HOLLAND
powered by innovation
1
CONTENTS
5
1. Small country, big achievements
9
2. How did the Netherlands get this far?
10
2.1 Water
12
2.2 Agriculture
15
2.3 Technology
16
2.4 Culture and the arts
18
2.5 Finance
20
2.6 Science
23
3. How does the Netherlands stay in front?
25
3.1 Education and research
27
3.2 Economy
29
3.3 Sustainable development
30
3.4 Social policies
32
3.5 Governance
34
3.6 Foreign policy
36
3.7 Cooperation within Europe
38
3.8 Culture and creativity
41
3.9 Health care and sports
45
4. The Netherlands and China cooperation
46
4.1 Cooperation in the field of water
48
4.2 Cooperation in the field of food & flowers
50
4.3 Cooperation in the field of high tech systems
52
4.4 Cooperation in the field of creative industry
54
4.5 Cooperation in the fields of Chemistry and Life Science
56
4.6 Cooperation in the field of energy
59
5. Conclusion
60
General Statistics on the Kingdom of the Netherlands
62
More useful information
1
Small country
Big achievements
In a way, the Dutch are funny people. While many people from other nations go
around telling everyone how big their country is, the Dutch like to boast about
how small it is. The Netherlands is rather small indeed. With a land mass of
33,893 km2, the Netherlands is about the same size as the island of Hainan. So
why are the Dutch so proud of living in such a small country?
Well, ask yourself this: how can a country this small find room for nearly 17 million inhabitants and over a million companies, and still be the world’s number
one in ornamental plant cultivation? The secret is down to efficient planning.
Planning is what the Dutch do best. Planners and architects are drawn to the
Netherlands from all over the world to learn about creative Dutch urban planning
solutions for crowded areas.
The innovative solutions the Dutch have devised to create pleasant living conditions are typical of their pragmatic and efficient approach to solving challenges.
This pragmatism and efficiency can be found throughout Dutch history. As a
small country, the Netherlands was never strong enough to enforce its will upon
other nations. So the Dutch had to learn how to negotiate – and they took to it
like a duck to water: Soon after its foundation the Dutch Republic became a trading nation of global importance.
4
From the late 16th to the mid 17th century, the Dutch
Republic was the most influential and wealthy country
in the world. The Dutch were so successful as merchants
because of their ability to adapt and innovate. When
they travelled to Asia and other parts of the world, they
adapted to local customs. Understanding local customs
created good business opportunities.
In this respect the Dutch are very much like the Chinese
today, who also see business opportunities wherever
they go. Like the Chinese, the Dutch don’t let tradition
stand in the way of innovation – rather they find ways to
incorporate the old with the new. Like the Chinese, when
faced with a challenge, the Dutch don’t back away or give
up: they approach the issue pragmatically and seek solutions, thus turning challenges into opportunities.
The Chinese and the Dutch are alike in another way: they
don’t like to waste money. Both nations value saving and
investing their money in a better future. Dutch banks and
insurance systems are renowned all over the world. Today the Netherlands has the most mature pension industry in the European Union and ranks highly as an investor.
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The Netherlands is further characterized by its age-old
struggle with water. The way the Dutch see it, water has
been both a challenge and a blessing to their country. To
protect the land against recurring floods, the Dutch built
their first dikes in the Middle Ages. Today, more than
2,400 kilometers of dikes and other structures make sure
water is less of a threat. Over the years, the Dutch have
built up enormous expertise in water management.
Direct access to the seas, on the other hand, has allowed
the Dutch to travel the world for trade and to construct
the port of Rotterdam- the biggest port in Europe and a
major gateway to the European market.
For a small country, these are all impressive achievements. In this booklet we wish to give you an in-depth
introduction to the Netherlands. We will discuss how the
Netherlands became a major player in the fields of water management, finance, science, technology, culture
and the arts, and agriculture. Then we will have a look at
the Netherlands today: how does the country manage
to maintain its position, what are its secrets? Finally, we
will investigate how China and the Netherlands can learn
from each other and collaborate to achieve a bright future.
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2
How did
the Netherlands
get this far?
8
2.1
Water
Situated between the North Sea, Belgium and Germany,
the Netherlands is a delta region through which three
large European rivers flow into the sea: the Rhine, the
Meuse and the Scheldt. Over the centuries, those rivers and the sea flooded the land regularly. Disastrous
floods have hit the country on a regular basis, claiming
many lives and destroying farmland. For instance, in the
St. Elizabeth Deluge of 1421 tens of thousands of people
died. As a consequence, the Dutch needed to learn to
control both the seas and the rivers, building up invaluable expertise in water management.
Until the 13th century the most common defense against
floods was simply to seek out higher dwelling places.
Slowly but surely people conquered the water by building dikes and reclaiming land. The introduction of mills
ensured a continuous use of agricultural land. Mills were
also used for the drainage of lakes. By 1852 a major victory was achieved when the 18,000 hectare lake ‘Haarlemmermeer’, near Amsterdam, was pumped dry. Eventually Schiphol Airport was built here.
Today what was formerly known as the South Sea is
called a lake (‘IJsselmeer’), after having been closed off
by a 30-kilometer-long dike in 1932. This Closure Dike
also made large-scale land reclamation possible: more
than 160,000 hectares of land (called ‘polders’) have
been reclaimed here. The construction of this dike was a
reaction to a flood in 1916, but when another disastrous
flood hit in 1953, the government decided to go even further and construct the Delta Works: the longest and most
elaborate system of dikes and other structures for water
management in the world.
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Water management issues prompted a new mode of cooperation within communities. Since water issues usually
called for local action, national authorities didn’t need to
be involved. For a long time, waterboards monitored the
dikes while farmers were responsible for a certain tract
each. Later on, the waterboards started to maintain the
dikes themselves to safeguard quality of service, paid for
by water taxes.
Well into the 19th century small-scale, local agreements
made sure everyone’s needs were met. It has been suggested that the Dutch culture of public deliberation and
seeking consensus (the ‘polder model’) was born in these
agreements. Eventually, under French rule (1795-1813)
water policies became a national matter. The government Department of Waterworks now oversees the
waterboards, most of which have merged into bigger
organisations.
After having experienced some alarmingly high river water levels in the 1990s as a result of climate change, the
Netherlands now seeks European collaboration in water
management. A new approach has been introduced: giving water more space reduces flooding to allocated areas
while the hinterland remains safe.
Water treatment is also an area in which the Dutch have
ample experience. The first water conduits were laid in
the 19th century to provide Amsterdam with clean drinking water. Gradually all of the country was connected to
water treatment systems. These days two-thirds of the
drinking water in the Netherlands consists of filtered and
treated groundwater, which is less contaminated than
surface (river) water, and 99% of the population enjoys
drinkable tap water in their homes – chlorine-free.
Did you
know?
Another aspect of being surrounded by water should not
be overlooked: the North Sea and rivers are convenient
gateways to the rest of Europe and the world. Because of
its central location the northern part of the Netherlands
has played a leading role in the trade between Scandinavia, Germany and France from the 5th century onwards.
With growing trade in Western Europe the Dutch coastal
cities became important staple towns for wine, wood,
cloth and grains.
Real wealth came to the Netherlands in the age of discoveries, starting from the 15th century. This period has also
been called the beginning of globalisation. The Dutch
‘Golden Age’ in the 17th century was a direct result of
the expansion of world trade. The country’s importance
as a storage space and infrastructure hub for European
imports grew explosively, as did its own trade efforts. The
Dutch East India Company (VOC), which coordinated
shipping and trade with Southeast Asia, was for a long
time the largest commercial enterprise in the world.
The fishing village of Rotterdam grew into the world’s
biggest seaport. Today it is still by far the biggest seaport
in Europe. Goods arriving in Rotterdam in the morning
can be in Germany, Belgium, France or Great Britain the
same afternoon, via road, rail, inland shipping, coastal
shipping or pipeline. Land reclamation off Rotterdam’s
coast continues to create space for future port activities.
The continuing Dutch interest in water management is
symbolized in the important role Crown Prince WillemAlexander plays internationally. For more than 10 years
now, he has been a patron of the Global Water Partnership, which aims to achieve integrated water management by turning international environmental agreements into concrete projects. Since 2006, he chairs the
UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and
Sanitation, promoting worldwide action in these fields.
The lowest point in the Netherlands, located in the Prince Alexander Polder northeast of Rotterdam
(Nieuwerkerk a/d IJssel), is 6.76 metres below sea level. About 60% of the population live below sea level.
11
2.2
Agriculture
The Netherlands is among the world’s largest exporters
of food stuffs, based on a long tradition of international
trade, but also homegrown expertise.
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Farms flourished around the burgeoning cities. As more
and more people became well-to-do, demand for flowers
and fruit grew as well. This sparked the spread of greenhouses. The first greenhouses were used by universities
for the study of tropical plants, but soon breeders picked
up on the benefits of this controlled, warm environment
with plenty of sunshine.
Traditionally most farms were mixed: some animals were
kept for meat and transportation, while greens were
produced for animal fodder, food and trade. Increasing trade introduced cheap grain from overseas, which
meant Dutch farmers could switch over to products with
a higher added value.
