The Netherlands is home to some of the world’s most renowned brands when it comes to technology. Companies such as Philips, Thales (radar systems), NXP (nano technology, semiconductors) are all pioneers in their respective fields. Philips is one of the most prestigious and successful Dutch companies. Though it started out as a light bulb manufacturer, it soon expanded its operations to consumer electronics. It is now one of the market leaders in consumer electronics and has diversified its operation to include the manufacture of mobile phones, semi conductors, health equipment and a lot more. With an annual revenue of around 25 billion Euros and a profit of 4 billion Euros, it’s a force to be reckoned with.

Source: Agentschap NL

Other players in the high tech systems industry are equally successful. The Netherlands are a hot bed for technological development where leading research facilities, such as the much lauded Technische Universiteit Delft, contribute to an efficient recycling and development of knowledge. The high technology systems sector has been good for an annual turnover of approximately 24 billion Euros annually, indirectly even double that. Hi tech exports amount to 20 billion Euros annually. 70% of that export goes to the rest of Europe, the remaining 30% is shipped outside the EU. To date the sector can boast a positive trade balance of around 8 billion Euros annually. Moreover the annual revenue has seen an impressive 10 year growth of 4 billion Euros. With regards to labor, an estimated 140,000 people are directly employed in the field of high tech industries. Including indirect employment would see this figure nearly double.

Some of the many high tech products to be developed in the Netherlands are healthcare systems, systems for nano-electronics, food processing, systems for security and surveillance, systems for unmanned transport and material handling. Fields of advanced research are embedded ICT, mechatronics, integrated design and supply chain management.

With regards to future perspectives, one can say that the branch was not spared by the credit crisis of 2008, yet has sufficient resources to excel beyond the 30 billion revenue milestone. This prognosis is supported by many players in the field and is expected to take place somewhere between 2012 and 2014.

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