Tech as driver for broad prosperity in the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam PGchk

Tech as driver for broad prosperity in the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam On the road to sustainable earning capacity 10-03-2025

Tech as an engine for broad prosperity in the MRA On the road to sustainable earning capacity

Contents Summary

3

Introduction: the MRA is still at a crossroads

4

The Amsterdam region is important for the earning capacity of the Netherlands

4

Productivity growth in the Amsterdam region

4

Greater Amsterdam is developing into a tech region

5

Economic growth doesn’t boost broad prosperity enough

6

"The world is watching the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam"

7

Sustainable earning capacity and shared values

How do we achieve sustainable earning capacity in the MRA?

7

8

An insight from the interviews

8

An insight from the dialogue tables

8

How do we use the unique power of tech companies for the benefit of broad prosperity?

8

What should companies and the government do to create an ecosystem of shared values?

9

How do we get to taking concrete action?

10

Urgency: Achieve collective impact

11

Attachments

12

Appendix 1. Greater Amsterdam and the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam

12

Appendix 2. Greater Amsterdam: Economic growth and specialisation

13

Appendix 3. Technology Indicators Scoreboard

14

Appendix 4. Interviewees and participants in the dialogue tables

15

Colophon

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Tech as an engine for broad prosperity in the MRA – on the road to sustainable earning capacity

Summary •

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The Amsterdam region is the most productive region in the Netherlands, with an important contribution to the national earning capacity; the region is responsible for almost a quarter of the economic growth in the Netherlands between 1995 and 2023. In recent decades, the region has developed as a knowledge and tech region due to a very high specialization of jobs in technological and knowledge-intensive sectors. The Amsterdam region has about 20% of all knowledge-intensive jobs in the Netherlands and the business community is at the forefront of the adoption and marketing of technologies and innovations. In 2022, we found that the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam is at a crossroads. Narrow prosperity (economic growth) is not in balance with broad prosperity. In 2025, this observation is even more topical. Europe and the Netherlands are faced with the task of developing a new plan for sustainable prosperity and competitiveness. Regions such as the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam (MRA) play a crucial role in this: In this region, the agendas on productivity, (key) technologies and broad prosperity come together. The main task is to create sustainable earning capacity, whereby governments and especially companies create social value in the region in addition to economic value.

It is precisely these technological and knowledge-intensive sectors that can make a major contribution to this with new products and services, their role in the value chain, and by building an (innovation) ecosystem in the region. In interviews and dialogues with directors and companies, in addition to the above findings (from our empirical research), we discussed the task of 'how to create sustainable earning capacity'. The outcomes shows that the business community is not organized enough and therefore not enough of a discussion partner for the government. Moreover, the business community is insufficiently involved in the social issues of the MRA. The government is also not aware enough of what the business community is already doing and could do even more for broad prosperity in the region. The relationship with policy departments in The Hague could also be improved. According to the participants in the dialogues, the following is therefore important for a future sustainable earning capacity in the MRA:

1.

A common narrative has to be created, with a common agenda: government, education and companies come together and coordinate their mutually reinforcing activities and, together, define their commitment and contributions to the collective values.

2. 3.

This includes a shared measurement system to measure progress and impact. 1 This requires trust between governments, companies, and education, to work together towards common goals and to really speak each other's language.

4.

Which means that it is ultimately a governance issue in which parties have a mandate to mobilize resources and promote policy on broad prosperity.

In short, there is a clear call to come up with a common agenda (of companies and governments), containing concrete actions to develop sustainable prosperity and competitiveness. The Metropolitan Region Amsterdam is indispensable for this." (for sustainable prosperity in the region, the Netherlands and Europe, ed.) The crossroads is a metaphor for the choices to be made. The interviews and dialogues show that steps have been taken on this new path of sustainable earning capacity. But in order to really find the way forward, the MRA can distinguish itself much more as a region for technology, innovation and knowledge, in which companies not only benefit from the unique qualities of the MRA, but also contribute to them in the broadest sense. With a government that supports these companies, so that an entrepreneurial, innovative ecosystem is created. Our research shows that there is a lot of support for having this tackled jointly by Bureau MRA and the Amsterdam Economic Board.2