Over time the greenhouses developed from seed boxes
into heated, closed-off glass houses, which prompted
the nickname “Glass City” for the Westland region in
the province of South Holland. This area has the largest
concentration of greenhouses in the Netherlands. Meanwhile the open-air flower bulb fields of North and South
Holland, with their daffodils, hyacinths and tulips, attract
hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, particularly
in April and May.
In the 14th century households began to produce large
quantities of butter and cheese for the market. Dairy
consumption soared. When the Dutch Republic subsequently experienced an economic boom, the population
grew quickly and farmers benefited from increasing prices. Greater use of fertilisers, improved hygiene and other
transformations led to higher technological standards
and highly commercialized forms of agriculture.
Dutch suppliers of greenhouses and climate systems
now operate worldwide, and growers have companies
on several continents, including Asia. For example, in the
Chinese Yunnan province, Dutch suppliers account for
most of the agricultural imports. Dutch suppliers of basic materials like seeds and cuttings are in high demand,
because they have centuries of experience and meet the
most stringent phytosanitary requirements.
The convenient location of the Netherlands meant it became a major storage depot for agricultural goods from other
countries on their trade routes. In the 17th century warehouses in Amsterdam were filled with exotic herbs, spices,
coffee, tea and cocoa. Somewhat surprisingly the Netherlands remains one of the world’s largest exporters of cocoa
products until this day, even though no cocoa can be grown in the Dutch climate.
The city of Wageningen is the centre of the Dutch ‘Food Valley’. As a result from its position as a world player in agricultural exports, the Netherlands is a leader in food processing technology: 80% of the world’s capacity of poultry
processing machinery is produced in the Netherlands, as is 70% of cheese production machinery and over 50% of
potato processing machinery. This position can only be maintained by continuous innovation, in which hygienic and
integrated design are the main focus.
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2.3
Technology
From the founding of the Dutch Republic in the 16th century, the focus in scientific efforts has been mostly on practical applications and solutions. Because of the diminished
influence of the nobility and the lack of a royal court the
country could best be described as a nation of burghers.
This meant that there was a clear emphasis on utility and
profit. Dutch scientists and engineers therefore strove for
usefulness in the practical world above all.
What kinds of problems needed solutions in the young Republic? Since it was at war with Spain, there was an interest in quality fortifications. Because commerce and trade
were booming, the seafaring nation needed dependable
navigation and cartography systems. And as mentioned in
the section about water, regular floods meant that drainage and land reclamation were of the utmost importance.
The first famous Dutch inventions stem from this time:
drainage and building techniques, the telescope, the measurement of longitude, the microscope and the thermometer are but a few practical solutions that come to mind.
A century later, Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens
(1629-1695) was probably the most famous and influential scientist of his time. The “Huygens’ principle” is still
used in explanations of the propagation of light. He discovered the rings and a moon of Saturn and he is known
for his work in mechanics, particularly on centrifugal
force, pendulums and the laws of percussion. In an almost typical Dutch tradition, he showed most interest
in making useful or pleasant inventions. His best known
invention was the pendulum clock, which until the 1930s
was the most dependable type of clockwork.
Throughout the ages Dutch inventions remained a reflection of everyday issues in the low countries. When overcrowding became an issue in the 20th century, solutions
were found in break-through developments in urban and
architectural planning. The world’s architects and designers are now flocking to the Netherlands to learn about
space-saving techniques and efficient planning.
The Netherlands are also at the forefront of water technology patents. Dutch multinational companies have further enriched the world with high-tech innovations from
the compact disc to materials for fuel-efficient aircraft
wings. Wageningen University is one of the world’s topranking scientific organisations in agronomic sciences,
plant and animal sciences, and environmental sciences.
Interestingly, about 15% of the international students in
Wageningen come from China.
The Netherlands is also proud to host the European Space
Research and Technology Centre, the technical heart of
the European Space Agency (ESA). ESA has been in the
Netherlands since the late 1960s. Most ESA projects are
born in the Dutch centre and more than 2000 specialists
work there on dozens of space projects. ESA’s facilities
are accessible to others as well, for example businesses
wishing to test their products in extreme conditions.
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Did you
know?
Today the Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system. It forms part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This consists of the Netherlands itself and six islands in the Caribbean: Aruba,
Curaçao and Bonaire, just off the Venezuelan coast, and Sint Eustatius, Saba and Sint Maarten, located
southeast of the Virgin Islands.
For more information: Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions.
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2.4
Culture and the arts
In the Netherlands, self-expression and creativity have
always been highly valued. Dutch painters such as Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Vermeer caused a revolution in
the arts of their time by turning from religious and courtrelated themes to the more personal and mundane.
Vermeer’s ‘Milkmaid’ for example, depicts an ordinary
housemaid going about her daily task of pouring milk.
Many of Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh’s paintings are
among the world’s most recognizable works of art; his
sunflowers and starry nights are also among the most
expensive paintings. Growing up in the southern Netherlands, it was when he worked in Belgium as a preacher
that he decided to take up painting. Back in the Netherlands, he painted his now famous ‘Potato Eaters’. Later
on he moved to France, where he was stimulated to try
out impressionist techniques. Though his work did not
sell well when he was alive, he is now regarded as one of
the world’s greatest artists.
Famous 20th-century Dutch painters are Karel Appel,
Piet Mondrian and Corneille, among others. The graphical design of M.C. Escher has had great impact in the
world as well. His mathematically inspired woodcuts,
lithographs and mezzotints continue to puzzle viewers
with their impossible constructions and explorations of
infinity.
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Did you
know?
The Netherlands is a popular holiday destination. Foreign tourists spend about €10 billion a year in the
Netherlands – more than the annual earnings from the export of plants and flowers. Amsterdam is the most
popular destination for foreign tourists. The museums, such as the Rijksmuseum and the Vincent van Gogh
Museum, the ring of canals lined with elegant town houses, the atmosphere of freedom and creativity –
many foreigners want to see these with their own eyes.
For more information: Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions.
Piet Mondrian was involved in a broader avant-garde
movement in the 1920s, called De Stijl, known for its
minimalist approach to design. De Stijl advocated abstraction and universality by a reduction to the essentials
of form and colour. This resulted in compositions that
were mostly vertical and horizontal, and that used only
primary colours along with black and white. Designer
and architect Gerrit Rietveld was another prominent representative of the movement. His Red and Blue Chair is
still an inspiration to designers today, and his Rietveld
Schröder House is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
An inspirational figure to De Stijl was the architect and
town planner Berlage, who is considered to be the ‘Father of Modern Architecture’ in the Netherlands. He
designed the building for the Amsterdam Commodities
Exchange, influencing many modernist architects. He
also designed the Amsterdam-South neighbourhood,
the buildings of which are now listed monuments. In fact,
no fewer than 50,000 buildings in the Netherlands are
government-protected monuments.
More recently, Dutch architect and urban designer Rem
Koolhaas has gained international recognition. His largest project to date is the China Central Television Headquarters in Beijing.
Dutch literature has been part of a broad Western European tradition throughout the Middle Ages, with works
including epic tales of chivalry and allegories. In the 16th
century humanism emerged, its leading Dutch representative being Erasmus of Rotterdam. His Praise of Folly, a
satire on the church and society, has been translated into
many languages. Among the literary highlights of the
17th century were the Dutch-Portuguese philosopher
Spinoza’s treatises on ethics and determinism.
A significant writer of the 19th century was Multatuli,
whose novel Max Havelaar was an indictment of Dutch
rule in the Netherlands East Indies (present-day Indonesia). In the 20th century the world wars were popular
themes in Dutch literature.
Literature became one of the main inspirations for Dutch
films. Oscar-winning book adaptations include The Assault (1986) by director Fons Rademakers and Character
(1998) by director Mike van Diem. Other well-known
Dutch movie directors are Jan de Bont (Speed) and Paul
Verhoeven (Total Recall, Basic Instinct, Black Book).
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2.5
Finance
The Netherlands didn’t become an independent state until the Dutch Revolt around 1600. No longer burdened by taxes
from far-away rulers, the young republic saw a rapid economic development, due to technological innovations in shipping, agriculture and industry, but also as a result of booming international trade through the Dutch East India Company.
The accumulation of savings meant proper investment opportunities had to be found. A broad array of investment options was mediated by stock exchanges and merchant banks. After the Dutch East India Company went public in 1602,
the oldest stock exchange in the world, the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, soon became the Wall Street of its time. Investors could choose to put their money in trade enterprises or infrastructure projects through public bonds, floated by the
Dutch governments. They could also choose from plenty insurance options to mediate the risk of shipwrecks and piracy
in trade.
In 1609 the Bank of Amsterdam was founded to facilitate international payments. The bank took deposits of foreign and
domestic coin, effected transfers between these deposit accounts and paid bills of exchange – written orders by a person
to the bank to pay the bearer of the bill a specific sum of money. Many merchants opened accounts with this bank, and
soon it branched out to other cities.
Being the dominant trade power of the time and experiencing an early ‘industrial revolution’, helped the Dutch
economy achieve the highest standard of living in Europe
by the middle of the 17th century. However, the boom
abruptly ended several decades later when the Republic
became involved in wars with France and England, and an
economic crisis struck.
