AMS 1-35.indd

NR 1 2012
AMS
Amsterdam in
business
Fibre
runs
through
it
Amsterdam’s ICT
industry
Russell Shorto
This city’s DNA
AMS
Lars van den Brink presents city life, condensed
36 images of amsterdam
The city’s DNA
35 Column russell shorto
Swedish fashion designer Ulrika Lundgren
32 city scrapbook
ICT: the growth engine of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area
22 netWorks
How a painting in the Rijksmuseum illustrates 400 years of Dutch-Turkish relations
20 amsterdammer in Izmir
Dr Cem Bozkurt, CEO Alvimedica Medical Technologies
16 Why We Came
Carolyn Timson, design director at Tommy Hilfiger
Chris Zook, business writer and partner at Bain & Company
10 lonG stay
Stedelijk Museum, Waldorf Astoria, Unseen Photo Fair
6 new in amsterdam
The land of bicycles and giants
4 Contributors
5 Column Colleen Geske
Frans van der Avert, Director of City Marketing, Amsterdam Metropolitan Area
3 editorial
Contents
editorial
The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area has much to offer businesses and their employees. An excellent infrastructure with an
extensive harbour – the fourth largest in Europe – and one of
the most connected airports in the world; a most accommodating tax system; an incredible pool of talent.
Known as the birthplace of the public company as well as of
the industrial revolution, the region has a long history of entrepreneurship. Creativity, innovation and a mercantile spirit have
always been the core values of the people of this region, and
will continue to be in the future.
Amsterdam Marketing and amsterdam inbusiness, the organisations that bring you this magazine, are working together to
make it as easy as possible for you to invest here. By offering
your company and your employees assistance at every level,
but also by presenting to you our greatest asset: a city where
people love to live, with a cultural life that is unmatched, in a
setting – the Canal Ring – that has been listed a UNESCO
World Heritage site in its entirety.
AMS, of which you are holding the first issue, gives you the
facts of doing business in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area,
but also the feelings. It gives a voice to the entrepreneurs and
internationals who have come here and embraced the spirit of
Amsterdam.
In this first issue we present interviews with Michael Crimp,
the man behind IBC, the largest conference in Amsterdam
that has been coming to our city for over 20 years. We portray
international professionals in their homes, such as Carolyn
Timson, head of design at Tommy Hilfiger, and we asked
Geke Faber, Mayor of Zaanstad, to show us her new workplace, a city hall of outstanding architectural beauty. In the
heart of this issue we portray the all-important ICT industry in
Amsterdam, centred around one of the largest internet hubs in
the world and a first-class fibre optics network.
What does AMS stand for? In the international language of air
travel, it is the code for Amsterdam. It is what you find on your
luggage label when you travel here. Destination reached. What
could be a more appropriate name for a business magazine
that invites you to come and join us?
Frans van der Avert
Director of City Marketing, Amsterdam Metropolitan Area
AMS
60 facts
Zuidas, Amsterdam’s premium-class business district
57 aaa location
Michael Crimp, CEO of IBC
52 it started in amsterdam
Zaanstad City Hall
48 the offiCe
44 events
PICNIC cross-media fair, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
Destination reached
ContriButors
lars van den Brink has been fascinated by
the power of photography to capture time and
reality for as long as he can remember. At the
Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, Van den
Brink discovered that he was able to arrange
and rearrange reality and capture a story with
his images. He works for a variety of clients,
including NRC Handelsblad newspaper, the
Dutch Government and numerous graphic design
agencies.
Editorial board
Frans van der Avert
Geerte Udo
Riske Akkerman
Editor-in-Chief
Bart van Oosterhout
Art Director
Sabine Verschueren
Designers
Sandra Nakken
Art director sabine Verschueren
has many prestigious titles to her
name, including Dutch newspaper
NRC Handelsblad’s bimonthly luxury
lifestyle magazine, DeLUXE. For her
work on Oog, the official magazine
of the Rijksmuseum, Verschueren
was named art director of the year.
She works from her studio in
Amsterdam’s De Pijp neighbourhood,
a stimulating multicultural melting pot.
Translator
Heather Lane
Copy Editor
Megan Roberts
mark smith moved to Amsterdam four years ago, having worked as
a journalist in London and the Middle East. ‘Amsterdam was quite
a culture shock after my last home, Dubai,’ recalls Mark. ‘My first
assignment for Time Out Amsterdam was to attend a naked dance
party!’ Now the editor of that magazine, Mark also writes for Condé
Nast Traveler, MONOCLE and The Sunday Times Travel.