A so-called digital twin can, for example, provide simulations around prosperity. This is in line with the focus on sustainable and responsible technology and AI (Amsterdam Economic Board). 1 2

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Tech as an engine for broad prosperity in the MRA – on the road to sustainable earning capacity

Introduction: The MRA is still at a crossroads The Amsterdam region is important for the earning capacity of the Netherlands Over the past three decades, the economy of the Amsterdam region (Greater Amsterdam) has grown substantially and considerably faster than the Dutch economy.3 Since 1995, the national economy has grown by 74%, while the economy of the Amsterdam region has grown by 148% (see figure 6 in Appendix 2). Greater Amsterdam is therefore responsible for almost a quarter (23%) of economic growth in the Netherlands between 1995 and 2023 and over the period 2010-2023 for as much as almost a third (31%). No other region has grown faster since 1995. Only Brainport Eindhoven can keep up with the growth rate of Greater Amsterdam.

Productivity growth in the Amsterdam region The (regional) economy can grow through an increase in employment and/or an increase in labor productivity.4 Greater Amsterdam manages to combine both factors: employment and labor productivity have grown considerably over the past three decades. As a result, Greater Amsterdam currently has the highest labor productivity of all Dutch regions. Together with Brainport Eindhoven, it is the only region that has created more employment in highly productive sectors in the past decade. This is against the national trend. This shows a shift from high-productivity to low-productivity jobs, which explains to a large extent the declining productivity growth of the Dutch economy. We see that productivity in most sectors in the MRA is (a lot) higher than in the same sectors elsewhere in the country (see figure 1). It is mainly the knowledge-intensive service sectors that create a lot of added value: information and communication technology, specialist business services (consulting firms, research and development, etc.) and financial services. Figure 1: Labor productivity is higher in most sectors in the Amsterdam region than in the Netherlands Labor productivity 2022

200 175 150 125 100

75 50 25 0

The Netherlands

Greater Amsterdam

Source: CBS, edited by RaboResearch 2025

In this chapter, we present figures on the COROP area of Greater Amsterdam (see Appendix 1 for an explanation). 4 In this study, we use the terms labor productivity and productivity interchangeably but they mean the same thing. We measure labor productivity as added value per hour worked at constant prices (2021). 3

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Tech as an engine for broad prosperity in the MRA – on the road to sustainable earning capacity

Between 2010 and 2022, productivity in Greater Amsterdam grew by more than 18%, compared to 8% nationally. Figure 2 shows the contribution of the sectors to productivity growth over this period. The sectors business services (7.9 percentage points), trade (5.1 percentage points), ICT (2.7 percentage points) and financial services (1.0 percentage points) contributed most to this productivity growth in Greater Amsterdam. Figure 2: Breakdown of labor productivity growth 2010 – 2022 for Greater Amsterdam

Source: CBS, edited by RaboResearch 2025

Greater Amsterdam is developing into a tech region Greater Amsterdam has a clear economic profile, with specialisations in ICT, business services, logistics and hospitality. Moreover, these are the sectors in which employment is growing the fastest (see Appendix 2). If we look more closely at the specializations at the level of sub-sectors, we mainly see specializations in aviation, financial institutions and travel agencies. These are all companies or sectors that rely heavily on high-end technologies. Greater Amsterdam is therefore increasingly emerging as a tech region. To assess whether Greater Amsterdam is actually excelling in tech, we have collected various indicators that provide insight into the technological focus of the region. Figure 3 shows that Greater Amsterdam scores high on almost all tech indicators. The region invests relatively heavily in research & development (R&D) and is well-positioned in key technologies, including cybersecurity, AI and (opto)mechatronics. Although the region has average scores in terms of patents, Greater Amsterdam excels in the number of jobs in knowledge-intensive sectors (20% of all knowledge-intensive jobs are in this region), the adoption of new technologies on the labor market, and the introduction of new technologies on the market (see box 1). Greater Amsterdam is often (almost) the leader in the Netherlands.

