Despite the worldwide economic crisis in 2009, the WestHolland Foreign Investment Agency managed to bring in 35 international projects to the region around The Hague, Delft, Leiden and Zoetermeer. This was seven more than in 2008.
Of the 35 projects, 24 of them had to do with a foreign company opening a new office in the region. The WFIA assisted in eight projects in which a foreign company already in the Netherlands chose to expand or relocate. It also helped three companies locate a partner for technological cooperation in the WestHolland region.
Creation of jobs
The spin-off effect from these 35 projects resulted in the creation of 152 jobs. The companies involved expect some 487 jobs to be created for the region in the coming three years.
‘This is a wonderful result. It’s the tangible outcome of the various municipalities in the region working together,’ explained Deputy Mayor Frits Huffnagel (International Affairs) of The Hague, who is also chairman of the Board of Participants at the WFIA.
China and the US
More than half of the projects originated in China and the United States, priority countries for acquisition by the WFIA. The United Kingdom and Korea also made a substantial contribution to the results. It is also noteworthy that investors in Russia are showing a growing interest in expanding to West Europe. This resulted in two companies choosing to located in WestHolland.
WFIA
The WestHolland Foreign Investment Agency (WFIA) serves as the ‘one-stop shopping’ desk for the WestHolland region to assist and advise international companies on locating and staffing their operations in the WestHolland region.
WestHolland is the name given to the western region of the Netherlands and includes the cities of Delft, The Hague, Lansingerland, Leiden, Rijswijk, Zoetermeer as well as the surrounding communities.
Visit the website of the WFIA for more information.
source: www.denhaag.nl