Contributors
Lars van den Brink
Claudie de Cleen
Matt Farquharson
Colleen Geske
Chris Gloag (Hollandse
Hoogte)
Jessica Hagy
Herman van Heusden
Michiel van Iperen (Artbox)
Hans Kops
Zora Ottink
Martyn Overweel
Robin de Puy
matt farquharson has
been a journalist for nearly
ten years. Specialising in
business and travel, he
has written and edited
for national newspapers
and magazines all over
the world. Originally from
London, he has been based
in Amsterdam since 2009,
and his Dutch is improving
very slowly.
Russell Shorto
Mark Smith
Ivo Weyel
Henk Wildschut
Thijs Wolzak
Printer
4 ams
Habo da Costa
Photo cover
Lars van den Brink
Photographer henk Wildschut studied at the Royal Academy
of Art in The Hague. His work, characterised by a contemplative
and often distant perspective, has been exhibited in Amsterdam,
Sidney, Shanghai, Beijing, London, Prague and The Hague. The
book of Wildschut’s 2010 series ‘Shelter’ won the Kees Scherer
Prize for best Dutch photography book 2009/2010, as well as the
prestigious Dutch Doc Award 2011. Wildschut is currently working
on a project about Dutch food production for Amsterdam’s
Rijksmuseum.
Photography from top to bottom Lars van den Brink, Robin de Puy, Ana Rita Sousa & Ivano Salonia, Anna Whitehouse, Henk Wildschut
Zlatka Siljdedic
Colleen Geske
In the city of bicycles and giants
people, you’re sure to see some interesting
spectacles on wheels.
Isn’t it ironic that the nickname for the
Netherlands is the Lowlands? Quite frankly,
a more descriptive term would be the Highlands – or at least the High-People-Lands. If
you haven’t noticed, Dutch people are tall.
Really tall. Tall enough to make even a ‘normally’ tall person feel quite short.
The odd thing here is that the Dutch haven’t
always been tall. Ever been inside one of
Amsterdam’s 16th-century canal houses?
Those tiny doors and quaint low ceilings were
indeed built for much smaller people. HowevYou may have noticed more than a few
er, in just a century, Dutch people went from
wheeled contraptions whizzing by you in this
being amongst the shortest nations to being
town. In fact, it sometimes seems impossible to the tallest peeps on the planet.
separate where the Dutch begin and their biA recent study linked the number of cows per
cycles end. Rain (or rain, or rain) or shine, the capita to the height of a country’s people. We
Dutch can be found crisscrossing this bridged all know the Dutch have no shortage of cattle,
city on their trusty (and rusty) two-wheeled
so perhaps the copious consumption of dairy
friends.
(think cheese, cheese, cheese) can be blamed.
Of course, everyday cycling in itself is not
Whatever the cause, there always seems to
such a special feat, but the Dutch certainly
be a bicycle (and a pair of trousers) built for
bring their own distinct flare to the sport.
even the tallest of chaps.
Firstly, don’t expect to see any fancy, sophisSo, what do ubiquitous bicycles and Dutch
ticated, titanium-suspension-rigged bicycles
giants have in common? Well, they are simply
in Amsterdam. Nope: the Dutch prefer their
two charmingly unique elements that make
gearless, rusted, chain-just-barely-hanging-on up the endearing nature of Amsterdam, a city
variety. Why, you ask? Well, practicality and
that will capture your heart and imagination
frugality run through every Dutchie’s blood.
at every turn. It certainly has mine. <
Why spend more on fancy features when your
thighs and lungs can make up for the rest?
Heck, the Dutch even prefer to power their
necessary bicycle lights with their own legpumping-power; again, a reliable solution at
no extra cost!
Most importantly, don’t be surprised by the
uncanny Dutch ability to ride a gearless bicycle while talking on a mobile phone, carrying
two children, six bags of groceries, a television set and a mattress. Having grown up on
wheels, the Dutch conduct daily superhuman
acts with laid-back casualness. With over
880,000 bicycles in a city of less than 790,000
Going
Dutch
Colleen Geske is the author of the blog
Stuff Dutch People Like
(stuffdutchpeoplelike.com) which celebrates,
questions and pokes fun at all things Dutch.
photo Robin de Puy
illustration Jessica Hagy
5 ams
On my initial trip to Amsterdam in 2004, the
first two things that caught my attention were
the endless hordes of bicycles and the towering height of the Dutch. After spending a little
over a week in the city, so many unanswered
questions circled in my mind: Why didn’t
every city in the world adopt bicycles in such
a way? How was I ever going to avoid getting
run over by a fervent cyclist? And, would I
forevermore need a stepladder to reach cupboards in a Dutch apartment? Seven years later, most of my questions have been answered,
but the Dutch and their unique cultural quirks
continue to fascinate me on a daily basis.