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Tech as an engine for broad prosperity in the MRA – on the road to sustainable earning capacity

Figure 3: Greater Amsterdam scores high on tech indicators

scoree

1

0 R&D expenditure Patents

Leader

KeyTechnologies

Laggard

Jobs in high-tech and knowledgeintensive sectors

Netherlands

Adoption of technologies

and innovations

Launch of technologies and innovations

Greater Amsterdam

Source: CBS, RVO, LISA, RaboResearch, Balland and Boschma (see appendix 3 for further explanation)

Economic growth doesn’t boost prosperity enough Although the economy in Greater Amsterdam grew strongly, at a rate twice as fast as that of the whole of the Netherlands, this growth did not translate into a proportional increase in prosperity (see figure 4). Between 2013 and 2023, prosperity in Greater Amsterdam did increase, but not faster than the national average. And this while prosperity in Greater Amsterdam was (and is) already relatively low compared to other Dutch regions. Figure 4: Development of BWI and GDP per capita, comparison between Greater Amsterdam and the Netherlands

Source: Statistics Netherlands, RaboResearch, Utrecht University Note: The figure shows the development since 2013. Because the Broad Prosperity Indicator score (in Dutch: BWI) of Greater Amsterdam in 2013 was below the Dutch average and the figure shows that it does not exceed the development in the Netherlands, the score in 2023 is still below average. Page 6/17

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Tech as an engine for broad prosperity in the MRA – on the road to sustainable earning capacity

"The world is watching the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam" In 2022, we found that the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam is at a crossroads. Broad prosperity is not in balance with narrow prosperity (economic growth). The interpretation at the time was that the MRA is faced with the choice of continuing on the old path, or taking a new path in which the economy (as a means) is more geared towards broad prosperity (the goal). The data presented in the previous paragraphs confirms that this is still very topical. In 2025, the issue of the crossroads is perhaps even more topical than in 2022. The geopolitical landscape has changed and Europe is faced with the challenge of developing a new plan for sustainable prosperity and competitiveness. Mario Draghi's report 'The Future of European Competitiveness' explicitly links the productivity and competitiveness agenda to sustainability and broad prosperity. Although the Netherlands is one of the most productive economies in the world, it also faces this challenge.5 And so, not surprisingly, people also look at regions like the MRA.6 The European, national and regional agendas come together here around productivity, (key) technologies 7 and sustainable earning capacity that contributes to broad prosperity.

Sustainable earning capacity and shared values Starting from the deep dive and facts presented, the question of the crossroads is therefore about how the MRA generates sustainable earning capacity. In this process, public and private parties in the region create shared values together (see box).

Shared values In 2011, Porter & Kramer (2011) introduced the concept of 'shared values' based on the premise that the competitiveness of a company and the vitality of the living environment are closely intertwined. A company needs a vital business environment and community, not only as a market for its products, but also because it needs public and private facilities from the area to operate competitively. At the same time, a community needs successful businesses for jobs and prosperity opportunities for its citizens. According to Porter & Kramer, this interdependence means that government policies that erode the productivity and competitiveness of businesses are counterproductive, especially in a global economy where facilities and jobs can easily move elsewhere. The same applies the other way around: Companies that parasitize on their environment, undermine themselves in the long run. In short, a company's environment is crucial to a company's productivity and innovation and companies add more value than just financial profit. The latter is certainly crucial. According to Porter and Kramer, this goes beyond corporate social responsibility. It's about creating positive impact through a company's core business. According to them, it therefore requires a fundamental revision of how companies create value and how they see their role in society.

This is the core idea of 'shared values': companies can create economic value by creating social value. There are three different ways to do this: by reimagining products and markets, by reimagining productivity in the value chain, and by building supportive industrial clusters or ecosystems in the company's region.

See also Annual Report State of SMEs 2024 and State of Dutch Tech Report 2025 In this report, the focus is on the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam. But the issue is relevant for more regions. See, for example, the response of Brabant deputy Van Gruijthuijsen and the role of Brainport. 7 See Priority ten critical technologies for economy, society and security. 5 6

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Tech as an engine for broad prosperity in the MRA – on the road to sustainable earning capacity