The focus of the Dutch economy shifted from trade and
industry to financial markets. Within a century the country was the leading market for sovereign debt and a major
source of foreign direct investment. Then the Netherlands
were annexed by the French Empire and temporarily ceased to exist as an independent political entity. The
Netherlands emerged again in 1815 as a Kingdom.
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The Dutch Republic has been called the first modern
economy because of its free markets and division of
labour. It also had a state structure which guaranteed
property rights, enforcement of contracts and freedom
of movement. The Dutch economy subsequently played
a pioneering role in exporting these conditions to other
European countries. It is said that the financial crisis that
was the Republic’s eventual undoing was a very modern
phenomenon. For instance, the tulip mania in the 1630s
has been referred to as a prime example of an economic
bubble: contract prices for tulip bulbs reached extraordinarily high levels before they suddenly collapsed, devastating Dutch speculators.
The first half of the 19th century was a period of continued
economic stagnation, mainly due to a crushing debt burden inherited from the French occupation. But the Dutch
are known for saving their money and when industrial
development came to life again in the second half of the
19th century, enough capital was raised for railway construction and other enterprises. The industrial boom that
followed was the start of a period of intense interest in industrial finance. In this period also the world’s first pension
fund was founded in the Netherlands (1881).
Modern Dutch society is characterized by a strong sense
of solidarity, expressed in a preference for decision-making based on consensus and a generous welfare system.
Corporate structures by law include employee representation in corporate councils. This sense of solidarity is also
expressed in Dutch public and private pension schemes
which rival the best in the world.
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2.6
Science
The ideas of 17th-century Dutch scholar Beeckman show
a remarkable similarity to the concepts of traditional Chinese medicine. He claimed there were four types of atoms: earth, water, air and fire. In a healthy human body
these atoms are present in such proportions that muscles,
sinews, bones, the heart and the liver all function properly.
So for example if a person feels cold, he may have lost
too many fire atoms, which could be compensated for
by sitting in front of a fire or drinking firewater (brandy).
The atom types combine into imperceptibly small parts
that constitute bodies and objects. Beekman called these
parts ‘homogenea’, but they are now known to us as ‘molecules’.
Beeckman was the first to introduce molecular theory in
European science. Soon the idea was picked up by other
European scholars, such as Van Leeuwenhoek, who laid
the foundations for microscopy and discovered bacteria
and sperm cells. This merchant from the Dutch city of
Delft polished his own lenses to examine everything he
could find more closely. While his contemporaries looked
at the stars, nobody had expected the vast world of little
creatures in our water, bodies and surroundings that Van
Leeuwenhoek discovered.
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When the first Nobel Prizes were awarded for science a remarkable number of Dutch scientists received a prize: the
first Nobel Prize for chemistry (1901) was awarded to Van
‘t Hoff, and in 1902 the Nobel Prize for physics was shared
by Lorentz and Zeeman. Within a short time five Dutch
professors were honored with a Nobel Prize.
In 1575 ‘father of the Netherlands’ William of Orange
founded the University of Leiden. By 1720 it had become
the foremost scientific university in Europe. Each year
scores of foreign students would come to study science
and medicine here. One of the main draws was the famous professor Boerhaave, botanist and physician. The
story goes that when a Chinese mandarin sent him a letter
simply addressed to “the illustrious Boerhaave, physician
in Europe”, it actually reached him without inquiry.
Later on in the 18th century the focus of scientific research
shifted to the study of electricity. The Leiden Jar, a device
that stores static electricity, stems from these days, and
the Dutch researcher Van Marum discovered ozone during
the discharge of an electrical machine.
The founding of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological
Institute (KNMI) in 1854 was the start of the recovery of
Dutch science after the French occupation. It was founded
at the urging of meteorologist Buys Ballot, best known for
his discovery of the Law of Buys Ballot which established
a correlation between atmospheric pressure and wind direction.
Other Dutch Nobel Prize winners in the 20th century include Eijkman (who discovered vitamin B1), Debye (for
his research on molecular structure and radiation) and
Crutzen (who studied the ozone layer). The most recent
was the Nobel Prize for Physics awarded to ’t Hooft and
Veltman in 1999 for “elucidating the quantum structure of
electroweak interactions in physics”.
In the meantime Dutch multinational companies set up
pioneering laboratories. The lab of chemical giant AkzoNobel provided the world with the polyamides kevlar
and twaron (super-strong threads) and made invaluable
contributions to the studies of polymers and enzymes.
Research in Unilever’s lab led to the discovery of important flavor and aroma constituents in food. Philips’s lab
improved knowledge of luminescent materials revolutionizing television screens and fluorescent lamps.
In recent years, the Netherlands has assumed an important role in biotechnological developments. In ‘red’ biotechnology companies and institutions are looking for
bodily substances that can function as a stepping stone for
diagnosing, preventing and fighting diseases and disorders. Using micro-organisms in foodstuffs and the chemical industry, ‘green’ materials are efficiently utilised in agriculture. Modified plants provide the desired substances
with minimum use of soil, water, fertilisers and pesticides.
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3
How does
the Netherlands
stay in front?
22
3.1
Education and research
The Netherlands is one of the favourite destinations of
Chinese students. The number of students applying to
study in the Netherlands in 2009 even increased by 40%
compared with that in 2008. An excellent commercial environment, high quality education, instruction in English,
low tuition fees, a large number of scholarships, and a high
employment rate are all reasons that attract Chinese students.
Dutch universities and higher vocational schools together
offer some 1,400 international study programmes and
courses, taught entirely in English. In fact, the Netherlands was the first non-English-speaking country to offer
courses in English. This makes the country an attractive
destination for students from all over the world.
Moreover, the Dutch system has an excellent reputation:
The Times Higher Education Supplement ranks 11 Dutch
universities among the top 200 in the world. High quality
education is achieved through a national system of regulation and quality assurance. The Netherlands is particularly
well-known for high-quality study programmes in:
ˤ ˤ
ˤ ˤ
ˤ ˤ
ˤ ˤ
ˤ ˤ
ˤ ˤ
24
management & business
agricultural sciences
medicine
civil engineering
remote sensing
arts & architecture
Did you
know?
The Netherlands has two main types of higher education:
research universities and universities of applied sciences.
A third, smaller branch of higher education is provided
by institutes of international education, which offer programmes designed especially for international students.
Students who enrol in Dutch higher education programmes will earn a bachelor’s degree upon completion
of the undergraduate phase and a master’s degree upon
completion of the graduate phase.
There are 14 government-funded research universities in
Holland, three of which specialise in engineering (Delft,
Twente and Eindhoven), one specialises in agriculture
(Wageningen) and there is one open university. These institutions essentially train students in academic study and
research, although many study programmes also have a
professional component, and most graduates actually find
work outside the research community.
The high quality of PhD research and dissertations published in the country has earned the Netherlands a place in
the very top ranks. In fact, the Netherlands is continental
Europe’s leader in international scientific research, and it
ranks second in the world in terms of per capita publications. Dutch people have won 15 Nobel prizes in the fields
of chemistry, physics, medicine, economics and peace.
After Dutch students graduate from high school they hang their school bags from flagpoles in front of their
homes (or out of their windows). Travelers to the Netherlands in early Summer will see many school bags
hanging in front of houses.
25
3.2
There are 41 government-funded universities of applied
sciences (hogescholen). The largest of these enrol 20,000
to 39,000 students. Programmes offered by universities
of applied sciences focus on the practical application of
knowledge. Acquiring practical work experience through
internships is an integral part of their programmes.
Respect for each individual’s opinions and convictions is
a Dutch national virtue, strengthening the fabric of this
diverse and pluralistic society. In conformity with this
attitude the Dutch teaching style is interactive and student-centred. This teaching style provides students with
the attention and freedom they need to develop their
own opinions and fosters their creativity in applying new
knowledge. Study programmes in all types of education
institutions emphasise writing papers, working in groups
to analyse and solve problems, acquiring practical work
experience through internships and conducting laboratory
experiments.
Economy
The Netherlands is a prosperous country with a stable economic climate, at a strategic location to serve markets within
Europe. The central geographical position of the Netherlands, combined with accessibility and an excellent infrastructure
are only some of the reasons why numerous European, American and Asian companies have established their facilities
in the Netherlands.
The Port of Rotterdam is the world’s third largest seaport, while Schiphol Airport is recognized as one of the major business hubs in Europe claiming over 100 international awards over the last couple of decades. The Netherlands is also classified as one of the most ‘wired’ countries in the world, a dynamic force in electronic commerce, communications and
outsourcing. Extended investment in high-speed Internet, cable and digital communication systems, as well as the rapid
adoption of state-of-the-art computer and mobile phone technology, have created an ideal base for companies seeking
to take advantage of modern technology.
The Dutch economy is particularly noted for high productivity and the relative concord between employers and employees – a perfect example of the Dutch tradition of consensus. The result is moderate pay rises and good industrial
relations, with strikes few and far between. The workforce is among the most highly educated, flexible and motivated in
Europe. Dutch professionals are also among the most multilingual in the world.
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27
3.3
Just under three-quarters of the workforce is employed in the trade and service sectors. Although farming and industry
are still very important to the economy, they provide a declining proportion of total employment. The rise in the number
of jobs in the service sector is typical of the shift towards a society where knowledge has become by far the most important production factor.