Photo Fair
neW in
ams
Unseen
text Mark Smith
Ziggo Dome
Amsterdam rocks out
When a stage has
been anointed by the
Queen of Pop, you
know it’s something
special. Back in July,
Madonna graced
this cavernous new
rock venue – capacity
15,600 – adjacent to
the Amsterdam ArenA.
George Michael, Lady
Gaga and Lionel Richie
are set to follow in her
wake this season.
6 ams
www.ziggodome.nl
From top right:
Jiang Zhi/m97 Gallery
Andrew Phelps/Robert Morat Gallery
Koos Breukel & Roy Villevoye/Motive Gallery
& Van Zoetendaal Collections
Hiromi Kakimoto/The Third Gallery Aya
Laura Henno/Galerie Les Filles au Calvaire
Photography has grown into the
medium of our time. The range
and diversity of styles in art photography has never been so broad
and never have we seen so much
interest from museums, galleries
and the public. With Unseen, Amsterdam is finally host to a photography exposition that does justice
to this global development.
‘A new photo fair with a festival
flair’ is the slogan behind Unseen,
which takes place at Culture Park
Westergasfabriek. More than 50
national and international galleries
will be presenting both new and
big-name talent, and a special collection of photographs all priced
under €1,000 to encourage new
collectors. However, Unseen is not
just a commercial exhibition but
also a festival, with an extended
line-up of activities including an
evening programme, lectures and
presentations, films, the photography book fair Offprint and an
exhibition covering nine decades
of fashion photography, with
works by Richard Avedon, Helmut
Newton and Edward Steichen,
among others.
www.unseenamsterdam.com
The Conservatorium
Hotel
Old Dutch meets new
Italian design
www.conservatoriumhotel.com
Waldorf Astoria
Amsterdam
Hot on the heels of
openings in Berlin,
Edinburgh and
Jerusalem, the Hilton
Worldwide hotel
network is currently
putting the finishing
touches to its high-end
home on Amsterdam’s
Herengracht.
Expected to open in 2013.
www.waldorfastoria.com
Concierge desk
at the Rome
Cavalieri
2013
A year of milestones
2013 is a very big year indeed for
Amsterdam, as the city celebrates a
host of important cultural and historical
landmarks. In addition to marking the
400-year anniversary of the stately Canal
Belt – that marvel of aquatic engineering
designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2010 – Amsterdam will be
celebrating the reopening of the fully
renovated Rijksmuseum; the 125th
anniversary of the Concertgebouw
(concert hall) and its world-renowned
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; the
225th anniversary of the pioneering
Felix Meritis centre for arts, culture and
science; plus the 175th anniversary of
Artis Royal Zoo, where visitors have
been enjoying nature in the city centre
since the days of Charles Darwin.
www.iamsterdam.com/2013
7 ams
Anyone who’s visited both the Rijksmuseum
and the Stedelijk Museum – each within
walking distance of this, the first European
property from Israeli hotel chain The Set –
will tell you that Amsterdam does two things
extremely well: the old and the new,
often in striking combination.
The Dutch Golden Age collides with
contemporary Italian design courtesy of
architect Piero Lissoni at this beautifully
renovated building in the grand Museum
Quarter. Behind the imposing neo-Gothic
façade of what was originally the city’s most
prestigious bank (and subsequently the
home of the revered music school that lends
the hotel its name) there operates a thoroughly modern, pared-down but undeniably
upscale eight-storey, 129-room luxury hotel.
Lissoni’s audacious transparent extension – a
soaring, light-flooded structure that manages to engulf the original building while
remaining true to it – is breath-takingly ambitious, and is the perfect place to enjoy a
spot of people-watching over afternoon tea.
The Conservatorium Brasserie is a laid-back
diner with plush sofas and coffee tables,
where you can order anything from a club
sandwich to a champagne cocktail. Upstairs
at the more formal Tunes Restaurant, the
seasonal à la carte menu is a symphony for
the taste buds.
ams
neW in
The
Bank
Regeneration succes
Overlooking the city’s bustling
Rembrandtplein entertainment
area, ABN AMRO’s former
headquarters is now home to
Starbucks’ European concept
store (where you can sample
experimental blends fresh from
the grinder), award-winning
gourmet supermarket Marqt,
the offices of game development studio Guerrilla Games
(see feature, page 30) and
Booking.com, to name but a
few.