How do we achieve sustainable earning capacity in the MRA? An insight from the interviews In the period from May 2024 to October 2024, we interviewed more than thirty people from the MRA (see appendix 4). We asked them the question: what other spatial and economic choices have been made in the past three years to allow public and private choices to focus more on prosperity? An important initial finding is that 'broad prosperity' has become central to policy in recent years. An example is the MRA Agenda 2025-2028, which indicates the ambitions for the future of the MRA and in which a different, broad prosperity is the guideline for the thinking and acting framework. "That requires thinking and acting differently. It is inevitable that we as a region make choices, because not everything is possible and not everything can be done all at once". The MRA Agenda further states: "We should not only 'do sustainable things', but above all do things sustainably". This involves three pillars. The MRA should be: 1) the most innovative region in Europe, with the most educated population; 2) a region for everyone; 3) a sustainably connected region". At the same time, the interviews show that although broad prosperity is more emphatically in focus ('we know better what the challenges are'), this does not yet lead to different spatial and economic choices.

The interviewees cite four main reasons for this: (1) The business community is not organized enough (very fragmented) and is therefore not enough of a discussion partner for the government. Moreover, the larger business community in the Amsterdam region in particular is still (too) little concerned with the creation of collective values and the development of the region; (2) The business community is also only slightly involved in the social issues of the MRA. The interviews also talk about the 'gap' between government and business; (3) Many municipalities still look mainly within their own borders and there is still relatively little supramunicipal cooperation; (4) The relationship with government in The Hague can be stronger, and that is necessary: Many issues in the MRA require cooperation with national policymakers.

An insight from the dialogue tables In the period December 2024 to February 2025, we spoke with directors and companies in three dialogues (see Appendix 4). Central questions in these conversations were: "How do we use the unique strength of the tech companies in the MRA for the benefit of broad prosperity?" and "What should companies and government do together to achieve an ecosystem of shared values?"

How do we use the unique power of tech companies for the benefit of broad prosperity? The dialogue tables strongly indicate that this starts with the creation of a joint strategic interest between government and business. The emphasis should be on mutual understanding. Participants in the dialogues indicate that the interests of government and companies are often not at all opposed. A long-term vision at the level of the MRA can be part of this, so that clear choices can be made. Page 8/17

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Tech as an engine for broad prosperity in the MRA – on the road to sustainable earning capacity

The Nieuw Amsterdams Verbond (New Amsterdam Association) serves as a good recent example.8 But it is also about how the earning capacity of the Amsterdam region can be strengthened/increased, so that social and ecological values are also created. There must be a joint investment agenda. Currently, the business community is not sufficiently involved in this agenda-setting, although there are common interests. The dialogues show that this can be linked to the MRA Agenda "Choosing Broad Prosperity Together" and Tech Radar - Innovation of the municipality of Amsterdam. Participants believe that the tech sector should also get its own act in order here. Among other things, they talk about a negative image: "Tech companies are only in the MRA for themselves, and are there for a limited group of workers. For example, they have a negative impact on the housing market." The task is to create a narrative that turns the negative image into a positive contribution to the MRA. Participants also say that the government needs to understand technology better: "If you don't understand technology, you don't see the future" Linking the tech sector to sustainable earning capacity in the context of broad prosperity is an opportunity, given the creative and innovative nature of the MRA, according to the dialogue participants.

A good example is what the Amsterdam Economic Board is doing in the Innovative Region programme. This programme focuses on a 'resilient society'; how to ensure a robust IT infrastructure? And on strengthening the technology profile of the region; how to put the Amsterdam region more firmly on the map in the field of tech and AI. Encouraging tech companies to develop more technological solutions that contribute to broad prosperity in the MRA is important. Examples are: digitization in education, healthcare or mobility. The participants indicate that this is not only about profit-driven programs. For example, attention to the role of technology in education is important to improve equality of opportunity. Just like the cooperation between the educational and knowledge institutions (MBO,HBO,WO), in which talent is linked to the challenges/tasks of broad prosperity.

What should companies and government do to achieve an ecosystem of shared values? The participants in the dialogues indicate that there is currently a weak connection between the government and companies in general and tech companies in particular and that this needs to be improved. Part of the strength of the MRA is the pluralism, diversity and heterogeneity in the business world, but this means that the organizational power is fragmented. Companies do not make moves on their own to contribute to society and strengthen the region. There is a strong need for clear direction through a common interest. "It takes effort to understand each other and to speak each other's language" Finally, the dialogue shows that the MRA must use the power of the region's pluralism to develop the economic ecosystem. This means strengthening the functional cohesion between companies and between companies and other institutions. Tech companies could have a stronger interaction and interconnectedness with small and medium-sized enterprises in their innovation processes. There must be a focus in which tech companies contribute to the challenges of broad prosperity.