Sustainable development
The Netherlands is proud to have a high standard of living, while maintaining an affordable life for its residents. The costs
of living, housing, education and cultural activities are lower than in most Western-European countries.
Since 2007 the Dutch tax environment for international companies has become even more attractive. The corporate
tax rate has been lowered to 25.5%, which is well below the EU average. Dividend tax has been reduced from 25% to
15%. Furthermore, a patent box with a 10% tax rate on income from innovations was introduced. Combined with other
traditional features of the Dutch tax system (wide tax treaty network, participation exemption, 30% tax break for highly
qualified foreign employees), the fiscal climate is certainly business-friendly.
GDP
GDP per capita
Economic growth
Working population
Unemployed
European economic growth
28
670,2 billion euro (2008 est.)
Purchasing power parity: $40,300 (2008 est.)
2.1% (2008)
7,410 million (2008)
3.9% (2008)
0.63% (2008)
Inflation rate
2.5% (2007)
Inflation rate Euro zone
3.7% (2008)
International trade
In the Netherlands sustainability is a priority. The government aims to provide support to sustainable development
pioneers by promoting international collaboration and by
emphasizing innovation. Because of the central location
and the small size of the Netherlands, the country is in
particular need of cross-border measures; environmental
problems don’t stop at the border.
Exports:
537.5 billion euro (2008) (goods and services)
Imports:
485.3 billion euro (2008) (goods and services)
Export commodities
Machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs
Import commodities
Machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing
Export partners
Germany 24.4%; Belgium 13.6%; UK 9.1%; France 8.5%; Italy 5.1%; US 4.3% (2008)
Import partners
Germany: 17.7%; Belgium: 9.3%; US: 7.3%; China: 10.5%; Russia: 5.15;
UK: 5.8%; France: 4.4% (2008)
Sustainability has become the major criterion for everything the state purchases. With this requirement, the government provides a great incentive to the business community to switch to sustainable production processes. After
all, the government buys billions of Euros worth of products every year, ranging from office supplies to vehicles.
Dutch engineering firms are highly experienced in integrating environmental solutions into infrastructure projects.
Because of their smart, innovative approach, these companies are in demand all around the world. For instance,
DSM’s China campus is one of the first Gold-certified buildings in China in compliance with the LEED rating system for
green buildings. The campus uses 30% less energy and 70%
less water than conventional buildings.
Dutch firms are very innovative at coming up with methods
to improve our environment. Through the sophisticated
use of natural enemies in agriculture, for instance, pests
can be controlled with a minimum amount of pesticides.
Bacteria can break down pollution and insects control each
Did you
know?
other, with the result that agricultural infestation does not
get a chance to wreak havoc. Dutch companies have perfected traditional composting methods to produce more
and better compost, and often electricity as well, from the
gasses that are released.
Of all EU countries, the Netherlands dumps the least
waste. Around 80 percent of the country’s waste material is
recycled. The Netherlands is also an international leader in
developing techniques that increase the energy yield from
waste combustion. Carbon dioxide from industrial plants
in the Rotterdam harbour area is used in greenhouses to
improve crops. Similarly there are several projects in the
Netherlands with energy production from biomass or biogas.
The extensive Dutch experience in dealing with environmental issues can also help other countries find effective
approaches. For example, the European policy for hazardous materials (REACH) is based on experience acquired in
the Netherlands.
One of the main fields of expertise for the Netherlands is
water management and treatment. For instance, the country is leading in innovative technologies for water reuse.
Dutch paper mills, breweries and chemical plants have the
lowest water use per product in the world. The invention
of combining traditional biological water treatment with
membrane filtration in the Membrane Bioreactor (MBR)
has been a great success, especially for industrial applications. The MBR is exported to many other areas in the
world, including North Eastern China.
The Netherlands is as much a cycling country as China. Though most Dutch households own cars, the Dutch
still like to cycle to and from school, the office and the supermarket. They also like to cycle for leisure, which
explains why bike holidays are a flourishing business in the Netherlands. The country itself is a cycling paradise: nowhere else in the world are there as many cycling paths. There are even special traffic lights for
cyclists at eye level. This makes cycling here very safe.
For more information: Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions.
29
3.4
Social policies
The main principle underpinning the Dutch social system is
that everyone should be able to play an equally active role
in society. Some people need help in doing so: the old and
disabled, families on low incomes, young people without
qualifications, ethnic and other minorities, the homeless
and drug addicts.
In giving this help, the government is also pursuing another
aim: to encourage people – older people and the long-term
unemployed, for instance – to find a job. At the same time,
the government is tackling youth unemployment by funding job creation and on-the-job training.
There are many other examples of the current welfare
policy. Local authorities are being encouraged to expand
childcare facilities to enable women to continue working or
to return to work. Parents who are having problems raising
their children or whose children are at risk of falling behind
can also get help. And long-term unemployed people can
be given help in tackling problems ranging from debt to
psychological complaints. In April 2003, the government
adopted the Equal Treatment of Disabled and Chronically Ill
People Act. It protects disabled people from discrimination,
enabling them to take full part in society.
Integration of minorities is one of today’s most daunting political challenges. It is certainly one of the problems
confronting Dutch society. Minority groups in the Netherlands include people from the Dutch overseas territories
(the Antilles and Aruba) and from Suriname, and people
who came to the Netherlands to work or to seek asylum.
Together, they account for approximately 10% of the total
population. The capital, Amsterdam, is home to 200 different nationalities.
30
In the past few decades, the Netherlands has developed
into a multicultural society, where people from many different origins live together. The Dutch have a reputation for
tolerance when it comes to people with different convictions or beliefs. It all started in the 17th century, when the
Netherlands gave asylum to people who were persecuted
in their own countries, mainly for their religious beliefs.
The Dutch government clearly opted for a multicultural
society, in which everyone is free to practise their own religion, speak their own language and maintain their own
culture, with equal opportunities for all. It would be fair to
say that the Netherlands is a country in which a tolerant,
smoothly functioning society has a high political priority.
But integration does not come easy. People of Turkish and
Moroccan origin, for instance, are five times more likely
to be unemployed than ethnic Dutch. So the government
wants to encourage these groups to take part in society by,
for instance, giving them the opportunity to undergo training and – through legislation – providing incentives for employers to employ them.
Compulsory integration courses are also a means of preventing disadvantage. Shortly after arriving in the Netherlands, new immigrants now have to attend courses in Dutch
language and society, and they receive help finding a job.
The positive side of the multi-ethnic make-up of the population is that Dutch cultural life has been enriched with festivals and special events from different cultures. Restaurants
specialising in hundreds of cuisines from every continent
can be found in most urban areas. Chinese New Year is
celebrated in many Dutch cities with parades, dragon and
lion dances, music played on traditional Chinese instruments, acrobatics and even kung fu.
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3.5
Governance
The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system. This means that the government includes not
only the ministers and the state secretaries, but also the monarch (currently Queen Beatrix), who is also the head of state.
The constitution determines how the powers are divided between the Queen and the other institutions of the State. For
example, the parliament has certain rights to check the power of the government. The ministers are accountable to parliament, but the Queen, who has no political accountability, is not.
The ministers and state secretaries prepare and implement legislation, oversee local government, carry out the day-to-day
business of government and maintain international relations. The number of ministers tends to change from one government to the next, but the numeric distribution of members of government must reflect the representation of the coalition
partners in parliament. Otherwise one of the coalition partners might feel sold short, which could eventually lead to the fall
of the government.
The Netherlands is a representative democracy and its parliament is made up of two houses. The Senate has 75 indirectly
elected members, who only have the power of veto in the legislative process. The House of Representatives has 150 members elected directly by the people. It scrutinises the government and proposes legislation. Members of both houses serve
a four-year term.
32
The two houses have four rights: the right to set a budget;
the right of interpellation; the right to put questions to ministers and state secretaries; and the right of inquiry. The
House of Representatives has two further rights: the right
of amendment and the right to propose legislation.
Direct elections to the House of Representatives are held
every four years. The Netherlands uses the system of proportional representation for all elections, national and local. This means that a party that wins 10% of the vote also
occupies 10% of the seats in a representative assembly.
Voters vote for a party that submits a list of candidates. It
is also possible to vote for a particular candidate. Seats are
allocated to political parties in proportion to the votes cast.
For example, the House of Representatives has 150 seats;
in order to win a seat, a party has to have won at least 1/150
of all votes. Candidates who receive more than 25% of the
party’s votes are guaranteed a seat in parliament. Any remaining seats are allocated to the candidates in the order
in which their names appear on their party’s list.
There are currently ten political parties in the House. Because there are so many political parties, the government is
usually a coalition. After elections, a mediator is appointed
to consult with each party regarding possible coalition partners. Generally, several weeks to months pass while negotiations take place between parliamentary party leaders.
Did you
know?
In the meantime, the prime minister tenders the resignation of the entire government to the Queen, who responds
by requesting it to stay on as a caretaker government until
the new government is formed. When the leaders reach
agreement, the Queen invites a formateur to form a government. The resulting government will have a programme
approved by the majority of the members of parliament. As
head of state, the monarch formally appoints the ministers
and state secretaries.
