Rotterdam at a Glance

Literally the Gateway to Europe as the home to the continent’s largest port, Rotterdam is home to over thousand international companies from the United States, Asia and Europe. A few prominent names are BP/Chevron, Exxon/Mobil, Reebok, Mikroteck, Novell and Eastman Chemicals.

Rotterdam’s reputation as a young, dynamic city is reinforced by its post-modern architecture, many ambitious redevelopment projects and a famous high-rise skyline. However, the city offers many tangible benefits to foreign companies looking to set up in Europe via the Netherlands.

Logistics and Maritime Industry

The existence of Rotterdam Port, which was until 2004 the world’s busiest port, has fuelled the growth of logistics and maritime industries like shipbuilding, maritime engineering, etc. With access to Europe’s hinterland via wide riverine systems, high speed train links and by air, Rotterdam has emerged as the most efficient entry point for Asian companies to get their goods into Europe. Indian manufacturers too have used Rotterdam as their logistics hub for Europe for decades.

Rotterdam Port

Rotterdam Port is now being expanded and will be 1000 hectares larger by 2013. Already supporting major manufacturing sectors like the chemicals industry, the port is set to become an energy hub with two new power plants under construction.

Business Services

However, Rotterdam’s attractiveness does not stop at its maritime expertise. With 600,000 people from over 174 nationalities living in the Rotterdam area, the city has become a major hub for arts, culture and business services.
In fact, business services like insurance, banking and consultancy account for about 60 percent of the economic activity in the city. Erasmus University’s famous Rotterdam School of Management adds value to business activities in the region. Availability of affordable office space is an added advantage for businesses looking to locate in Rotterdam.

Medical Expertise

Hinged around the Erasmus Medical Centre, which has stood first in the world for ten years in a row for clinical R&D, Rotterdam has a successful cluster of medical companies in R&D and manufacturing. Virology and pharmacy are the thrust areas for research, hi-tech medical equipment is an area of specialisation and IT in healthcare services is another niche area that would be of interest to Indian companies.
Rotterdam’s ambitious new project called the Science Park is coming up to invite R&D and innovation-based companies to set up their facilities in the city.

Creative Industry

The city is also gaining a formidable reputation as home to companies in the creative business. In a bid to expand its economy beyond the harbour, the local government has laid emphasis on the creative sector. Between 1996 and 2003, reports say, the creative sector within Rotterdam grew by 8 percent. The media and entertainment industry is most prominent with a growth of 13.3 percent, with a turnover growth of over 270 percent in the audio-visual sector alone.