So that tech The aim of the New Amsterdam Association is to deploy extra resources/manpower/knowledge and networks from a shared sense of responsibility for the future of Amsterdam, where broad prosperity is lagging, to jointly strengthen the quality of life in the broadest sense of the word. 8

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Tech as an engine for broad prosperity in the MRA – on the road to sustainable earning capacity

companies in areas such as digital infrastructure, AI, cybersecurity and data can bridge the gap to how this technology can be used for broad prosperity: for example, using AI applications in healthcare or to support the energy transition. Education also has an important role, because it takes social dilemmas into account and forms a bridge to the business community. Finally, tech companies can play a positive role in a resilient society, which in turn is an urgent and important theme to ensure (broad) prosperity in the future.

How do we arrive at concrete actions? Finally, the question of 'how to take action' was discussed in the dialogue sessions. An important common denominator for the translation of this question here are the recommendations in the recent Draghi report, aimed at strengthening future European competitiveness (here too, sustainable competitiveness and economic security are mentioned). Tech companies and regions play a major role in this to generate innovation and productivity. One action could be, by analogy with Draghi, to join the new Clean Industrial Deal to promote competitive industries and quality jobs. Participants indicate that from these recommendations it is not surprising that we look to the MRA ("Tech is part of the solution and MRA has a tech profile"). Important themes are, for example, to make education and healthcare more productive through digitization and technology. In addition, the participants say, it helps to provide insight into what is already happening in the regions based on different collaborations. Because there is already a lot going on, but it is not shared enough. Examples are: o

Innovation Districts | I amsterdam as a stage for, for example, for tech companies that bring things to the market together with knowledge institutions. This is a good example of speeding things up;

o o

Over Codam - Codam Coding College; Green TechCampus MRA: Working together to accelerate the energy transition Province of North Holland. Green Tech is the umbrella organization that drives the tech campus North-Holland to make the province more technical, sustainable and greener;

o o

TechValley-NH - Next Generation Machine Engineering; Tumo: a free international after-school program. Teenagers learn skills at the intersection of design and technology. A collaboration between the municipality of Amsterdam, OBA, Miro and Adyen.

o o

XS Dome Techport Home - Techport - On the way to the first green industrial zone in the Netherlands

It is important to make such initiatives part of the larger ecosystem, especially those that connect education and businesses. In addition, the participants believe that SMEs should come into contact with tech companies more in order to become more productive, greener or more circular. It can also help to bring a number of innovation districts under one umbrella and organize network meetings to collect and fill the needs of tech companies, such as financing, scaling up and access to market parties. A recommendation from the dialogues is to start from the bottom up at the project level and not too much from the top down. Start small and show which projects are working so they can scale. For example: A reward system of fast-track certification for companies that use AI for compliance and sustainability, or when technology is demonstrably used to solve urban problems (e.g. faster permits, tax breaks and subsidies). Page 10/17

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Tech as an engine for broad prosperity in the MRA – on the road to sustainable earning capacity

Urgency: Achieve collective impact Our analyses, the interviews and the dialogue tables show that it is important for the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam to focus economic development more on shared values, with which the economy can contribute to broad prosperity. This is a collective responsibility of companies and government. Five elements are important for this: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

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A common agenda: Which helps to align the efforts of the players and define their commitment. A shared measurement system: A system to measure progress and impact. Priority and focus in mutually reinforcing activities: Activities that complement and reinforce each other. Constant communication: Builds trust and ensures common goals. Dedicated support: A separate, independently-funded team that builds public support, promotes policy and mobilizes resources.