The Netherlands has not only a central government, but
also provincial and municipal governments and water
authorities. Central government occupies itself with matters of national interest. Provincial governments concern
themselves with social work, cultural affairs, environmental management, spatial planning, energy and sport. Municipal authorities deal with traffic, housing, social services,
health care, sport, culture, the water supply, public schooling and recreation.
The water authorities are one of the oldest democratic institutions in the Netherlands. They are responsible for everything that has to do with water; not only the maintenance
of dikes and land drainage, but also water quality. They
play an important role in the environmental management
of the country and are run by councils that are elected. As
between a quarter and a third of the Netherlands lies below
sea level, water authorities also inspect whether ditches are
deep enough to help drain off the land.
In the Netherlands, the royal family and the Royal House are not the same. The royal family is the OrangeNassau family, not every member of which is a member of the Royal House. Members of the Royal House
are the monarch (currently, Queen Beatrix), the former monarch, the members of the royal family in the
line of succession to the throne and their spouses. Members of the Royal House who marry without the
official approval of parliament lose the right to succeed to the throne. The monarch, together with the
ministers, form the government. It was determined in 1848 that the ministers, and not the monarch, would
be accountable for acts of government. Laws passed by parliament are signed by both the monarch and
the accountable minister.
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3.6
Foreign policy
The Netherlands has long had an open and positive attitude towards other countries. This spirit of openness has
brought the country prosperity, stability and a good quality of life. As a country that looks beyond its borders, the
Netherlands is committed to building a safe, stable and
prosperous world. In the headquarters of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs in The Hague and at more than 150 embassies and consulates worldwide, staff are actively involved
in addressing issues such as poverty reduction, climate
change, respect for human rights and the rule of law and
eliminating conflict.
Many issues transcend national boundaries, and they are
becoming increasingly intertwined. Issues of peace and security, good governance and human rights, trade, poverty,
the environment, and migration are all closely interconnected. The Netherlands favours an integrated approach
to international policy and wishes to project itself as a constructive and creative international partner. As such the
country aims to achieve international security and solidarity and a sustainable living environment, in the interests of
present and future generations.
34
The Netherlands is one of the few countries in the world to
possess an instrument for funding a wide range of projects
at the interface of security and development: The Stability Fund. In its contributions to stability in the world, the
Netherlands applies a holistic approach, which combines
defence, development cooperation and diplomacy (the 3D
approach).
Though there are fewer armed conflicts, political instability
and insecurity remain serious problems in many countries.
People in fragile states, especially the very poor, are still
suffering grievously. In conflict and post-conflict areas like
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Burundi and the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, the Netherlands is endeavouring to
improve safety and security, to contribute to a legitimate
government with adequate capacity, and to create a peace
dividend.
Human rights are the lynchpin of Dutch foreign policy. This
is not only because we believe that everyone in this world
has the right to live with dignity, but also because it serves
the Netherlands’ interests. Human rights are the basis of
a stable society; investing in human rights therefore also
benefits the trade and investment climate. It is quite simply easier to do business in countries where the rule of law
prevails and human rights are respected. Trade and values
can be complementary and are not necessarily mutually
exclusive.
Did you
know?
Themes such as capital punishment, torture, freedom of
religion and belief, homosexuality, women’s rights and
child labour are given the extra attention they deserve.
The Netherlands supports local human rights defenders
through its embassies and by other means.
The financial and economic crisis has brought extra pressure to bear on international efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in 2015. Developing countries
have been hit hard by the crisis, even though they were in
no way responsible for causing it. It is therefore crucial not
to leave these countries to their fate. Despite budgetary
constraints, the Dutch government will abide by its commitment to spending 0.8% of the Netherlands Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on development cooperation.
International business is the engine driving the Dutch
economy. Embassies, Consulates and Business Support
Offices help the business community tap new markets and
obtain the orders that are of such importance to the Dutch
economy. An international outlook and openness to foreign
investment is firmly ingrained in the Dutch culture, and this
has yielded a wealth of world-class government and business partners who know how to deal with global business
challenges in today’s economy.
The birthday of the monarch is celebrated with enthusiasm in the Netherlands. Since Queen Wilhelmina’s
18th birthday in 1898, the holiday has been officially referred to as ‘Queen’s Day’. 30 April was established
as Queen’s Day when Queen Juliana changed the date to her own birthday. Queen Beatrix, the current
monarch, now celebrates her official birthday on 30 April, although her real birthday falls on 31 January.
There are two reasons for this. Firstly, Queen Beatrix wanted to continue celebrating Queen’s Day in April
as a mark of respect for her mother; secondly, the idea is that the weather will be much better at the end of
April than at the end of January.
People celebrate Queen’s Day either by visiting one of the towns or cities the Queen visits on the day (which
are different each year), or by going to one of the bigger cities. Many cities have a Queen’s Market (koninginnemarkt), a great opportunity for bargain hunters and antique buffs, as well as concerts and fun fairs.
For more information: Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions.
35
3.7
Cooperation within Europe
It is in the Netherlands’ interests to solve problems by
working with European partners. That is the only effective
way to tackle issues such as cross-border crime, terrorism,
environmental problems, climate change and sustainable
energy supply. The universal values that unite Europeans,
such as democracy, human rights and poverty reduction,
are an integral part of Dutch foreign policy.
The nation state has been the cause of problems in Europe
many times, so Europeans needed to soften the position
of nation states towards one another. On the other hand,
the Europeans cannot have strong nation states without
strong European ties. The formula used through the European Union is to link countries’ destinies, and to depend on
each other.
In negotiations about climate change, energy, trade and
human rights, the 27 countries of the European Union form
a strong bloc that cannot be ignored. Moreover, with its 500
million inhabitants the Union is the largest free market in
the world. Economic models are changing and proximity to
markets is becoming more important. Re-regionalisation
of economies is on the increase due to ecological factors,
but also economic and financial factors. That means that
the European market, with the highest purchasing power,
the best production facilities, and the best possibilities to
develop markets, is best suited to this constructivist period.
36
European cooperation does not take place in a vacuum.
The days when ‘the West’ could impose solutions on the
rest of the world are gone. Strong economic growth has
enabled China, India, the Gulf States, countries in southeast
Asia and South America to become more vocal, demanding a more prominent place in the world order. Non-state
actors are playing an increasingly prominent role as well;
sometimes enriching and positive, as in the case of nongovernmental organisations or the international media,
but sometimes destructive, as when terrorists or pirates
are involved.
Europe feels a special responsibility for the poorest of the
poor. That is why it provides more development aid than
the rest of the world put together. Europe feels it has a moral and political obligation, for example, to improve education, health care and women’s rights in developing countries. Aid alone, however, is not enough to help the poorest
countries develop. Europe must not give with one hand and
take with the other. The Dutch government therefore calls
for increased market access for poor countries and a phasing out of European subsidies that distort trade, such as in
agriculture.
The consequences of global warming are beginning to emerge more clearly. The Netherlands will have
to cope with rising sea levels and different drainage systems for the main rivers. Protective measures are
largely set down in national policy. But the Netherlands cannot control global warming by itself. Europe
generates added value on three fronts related to climate change.
1
2
3
Firstly, the EU provides a level playing field. The European
Emission Trading System sets a single emission ceiling for
electricity producers and heavy industry. Measures are
taken to protect European companies’ competitiveness
on the international market, where businesses from other
countries are not subject to the same strict climate policy.
Secondly, the EU has introduced legislation to guide the
transition to a low-CO2 economy: regulations on CO2 capture and storage, on CO2 emission standards for cars, on
the energy consumption of light bulbs and other high energy consuming products. Such European standards often
become the global norm.
Thirdly, the EU is a leader in the negotiation of climate
agreements, precisely because of its standard-setting role.
For many years Europe has been at the forefront in its acceptance of the scientific goal that the average increase in
global temperatures must not exceed 2°C relative to preindustrial levels. The G8 followed the European example.
Now, the European cap and trade system is increasingly
being adopted internationally.
37
3.8
Culture and creativity
The Dutch cultural heritage and arts have left an indelible
mark on world art history. Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van
Gogh, to name but a few Dutch painters, continue to impress wide audiences. Modern Dutch painters and sculptors have been very successful in keeping up this tradition.
The arts, in every form, flourish in a country that has outstanding museums and an impressive variety of classical
and innovative music and theatre. Major international arts
festivals are held every year.
Cultural policy in the Netherlands is based on the premise
that the state should distance itself from value judgements
on art. In order to support many different individual expressions of culture, the government subsidises works based on
criteria like ‘quality’, the definition of which is left to independent experts. The benefit and relevance of culture to
society as a whole is a priority.
With almost 1,000 museums, the Netherlands has the
highest museum density in the world. Some of the most
famous are the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum
in Amsterdam, the Museum Boijmans-Van Beuningen in
Rotterdam and the Mauritshuis in The Hague. Outstanding
collections of modern and contemporary art can be seen
at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Kröller-Müller
Museum in Otterlo, the Bonnefanten Museum in Maastricht and the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven.
38
The Netherlands is perhaps the only country in the world
that has been planned right down to the last tree. The landscape is an artefact, a man-made work of art. One could
say spatial planning is an intrinsic part of Dutch culture. The
international fame of Dutch architects, urban planners, designers, and landscape architects demonstrates their skill in
these disciplines.
