, Master Class for Large Industrial Companies and Sustainable Innovation.

The five strongest sectors in Zeeland are: industry and services, ports, agriculture, fishery and aquaculture and recreation and tourism. In total, there are about 35,000 companies and institutions located in Zeeland. 

Industry and services

Zeeland is heavily industrialised in comparison with other Dutch provinces. In the relatively rural province of Zeeland, the industrial and port sectors are the most important compared to the other sectors. The port and industrial areas in Vlissingen and the Channel zone in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen are the driving force behind Zeeland's economy. Strongly represented businesses in the port area are, among others, the chemical industry, the metal industry and the electrical industry. Outside the port area the foodstuffs and luxury articles industries make a significant contribution to Zeeland's economy. In recent years, the proportions of transport, logistics and export have increased.

The business services sector is playing an increasingly prominent role in Zeeland since the advent of the Internet. It is no longer necessary for companies to locate themselves in the Randstad conurbation and therefore, many entrepreneurs opt for the benefits that a more rural environment provides. The favourable location of Zeeland in relation to the rest of the Netherlands and European countries like Belgium, France and England, has already attracted many internationally-oriented companies to the region. The non-commercial service sectors, such as care and education, are flourishing. About a quarter of Zealanders work in them. 

The ports of Zeeland Seaports

The ports of Vlissingen-Oost and Terneuzen together form Zeeland Seaports. The ports, which lie on opposite banks of the Westerschelde river, are closely connected and complement each other. Together, the ports process large quantities of goods from sea shipping. This is more than 30 million tons annually. Furthermore, inland shipping transports a further 30 million tons of goods. This means Zeeland Seaports is the third-largest port in the Netherlands. About 250 companies are located in the port area of Zeeland Seaports. This concerns high-quality industry and port-related enterprises. The Zeeland Seaports Port Authority plays an essential role. 

Agriculture

The agricultural sector in Zeeland amounts to about 4,000 concerns. More than half of the agricultural concerns are located in the regions of Zuid-Beveland and Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. Combined, these concerns occupy around 123,000 hectares of the Zeeland's land area. The largest part of the agriculture consists in arable farming. Primarily wheat, potatoes, barley, peas, beans, grass seed, onions and sugar beets are cultivated. Cattle farming, horticulture and fruit farming are also well represented in Zeeland.

The number of biological concerns has increased in recent years. Agricultural concerns are taking advantage of the changed attitudes of the consumers, who are increasingly aware of the environment and hence, have a greater need for biological products. Zeeland has approximately forty concerns engaged in biological agriculture and the expectation is that this number will continue to grow. Especially horticulturists and intensive cattle farms are switching to biological operation. 

Fisheries and aquaculture

Zeeland and fishing have been inseparably linked for centuries. Nowadays, there is still a large number of Zealanders engaged in fishing, fish and shellfish farming and fish processing. Besides the deep-sea and coastal fisheries, Zeeland is primarily renowned as a distributor of shellfish. Particularly Zeeland's mussels and oysters are world famous. Aquaculture, the farming of fish, crustaceans and shellfish and vegetation, is occupying an increasingly important place in Zeeland. The clean water in the Oosterschelde river is eminently suitable for farming salt-water fish. There are also experiments with farming saline-tolerant plants like sea coral and sea lavender. Aquaculture could provide a solution for problems like over-fishing. The Zeeland authorities stimulate technical innovations in aquaculture.

Technical innovations in aquaculture are stimulated by the Zeeland authorities. 

Recreation and tourism

Zeeland is well developed as a holiday area. With its extensive nature, historic towns, picturesque villages, beautiful holiday parks, great attractions, water sport facilities and broad beaches, the province has for many years attracted numerous tourists and holiday-makers. Entrepreneurs in the tourist sector focus largely on families with young children. Camping sites and bungalow parks abound. Water sports fans can also enjoy the many forms of water sports the province has to offer to their heart's content. Zeeland has been dubbed by domestic and foreign divers as the most treasured diving area in the Netherlands. 

Small and medium businesses (MKB)

The Small and Medium Businesses sector in Zeeland consists of a diverse group of companies. Zeelanders are entrepreneurial and active in a variety of sectors. The Small and Medium Businesses sector provides work for approx. 75,000 people and is thereby good for 46 per cent of all employment in Zeeland. Characteristic is the relatively large number of small businesses.

Foreign companies

• Goes: Bison International (USA)
• Middelburg: East Kodak (USA)
• Sas van Gent: Cargill (USA), Zuidchemie (France)
• Sluiskil: Yara (Norway)
• Terneuzen: British Oxygen (UK), Broomchemie (Israel), Dow Chemical (USA), Elopak (Norway), Oiltanking (Germany)
• Tholen: Allied Mineral (USA)
• Vlissingen: Mitsubishi Rayon (Japan), Thermphos (Kazachstan), KoSa (USA)
• Westdorpe: Outokumpu (Finland)

Demographic figures

• Population: 380,186 (2006)
• Labor force: 163,000 (2005)
• Unemployment rate: 6.2% (2005)

Province of Zeeland

• Impuls Zeeland  - www.impulszeeland.nl
• Zeeland Seaports - www.zeeland-seaports.com