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Tech as an engine for broad prosperity in the MRA – on the road to sustainable earning capacity

Appendices Appendix 1. Greater Amsterdam and the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam Our research relates to the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam (MRA). This region has a specific demarcation. The people we interviewed and who participated in the dialogues come from all over this region. For the purpose of the study, we collected the empirical data at the level of COROP areas. Greater Amsterdam is one of the COROP areas of the MRA and economically the largest. Figure 5 shows that Amsterdam acts as a magnet for all surrounding regions: Many people commute to Amsterdam for work. Our study ‘the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam is at a crossroads (2022)’ includes data on all COROP areas and sub-regions of the MRA. In the current study, we mainly present data on Greater Amsterdam. Greater Amsterdam also has the strongest tech profile. This does not alter the fact that the other subareas are also of economic value and have tech companies that are important for the entire MRA. Moreover, as emphasized in the report on the crossroads, solutions to problems in the individual municipalities of the MRA are to be found on the larger scale of the MRA. The starting point: The whole is more than the sum of its parts. Figure 5: Commuting flows in Greater Amsterdam and MRA

Note: The figure shows commuting to and from the municipality of Amsterdam (with a lower limit of 5000 movements). Source: CBS, edited by RaboResearch 2025 Page 12/17

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Tech as an engine for broad prosperity in the MRA – on the road to sustainable earning capacity

Appendix 2. Greater Amsterdam: Economic growth and specialization Figure 6: The economy of Greater Amsterdam is growing twice as fast as that of the Netherlands as a whole

Source: CBS, edited by RaboResearch 2025

Figure 7: Greater Amsterdam specializes in ICT and business services developments in employment 1996 2023

350% 300% 250% 200% 150% 100% 50% 0%

-50%

-100% 0.0

0.5

← Sector underrepresented

1.0 Location Quotient

Agriculture Energy Trade ICT Other business services

Minerals Water and waste Transport and storage Financial Services Government

Healthcare

Culture, sports and recreation

Source: LISA, edited by RaboResearch 2025

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1.5 Sector overrepresented → Industry Construction Catering Business services Education

2.0

Tech as an engine for broad prosperity in the MRA – on the road to sustainable earning capacity

Table 1: Location quotient (degree of specialization) for sub-sectors in Greater Amsterdam, top 15 Rank Sector

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

1

Aviation

9.3

9.1

9.1

9.0

8.9

8.7

8.4

8.4

8.4

8.3

8.2

8.3

8.4

8.4

2

Financial institutions (no insurance, pension fund)

2.8

2.8

2.8

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.2

3.4

3.5

3.7

3.7

3.6

3.7

3.6

3

Travel agency, tour operator, tourist information

1.9

1.7

1.8

2.0

1.7

1.7

2.2

2.4

2.4

3.3

3.2

3.3

3.4

3.4

4

Production and distribution of films and television programs

3.2

3.1

3.1

3.0

3.1

3.1

3.1

3.1

3.1

3.0

2.9

2.9

2.8

2.7

5

Publishing houses

2.7

2.6

2.5

2.5

2.5

2.4

2.5

2.6

2.6

2.6

2.6

2.6

2.6

2.6

6

Information service activities

2.1

2.1

2.1

1.9

2.2

2.4

2.1

2.3

2.5

2.4

2.4

2.4

2.4

2.3

7

Lotteries and games of chance

2.0

2.0

2.1

2.1

1.4

2.0

2.0

2.1

2.0

2.0

2.1

2.2

2.2

2.2

8

Security and detection

2.0

2.2

2.1

2.2

2.5

2.4

2.4

2.4

2.6

2.4

2.3

2.3

2.3

2.2

9

Art

2.6

2.5

2.5

2.5

2.5

2.5

2.4

2.4

2.3

2.2

2.2

2.3

2.2

2.2

10

Advertising and market research

2.2

2.1

2.1

2.0

2.0

2.0

2.0

1.9

2.0

2.0

2.0

2.0

2.0

2.0

11

Industrial design and design, photography, translation

2.4

2.4

2.3

2.2

2.2

2.2

2.0

2.0

2.0

2.0

1.9

1.9

1.9

1.9

12

Holding companies (not financial), internal group services

2.0

2.0

2.0

2.0

1.9

1.9

2.0

2.0

1.9

1.9

1.8

1.9

1.8

1.8

13

Waste water collection and treatment

2.4

2.4

2.3

2.3

2.1

2.2

2.2

2.1

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

14

Services. information technology activities.