From the OMA design for the new CCTV building in Beijing
to Viktor & Rolf fashion on the catwalks in Milan, Dutch Design is found worldwide. Dutch Design is generally characterised as innovative, light-hearted and experimental with
frequent emphasis on sustainability. The simplicity associated with Dutch Design is reflected in a variety of everyday
objects, ranging from postage stamps to waste bins, traffic
signs, trains and office equipment.
The Netherlands is seen as a Mecca for artists. It attracts
many young designers, architects and artists who come especially to Amsterdam to work in a climate of artistic freedom, dialogue and innovation. Creativity, not reputation, is
what counts. The Design Institute in Amsterdam, a world
leader in its field, is responsible for promoting innovation
and fostering dialogue between different disciplines. The
Eindhoven Academy of Industrial Design is a specialist
training institute with a rapidly growing reputation.
The Berlage Institute in Amsterdam runs workshops for
talented young architects and landscape architects from
the Netherlands and abroad. At the famous Dutch Rietveld
Academy, almost half of the students are not Dutch. They
come from all over the world, attracted directly by what the
academy has on offer. And when they leave the academy,
at the end of their studies, there is this streak of Dutch culture in their work.
The Holland Festival is an internationally renowned music
festival held in Amsterdam in June every year. Jazz, pop and
improvised music also attract large audiences. The North
Sea Jazz Festival is the largest and most famous jazz festival in Europe. Famous pop festivals include Pinkpop and
Lowlands.
The Netherlands is a world leader in the field of modern
dance. The productions of the Netherlands Dance Theatre
(NDT) in The Hague enjoy an international reputation.
There are also many smaller modern dance companies,
Introdans being one of the better known. The Hague’s biennial Holland Dance Festival features some of the most
outstanding dance productions in the world.
The Netherlands has a relatively small film industry, which
produces around 20 feature films a year. The country is well
known for its outstanding documentary films. Legendary
Dutch documentary maker Joris Ivens was even considered
to be ‘an old friend of the Chinese people’.
Did you
know?
When a child is born in the Netherlands, it is customary for the parents to send ‘birth cards’ to friends and
family. These friends and relatives then call to make an appointment to visit. Gifts for the baby are given –
usually a toy or baby clothes. Visitors are served tea or coffee and buttered rusks covered with coloured
sprinkles: pink for girls and blue for boys. New fathers also treat their colleagues to these rusks.
39
3.9
Health care and sports
The high level of health care in the Netherlands is reflected
in the average life expectancy, which is 76 years for men
and 80.9 years for women. Health care is provided by a
wide range of institutions and professionals. Affordability,
quality and accessibility are the key concerns.
There are several ways in which the Netherlands seeks to
prevent illness and disease. General practitioners are the
first point of contact for people with health complaints,
and they play a key role in preventive care. All babies and
infants are vaccinated against diphtheria, whooping cough,
tetanus and polio. Screening (for example, for breast cancer) helps to detect health risks at an early stage.
There are two statutory forms of insurance in the Netherlands. The 2006 Health Insurance Act covers the costs of
‘normal’ medical care such as visits to general practitioners,
hospitalisation and pharmacy prescriptions. The General
Exceptional Medical Expenses Act covers the costs of exceptional and in particular expensive care, such as longterm nursing and home-care. All residents are insured for
Exceptional Medical Expenses and every citizen is obliged
to take out basic insurance.
The Dutch use relatively few medicines compared with other
Europeans. To control costs, the government promotes a
‘sensible and economical’ approach to prescribing and using
drug treatments. The government has opted for a hands-off
approach, giving care insurers direct control over the supply
of medicines. The idea is to bring health insurers closer to patients, doctors and pharmacists, since they are in a better position than the government to supply medicines effectively
and control costs.
Quality of care is regulated by a number of laws. Hospitals
and other care providers are responsible for setting up and
monitoring their own quality systems. The Health Care Inspectorate supervises the quality of care on behalf of the
government. Patient and consumer organisations also contribute to the quality of care and ensure that patients have
a say.
The Health Council plays an important advisory role. A
healthy diet, sufficient exercise, not smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation, practising safe sex and relaxing regularly
– all contribute to good health. Various organisations inform
the public about such matters and campaign to alter harmful
patterns of behaviour.
ˤˤ Holland has a population of 16 million and there are over 18 million bicycles. The number of bicycles keeps
40
Fun
facts
growing: around 1.4 million bikes are sold each year.
ˤˤ Holland is a geographically low-lying country - half of the country needs to be protected by dikes, with
about 1/4 of its area and 60% of its population located below sea level.
ˤˤ The Dutch are now the tallest nation on earth. The average height for the Dutch is 1.84 meters, which goes
on to grow an extra two centimeters a decade. In recent years, Dutch new buildings have had to provide
taller doorframes to 2.4 meters.
41
Sport is a significant part of life in the Netherlands. There
are thousands of sports clubs in the Netherlands and many
other people take part in sport informally. The national
game is football. The Dutch football association, KNVB, has
a million members, making it the country’s largest sporting
organisation.
One of the most famous Dutch athletes was Fanny Blankers-Koen, also affectionately named ‘the flying housewife’.
During the 1948 Olympic Games in Londen she won four
gold medals in track and field events. Over the years, Fanny
won dozens of titles and broke 21 world records. In 1999,
the International Association of Athletics Federations
(IAAF) voted her athlete of the century.
Many professional teams have their own stadiums – the
Amsterdam ArenA, where Ajax play, and the Gelredome in
Arnhem, Vitesse’s home base, are among the world’s finest. The Feyenoord stadium in Rotterdam (De Kuip) and
PSV Philips stadium in Eindhoven have also made their
mark on the game.
As a keen skating country, the Netherlands also has dozens
of ice rinks. The most famous skating event is Friesland’s
220-kilometre-long Elfstedentocht (“eleven-town tour”).
International skating competitions are regularly held at
the Thialf indoor ice stadium in Heerenveen. Other popular
sports include tennis, swimming, gymnastics, volleyball,
cycling, judo, field hockey, golf and handball.
The Netherlands has a long and vibrant tradition of excellence in many sports. The country always sends teams to
the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games and the World
Games for the Deaf. In the Beijing 2008 Olympics Dutch
athletes won 7 gold medals. The country also regularly
qualifies for European and world championships in various
fields of sport.
The national men and women’s hockey teams have collected many Olympic and world titles. And in 2007, Raymond
van Barneveld was the world darts champion for the fifth
time, becoming the world’s leading figure in the sport of
darts.
42
43
4
the Netherlands and China
Cooperation
44
4.1
Cooperation in the field of water
TNO is a research institute that combines Dutch expertise
in the field of water, soil and the subsurface. For decades,
TNO has been cherishing good relations with the Chinese
Geological Survey. Over the past few years experts of TNO
and Deltares have conducted several trainings, workshops
and knowledge exchanges with counterparts from the Marine Geology Institutes of Guangzhou and Qingdao. To consolidate these regular exchanges the Sino-Dutch Center for
Coastal Geology was founded in 2008.
The Dutch have a long history with water projects in China.
For instance, when the port of Shanghai was under threat
in the late 19th century because the Huangpu River was
silting up, Dutch engineers designed the plans to deepen
and maintain the shipping channel. The development of
Shanghai into a thriving international port, the kind of city
it is today, has been inextricably linked to the opening up
of the Huangpu to modern ships with the use of Dutch expertise. There are a great number of dams, sluicegates and
bridges in China that have been designed by Dutch experts
since.
Dutch companies are very active in China when it comes to
water treatment and purification. Sustainable water supply
systems using membrane bioreactors – high-quality, smallscale wastewater treatment plants that purify water - are
used in several different places in China.
Membrane bioreactors are also used in a sustainable water
supply system for a new land reclamation project near Tianjin. This project, the ‘Diamond Delta’ in the Bay of Bohai,
was designed by Dutch engineers too. The Diamond Delta
brings the port of Tianjin and the surrounding water into
perfect harmony. The land reclamation is placed below sea
level, while at the same time reducing construction costs. A
similar, new project is the design for an ecological coastal
town at Caofeidian, an industrial zone at the Bohai Sea.
46
In recognition of his efforts to bring about this center, Dr.
Cornelis Laban was honoured with a Friendship Award from
the hands of Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang. Dr. Laban says:
“We knew already from past experiences that our Chinese
counterparts are very reliable and always live up to their
promises. This whole project ran smoothly and many of our
initiatives were adopted by our Chinese partners. Even if the
Chinese organizations seem quite hierarchical to us, their
decision making processes did not take long.”
Over the years Dr. Laban noticed some changes on the
Chinese side: “The ‘we are a developing nation’ attitude
changed to a more self-assured attitude. We also clearly noticed the influence of improved knowledge on the subjects
we had workshops about.” He concludes by saying that the
collaboration has been very pleasant and cultural differences hardly played a role of significance. More trainings and
workshops will follow, and relations between the Chinese
and Dutch organizations are continuously improving.
47
4.2
Cooperation in the field of food & flowers
No other country in the world can boast the amount of experience and expertise in horticulture the Netherlands has.