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.3

1.2

1.5

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

15

Manufacture of clothing

1.1

1.2

1.4

1.3

1.2

1.5

1.6

1.5

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.7

1.7

1.6

Note: the location quotient measures how specialized a region is in a particular sector. If the share of jobs in a sector at regional level is higher than the national share of jobs, the score is higher than 1 (over-representation). Conversely, if the share in the region is lower, the location quotient is lower than 1 (underrepresentation). Source: LISA, edited by RaboResearch 2025

Appendix 3. Technology Indicators Scoreboard To see how technology-oriented Greater Amsterdam is, we take a closer look at a number of key indicators. We compare these figures for Greater Amsterdam, or in some cases North Holland, with the Netherlands as a whole or other Dutch regions. To compare areas, we normalize the indicators using the min-max method. •

R&D expenditure (CBS): Expenditure on research & development (R&D) per working year. Here we take the average over the period 2019-2022. The figures are about the Greater Amsterdam region.

•

Patents (RVO): number of patents issued per 100,000 inhabitants. The figures are for the Greater Amsterdam region.

•

Key Enabling Technologies (Balland & Boschma): Key Enabling Technologies are expected to contribute to a variety of policy objectives, such as strengthening the competitiveness of the Netherlands, protecting national security, and addressing societal challenges, such as the green transition (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, 2024). This includes: optical systems & integrated photonics, quantum, process technology, biomolecular & cell technology, imaging technology, (opto)mechatronics, artificial intelligence & data science, energy materials, semiconductors and cybersecurity. We use the data from the Balland & Boschma article and translate it into a location quotient (see table 2). The figures are about the province of North Holland.

•

Jobs in high-tech and knowledge-intensive sectors (LISA and OECD): Share of employees in hightech and knowledge-intensive sectors in the year 2023. We use LISA data on jobs and use Eurostat's definition to classify which jobs are considered high-tech and knowledge-intensive. The figures are about the Greater Amsterdam region. Adoption of technologies and innovations (RaboResearch): based on a survey of more than 10,000 people in the Netherlands. We asked the question to what extent technology and innovation play a role in the interpretation of their work. The figures are about the Greater Amsterdam region. We have weighted regionally on the following characteristics: gender, age group, level of education.

•

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Tech as an engine for broad prosperity in the MRA – on the road to sustainable earning capacity

Launch of technologies and innovations (RaboResearch): Based on a survey of more than 1,500 Dutch companies. We asked companies whether they have introduced 1) improved internal processes, 2) qualitatively improved products and/or services, and 3) new products and/or services in the past three years. The figures are about the province of North Holland.

•

Table 2. Location quotient for key enabling technologies in Dutch provinces Artificial Intelligence & Data Science

(Opto)mechatr onica

Imaging technology

Optical Systems & integrated photonics

Cybersecurity

Semiconductors

Biomolecular &

Quantum

Celtechnology

ProcessTechnology Including Energy Materials process-intensified ie

Groningen

0.56

0.76

0.72

0.34

0.74

0.74

0.90

1.62

1.33

0.71

Friesland

0.97

1.01

0.92

1.12

0.59

0.55

0.97

0.85

1.27

1.56

Drenthe

0.82

0.85

0.83

1.07

0.03

0.59

0.14

1.81

1.61

0.49

Overijssel

0.92

0.53

0.80

1.03

1.89

1.14

0.70

0.55

0.86

1.94

Gelderland

0.56

0.37

0.36

0.43

0.64

0.57

0.42

1.75

1.71

0.83

Flevoland

0.66

0.36

0.59

0.39

1.42

2.25

1.49

0.90

0.85

0.83

Utrecht

0.58

0.66

0.68

0.56

0.85

0.53

1.03

1.53

1.29

0.93

North Holland

1.66

1.95

1.60

2.00

0.67

0.61

0.70

0.90

0.67

0.73

South Holland

0.83

0.73

0.95

0.58

0.78

1.37

1.73

1.04

0.84

1.03

Zeeland

0.77

0.45

0.65

0.57

1.62

1.16

0.94

0.53

1.06

2.08

North Brabant

2.07

2.29

2.25

2.03

1.66

1.24

1.55

0.11

0.05

0.33

Limburg

0.45

0.35

0.32

0.55

1.28

1.47

0.81

0.89

1.40

1.44

Source: Balland & Boschma (2024), edited by RaboResearch 2025 Table 3. Share of employees in knowledge-intensive sectors and share and rank in the Netherlands

Source: LISA, edited by RaboResearch 2025

Appendix 4. Interviewees and participants in the dialogue tables Table 4: Interviewees and participants in the dialogue tables

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Name

Organization

Role

Ad Wijnhout

AW Group

Director

Annelies Osinga

Tech Campus Haarlemmermeer Quartermaster

Arthur van Dijk

NH Province

King's Commissioner

Bart Krull

Amsterdam Economic Board

Coalition manager

Corinne Vigreux

Tom Tom

CEO

Dana Hakman

Young on Board

President

Dirk Tuip

H20 Esports campus

Founder

Dorien Lathouwers

RomInWest

Business developer

Edwin Herrie

KPMG

Partner

Edwin van der Meer

BovenIJ

Director

Emiel Reiding

MRA Bureau

Director

Esther Rommel

NH Province

Representative

Femke Halsema

Amsterdam Economic Board

President

Geert Wissink

University of Amsterdam

Business Director

Ger Baron

Municipality of Amsterdam

Chief Technology Officer

Gerty Holla

Amsterdam Economic Board

Coalition manager

Haico Spijkerboer

VNO-NCW MRA

Director

Hans Honig

Deloitte

Director

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Tech as an engine for broad prosperity in the MRA – on the road to sustainable earning capacity

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Hans Witteveen

Stibbe

Director

Hasib Moukaddim

Windesheim

Director

Hein van der Loo

Municipality of Almere

Mayor

Ilknur Donmetz

Municipality of Amsterdam

Director

Janet Nieboer

RomInWest

Director

Jeroen Verwoort

Municipality of Velsen

Councilor

Jessica Peters-Hondelink Amsterdam Economic Board

Director

Joost Reimert

Preneurz

Partner

Jopie Nooren

AUAS

President

Jordi Hompes

Xomnia

Director

Kees Noorman

Oram

Director

Koen Overtoom

Port of Amsterdam

Director

Maarten de Gruyter

Boelens de Gruyter

Director

Marco van der Werf

Bit Academy

Founder

Maurice Hoogeveen

Booking.com

Head of Public Affairs

Mike Rijkers

XS Dome

Founder

Paul Riemens

EYES

Director

Paul van Engelen

Alliander

Region Lead North Holland and Amsterdam

Menke Leather

Amsterdam Economic Board

Program manager

Pien de Ruig

Stamps

Co-founder

Reinier van Dantzig

Municipality of Amsterdam

Councilor

Rintse van der Werf

SkillLab

Director of Business

Ronald Huikeshoven

Area developer AM

Director

Ronald Schmidt

Cordaan

Director

Ruben Nieuwenhuis

TechGrounds

Co-founder

Sandra Verweij

TechValley

Program manager

Saskia Bosnia

Amsterdam Economic Board

Program manager

Stephanie Onclin

Municipality of Zaanstad

Councilor

Ted van 't Hek

Van 't Hek

Director

According to Koster

Techport

Relationship manager companies

Tibert Verhagen

University of Amsterdam

Lecturer

Tjapko Poppens

Municipality of Amstelveen

Mayor

Victor Frequin

Municipality of Ouder-Amstel

Councilor

Viktor Bos

TechGrounds

Managing Director

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Tech as an engine for broad prosperity in the MRA – on the road to sustainable earning capacity

Colophon RaboResearch Nederland www.rabobank.nl/kennis

Otto Raspe RISE Floris Jan Sander Mark van Kampen

Head of RaboResearch Regional economist Sectorspecialist TMT Rabobank

With the cooperation of: Erik Versnel and David Zuilhof of Rabobank Amsterdam Metropolitan Area

Contact RaboResearch: Otto Raspe (otto.raspe@rabobank.nl) Contact Rabobank: Erik Versnel

© 2025 – All rights reserved

Disclaimer: https://www.rabobank.nl/disclaimer

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