The Dutch specialty is the ‘total approach’, meaning a cluster of market gardeners, traders, suppliers, and logistical
service providers, concentrated geographically to produce
a seamless system and efficient solutions. These clusters
are also called ‘greenports’. Because all the important players are close to one another, their extensive knowledge exchange creates added value.
As China’s cities are expanding, there is less and less space
for agriculture. The city of Shanghai came up with a visionary concept: an ‘Ecocity’ near the city center including a
greenport, to provide safe and high quality food. When
looking for state-of-the-art experts to help the city reach
this ambition, they found them in the Netherlands. The
‘Greenport Shanghai’ is a joint product of Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation (SIIC), Dutch TransForum and
Wageningen University.
Dutch ornamental flower growers have also shown a keen
interest in China. Some 15 Dutch growers have already set
up shop in Yunnan. Their Chinese counterparts are increasingly interested in improving quality through cooperation.
Dutch knowledge institutes offer training courses in China,
attracting not only students, but also farmers and workers.
To jointly improve consumers’ health and quality of life,
Dutch plant breeding companies and knowledge institutes
have set up a sector association: TTI Green Genetics. The
central theme of TTI Green Genetics is to develop new
plant material offering optimal growth and production under new breeding and environmental conditions, such as
closed greenhouses and automated cultivation systems.
In cooperation with the Beijing Genomics Institute and
the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers in Beijing, a joint
research project has been set up to analyse and perfect the
DNA sequence of the cucumber to make it more usable in
the development of new cucumber varieties. The ultimate
goal would be to develop a cucumber that is resistant to
drought and disease and that can be grown in many different places.
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49
4.3
Cooperation in the field of high tech systems
Whether we are talking about countries or high-tech, small does not mean insignificant. The Netherlands is leading in
nanoelectronics and embedded systems. The majority of the world’s computer chips are designed and made with Dutch
equipment. In the field of power electronics most patents are in Dutch hands. The secret that enables Dutch high-tech
companies to become world leaders is simple: high quality research. Dutch knowledge institutes, including the three Universities of Technology, score highly in worldwide rankings when it comes to scientific research in the areas of applied
physics and materials sciences.
The high tech industry in the Netherlands is characterized by a strong tendency to cooperate. Efficient networks of companies, researchers, and end users lead to a constant stream of innovations. To strengthen the bonds between top researchers and industry, the Dutch government has established a number of centres of technological excellence.
One of these is M2i, which stands for Materials Innovation Institute. The institute consists merely of a small staff and a list
of contact details of top researchers. Member companies can contract out assignments to researchers and universities that
M2i will find for them. The Dutch government matches the sum the company has paid and universities provide facilities
and scientific staff free of charge. In this way, companies can contract out their R&D at low cost.
With China wanting to switch the economic focus from mass manufacturing to a knowledge economy, these Dutch experiences with cooperation networks are very valuable.
The Dutch province of South Holland and Shanghai’s Pudong District have been making joint efforts in technological innovation by joining their research capabilities. The province of South Holland has also set up a co-development program
with Hebei Province. Other Dutch provinces are doing the same with Chinese sister provinces.
Dutch companies like ASML, KEMA, Philips, and Shell already operate in China. Looking back on the Olympic Games in
Beijing, Dutch materials were everywhere: Akzo Nobel supplied paint for the ‘Bird’s Nest’ and the ‘Water Cube’, Trespa was
responsible for the walls in the swimming pool, the cooling vests were from DSM, the swimming pool lighting from Philips,
the fibres for sails and hockey fields were from Gamma and TenCate, gymnastics equipment came from Janssen-Fritsen,
and coloured asphalt was provided by Latexfalt.
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51
4.4
Cooperation in the field of creative industry
The Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) was founded in 1975 by a group of Dutch architects. Today OMA is
a leading international partnership, with offices in Rotterdam, New York, Beijing and Hong Kong. The work of Rem
Koolhaas, one of OMA’s founders, has won several international awards. OMA’s largest project to date is the 575,000
m2 China Central Television Cultural Center in Beijing. However, Koolhaas’ involvement in the West Kowloon Cultural
District project in Hong Kong is set to rival the new CCTV
headquarters in magnitude and grandeur.
Another Dutch pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo is ‘Rotterdam Water City’, located across the Huangpu River, in
the ‘Urban Best Practices Area’. As one of the five selected
metropolises, Rotterdam demonstrates its own unique
way of addressing flood management and dealing with
climate change as a source of opportunities for a more attractive living environment and a more favourable business
climate.
In October 2009 the Dutch participation in the Shanghai International Creative Industry Week received the Award for
Best Exhibition. The Dutch presentation included a clever
exhibition design using sustainable materials and highlighted how Dutch designers contribute to the innovative
design of public space, on various scales, from urban planning to street furniture.
With its participation in the Shanghai World Expo 2010,
the Netherlands demonstrates solutions for sustainability,
environment, social responsibility and innovative technologies. The theme of the Dutch pavilion is ‘Happy Street’, designed by John Körmeling and constructed in a figure eight
– a lucky number. On the Happy Street visitors can journey
through the Netherlands by walking along the distinctive
houses along the street. Each house forms a mini pavilion
that celebrates Dutch innovation in use of space, energy
and water.
NorthernLight has been active in China since 2003 and has an office in Beijing. The company was responsible for the design
of the exhibitions ‘Our Fragile World’ and ‘Tech Universe’ at the Hong Kong Science Museum, ‘Earth Tales’ in the Macao
Science Center and dozens of other exhibitions around the world. Currently, NorthernLight is bringing a ‘Dutch touch’ to
the development of educational children’s activities in various Chinese cities.
Mr. Peter Slavenburg, director at NorthernLight, thinks the Chinese and Dutch have several characteristics in common:
apart from pragmatism, both are quite direct and straight-to-the point. On the other hand, Dutch people like to stick to
business with an emphasis on closing the deal quickly, whereas Chinese people like to get to know their business partners
and want to establish a relationship of trust.
“Our Chinese clients are mostly interested in our added value as a Dutch company. They ask what makes us unique,” he
says. “In China, Dutch partners can add a professional and efficient approach and routines to projects. In our field, the
creative industry, the Dutch are mostly known for their gift to create conceptual, surprising designs that have been well
thought-out.” One of the places where the Chinese public can experience these designs is the Science and Technology
Museum in Beijing, where no fewer than six exhibitions were designed by NorthernLight.
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53
4.5
Cooperation in the fields of
Chemistry and Life Sciences
Dutch Life Sciences and Materials Sciences Company DSM has been active in China since the sixties. The company sells
and produces a plethora of products, from medicine and food additives to coatings and plastics aiming to improve the
quality of life. In the past ten years growth has been explosive here for DSM: from a relatively small size to more than 1-billion dollar yearly turnover. “We adapt more and more to the situation in China: in the past years our view on the country
changed from a low-cost manufacturing destination more and more to an important growth market for our sales and also
increasingly as a place to drive and grow innovation,” says Jan Anne Schelling, Director Manufacturing for Anti-Infectives
in China.
The Netherlands has a reputation in China as a knowledgedriven society and an attractive partner in scientific research. The country is an excellent breeding ground for developing molecular medicine. A number of Dutch research
groups are international leaders in oncology, cardiovascular diseases and neuro-degenerative conditions.
Thanks to this solid academic environment and regional
initiatives like the Leiden Bio-Science Park, the Dutch Life
Sciences industry is expanding rapidly. Major Dutch companies in healthcare and biosciences, such as DSM, Philips
and AkzoNobel, are all active in China.
One of the key players in the field of healthcare is Philips,
which deploys substantial resources to supply products and
services for the entire health care cycle, from early diagnosis to therapy and after care. The company has established
a joint research laboratory with the Shanghai Institutes for
Biological Sciences/Institute of Health Sciences. The laboratory conducts advanced research in the field of molecular
medicine.
Schelling has been working in China for two years now. He says he feels inspired by the positive work ethic of the Chinese.
“People here are very passionate about making a change and improving their circumstances”, he says. “This is something
DSM feels strongly about as well: We like to contribute to the further development of China. In fact, I think this is one of
the best parts of my work, having the chance to actually contribute with high quality anti-biotics for improved health.”
In all activities, DSM keeps a keen eye on sustainability. “We strive for a sustainable environment in every sense: environmentally friendly products, safety, ecological improvements, the work environment for our employees, corporate social
responsibility. Sustainability will continue to play an important role in the strategy we are updating right now.”
“We look at China as one of the key markets. For our growth ambitions towards 1.5 billion dollar turnover and beyond,
we are considering partnerships next to organic growth. Of course in all of this, we keep focus on the long-term effects of
our operations; we will further build upon the quality we have already achieved in our companies.” In moving from cheap
labour manufacturing to selling and innovating sustainable, high-quality products, China has found a reliable partner in
DSM for years to come.
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Did you
know?
The Netherlands is also sometimes called ‘Holland’. Holland is part of the names of the two western coastal
provinces, North and South Holland, which have played a dominant role in the country’s history. Dutch is
the native language of more than 22 million people in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Belgium. In
the province of Friesland, they speak a separate language: Frisian, an officially recognised language that
is the native language of around 400,000 people. In north-western France, around 60,000 people speak
a Dutch dialect. Dutch is also used widely in government and education in Suriname. In Indonesia, many
lawyers and historians speak Dutch owing to historical ties. Afrikaans, which is spoken in South Africa, is
an offshoot of Dutch.
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4.6
Cooperation in the field of energy
The interests of China and the Netherlands meet in the area of energy efficiency. A large proportion of China’s electricity
production is coal-based. Because of this dependence on coal, there is an increasing interest in clean coal technologies,
such as are being developed in the Netherlands. For example, the Netherlands has one of the world’s first integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plants. China plans to build these types of plants as well, taking the opportunity to share
experiences and technology with the Netherlands.
In 2008, a financial support program was granted to support knowledge transfers between Dutch and Chinese parties in
the field of carbon capture and storage, including Dutch Shell, TNO, Procede and Chinese State Key Laboratory of Coal
Conversion.
Furthermore, when Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Maria van der Hoeven visited China in September 2009, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Minister of the Chinese National Energy Administration, Mr. Zhang Guobao.
This MoU highlights the enhanced and mutually beneficial economic cooperation between the two countries, both with
regard to the environment and energy security as well as sustainable economic development.
Leading energy company Shell needs no introduction. Shell’s total accumulated investment in China is about US$ 4 billion,
one of the largest commitments of any international companies. Shell strives to meet China’s energy requirements and
to contribute to economic prosperity of the country and Shell’s customers in an environmentally and socially responsible
manner.
Mr. Lim Haw-Kuang, executive chairman of Shell Companies in China, explains how the company has witnessed rapid
business expansion thanks to China’s robust economic growth as well as closer Chinese-Dutch bilateral ties: “Today Shell
is operator of China’s biggest Sino-foreign on-shore natural gas exploration project in Changbei, Shaanxi, in partnership
with PetroChina. Our US$4.3 billion Nanhai petrochemical project is one of the largest Sino-foreign petrochemical joint
ventures in the country. We are the number one international LNG (liquefied natural gas) provider to China by contract
volume and the number one lubricants marketers amongst international oil companies in China. Finally, we are the leading
clean coal technology provider in China.”
“Both the Dutch and the Chinese are interested in pragmatic approaches and finding win-win solutions. Shell is trying to
make contributions to addressing China’s energy priorities: to ensure energy supply security, to enhance energy efficiency
and to protect the environment. Shell and our Chinese partners are aligned on these priorities and we are working together
on various projects to help fuel the fast economic development in China in a sustainable manner.”
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“The Dutch and Chinese also share a commitment to sustainable development and believe in the power of cooperation. A win-win partnership is based on mutual contribution and learning from each other, recognising we bring different
strengths and experiences to projects. I’d like to use a Chinese saying here: seeking common ground while recognising the
differences, building on each other’s strengths (Qiu Tong Cun Yi, Qu Chang Bu Duan).”
57
5
Conclusion
Over hundreds of years China and the Netherlands have proven to be reliable and trustworthy partners in trade, knowledge exchange and other cooperative efforts. It is no more
than natural that this partnership continues in this day and age and that after all this time
it is growing into a close friendship. The Dutch and Chinese have come to know each other
as equally business-minded, down-to-earth and pragmatic counterparts. On the other
hand, Dutch creativity and Chinese out-of-the-box thinking can lead to surprising innovations when they work together.
Both countries stand to benefit tremendously from seeking closer ties, particularly in the
fields of sustainable energy, water management, infrastructure, logistics and agriculture.
Dutch engineering has already contributed greatly to the expansion of the city and port of
Shanghai, while Chinese trade is of considerable importance to the city and port of Rotterdam – no surprise then that these sister cities continually look for closer cooperation.
China’s impressive growth over the past decades was fuelled in great part by emulating
best practices in other countries. Dutch innovations from water purification techniques
to urban planning are already attracting a lot of attention from China, but there is more,
as this book has shown. The small country of the Netherlands that has achieved so much,
extends a warm welcome to the Chinese people to create a better future together.
58
General Statistics on
the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Government, geography and demography
Form of government
Head of state
Administrative regions
Constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy
Queen Beatrix
12 provinces: Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg,
Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland
Dependencies Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Currency
Euro
Location
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany
Capital
Largest cities
Terrain
Elevation extremes
Natural resources
Population
Age structure
Amsterdam
Amsterdam: 743,393 inhabitants
Rotterdam: 599,859 inhabitants
The Hague: 472,087 inhabitants
Utrecht: 300,000 inhabitants
Population growth rate
Migration balance
Ethnic groups
Area
Land boundaries
Climate
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Total: 41,526 square kilometres
Land: 33,883 square kilometres
Water: 7,643 square kilometres
Total: 1,027 kilometres
Belgium: 450 kilometres, Germany: 577 kilometres
Coastline 451 kilometres
Religions
Languages
Mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders)
Lowest point: Zuidvlaspolder - 7 m below sea level Highest point: Vaalserberg 322 m above sea level
Natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land
16,486,587 (February 2009)
0 - 20 years: 23.9%
20 - 45 years: 25.7%
45 - 65 years: 35.5%
65 - 80 years: 11.2%
80-years and older: 3.8%
0.49% (2009 est.)
(immigration minus emigration) 26,842 (2008)
Dutch: 80,4%, other: 19,6% (of which 10,8% are non-Western origin; mainly Turks,
Moroccans, Antilleans, Surinamese and Indonesians (2008)
Roman Catholic: 27%, Protestant: 16.6%, Muslim: 5.7%, other: 2.3%,
none: 48.4% (2005)
Dutch (official), Frisian (official)
Temperate; maritime; cool summers and mild winters
Source: Statistics Netherlands
61
More useful
Information
Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Beijing
http://www.hollandinchina.org
Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
http://www.minocw.nl/english
Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions
http://cn.holland.com
Ministry of Finance
http://www.minfin.nl/english
Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency
http://www.nfia-china.com
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
http://www.minbuza.nl/en
Holland Trade
http://www.hollandtrade.com
Ministry of General Affairs
http://www.minaz.nl/english
Netherlands Education Support Office China
http://www.nesochina.org
Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
http://www.minvws.nl/en
Radio Netherlands Worldwide
http://www.rnw.nl/helan
Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment
http://international.vrom.nl
Government
National Government
http://www.government.nl
Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality
http://www.minlnv.nl
Ministry of Defence
http://www.defensie.nl
Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations
http://www.minbzk.nl/english
Ministry of Justice
http://english.justitie.nl
Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment
http://english.szw.nl
Water
Energy
Netherlands Water Partnership
http://www.nwp.nl
Dutch Association of Suppliers of Environmental Technologies
http://www.vlm.fme.nl
Port of Rotterdam
http://www.portofrotterdam.com
EnergieNed
http://www.energiened.nl
Unesco-IHE (Institute for Water Education)
http://www.ihe.nl
Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN)
http://www.ecn.nl
Creative Industry
Life Sciences
Dutch Design Fashion Architecture (DutchDFA)
http://www.dutchdfa.nl/news
BioMedical Materials Programme (BMM)
http://www.bmm-program.nl
Dutch Musea on the internet
http://www.museumserver.nl
Netherlands Genomic Initiative
http://www.genomics.nl
Premsela, Dutch platform for Design and Fashion
http://www.premsela.org
Pharma Centre of Excellence
http://www.tipharma.nl
Food & Flowers
Trade and finance
Flora Holland
http://www.floraholland.com/en
De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB)
http://www.dnb.nl/en
Food & Nutrition Centre of Excellence
http://www.tifn.nl
Dutch Customs Authorities
http://www.douane.nl/english
Green Genetics
http://www.groenegenetica.nl
The Netherlands Competition Authority
http://www.nmanet.nl/engels/home
Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management
http://www.verkeerenwaterstaat.nl/english
Ministry of Economic Affairs
http://www.ez.nl/english/Organisation
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64
Health
Logistics and Transport
Association of Dutch Care Insurers (Zorgverzekeraars Nederland)
http://www.zn.nl/international
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
http://www.schiphol.com
Center for Translational Molecular Medicine
http://www.ctmm.nl
Dutch National Association of Transport Operators
http://www.tln.nl
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM)
http://www.rivm.nl/en
Holland International Distribution Council
http://www.hidc.nla
Research and education
Sino-Dutch Friendship
Netherlands Association for Scientific Research
http://www.nwo.nl
The Netherlands at the Shanghai World Expo 2010
http://www.holland-expo2010.cn
Nuffic, Study in the Netherlands
http://www.nuffic.nl/international-students
The Netherlands China Arts Foundation
http://en.artsfoundation.nl
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
http://www.knaw.nl
VNC Friendship Association Netherlands – China
http://www.vnc-china.nl
65
Holland, Powered By Innovation
is a publication of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Photography
All photography provided by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Agency for International Business and Cooperation (EVD).
Compiled and edited by
Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Beijing
Press and Cultural Department
Liangmahe Nanlu, No.4
Chaoyang District, Beijing
People’s Republic of China
Text
Ms Ine van Zeeland
Translations
Yi Hai Teng Fei Translation Co. Ltd
Design
Carr3ra Creative Consulting
Jianwai SOHO
DongSanHuan Zhong Lu No. 39
Building 14, Room 2005
ChaoYang District, Beijing
People’s Republic of China
Printed in China