8 ams
www.thebankamsterdam.nl
Stedelijk Museum
Art institution reopens
Amsterdam’s modern art institution originally opened its doors in 1895 and in the
century that followed, the Stedelijk built a
world-class collection of art by everyone
from Georges Braque to Barbara Kruger. By
the beginning of the millennium, however,
modernisation was required, and Amsterdam architect firm Benthem Crouwel won
the contract to extend the main building via
a giant ‘bathtub’ design that will open its
doors on 23 September 2012.
A great work of art in itself, the new façade
has been made possible by the engineering
expertise of a Japanese company with its
roots in Arnhem, the Netherlands. Plastics
manufacturer Teijin donated the 6,000km of
its patented Twaron high-performance manmade fibres and 1,500km of Tenax carbon
fibre. By using just the right quantities, there
is virtually no contraction or expansion of
the composite panel, which would compromise the building’s sleek lines. The result is
the largest composite building in the world
– with little need for joints or welds – and
the Stedelijk joins the ranks of world-famous
buildings made of unusual materials.
www.stedelijk.nl
www.teijinaramid.com
Noorderparkbar
Engineering ingenuity
Conceived as an outdoor ‘living room’
for the city’s northernmost borough, this
architectural gem was constructed out of
three industrial containers and other materials sourced entirely via the online auction site Marktplaats (the Dutch equivalent
of eBay). On sunny evenings, you can
raise a glass here to Dutch engineering
ingenuity and Amsterdam’s community
spirit in action.
www.hetkomtaltijdgoed.nl
THNK
School of creativity
Acting on the belief that we are living in
an age of accelerated change, the all-new
Amsterdam ‘School of Creative Leadership’
THNK is on a mission to nurture the next
generation of creative leaders.
Although there are substantial admission
fees, they reflect the calibre of tuition,
which is influenced largely by the creative
leadership thinking of pioneering companies such as management consultancy
firm McKinsey&Company, electronics giant
Philips and animation studio Pixar.
September 2012 sees the start of the second
18-month THNK programme, which is built
around ‘conversations’ rather than ‘lectures’,
with the emphasis on learning through collaboration. Fittingly, the setting for all this
industrious thought is amid the imaginatively
repurposed buildings of the once-industrial
Westergasfabriek culture park.
EYE Film Institute
photo:
Iwan Baan
Architectural gem
www.thnk.org
Originally home to a Golden Age tobacco merchant, the
new premises of conceptual art institute De Appel have
undergone a suitably radical rethink by Amsterdambased architecture firm denieuwegeneratie. Flooded
with natural light and with serene views on to the garden out back, it’s home to an ever-changing collection
of contemporary sound, visual and mixed-media installations from challenging artists the world over.
www.deappel.nl
www.eyefilm.nl
9 ams
De Appel
Markus Selg
photo:
Cassander
Eeftinck
Schattenkerk
Some 30 months after construction began
on Amsterdam’s most ambitious public
project of recent years, the reincarnated
EYE Film Institute – formerly known as the
Filmmuseum – opened its sliding doors for
the first time in April 2012, in the presence
of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix. The all-new
building, which dominates the view across
the water from behind Central Station, is
an architectural marvel that hopes to put
Amsterdam’s up-and-coming Noord district
on the map as a world-class cultural and
creative destination.
Designed by Vienna-based firm Delugan
Meissl Associated Architects – also responsible for Stuttgart’s Porsche Museum – the
EYE’s pale, angular exterior was apparently
inspired by the changing textures of the
silver screen. Inside, there are four cinemas
showing current releases as well as repertoire from the Institute’s dazzling archive of
37,000 films; a spectacular café overlooking the water; a 1,200m2 exhibition space;
and a free-to-access education area on
the lower-ground floor featuring ‘EYE pod’
screening booths.
lonG stay
10 AMS
Coffee machine
‘This was
here when we
moved in, but
it’s not the only
one we have.
My husband
is Italian and
coffee is very
important to
him.’
‘We collect
these Polish
animal
figurines.’
The table
is an Italian
design, bought
from a furniture
shop on the
corner of Van
Baerlestraat.
Internationals photographed
in their own homes
Carolyn Timson, design director at Tommy Hilfiger
Originates from South Yorkshire, UK. In Amsterdam since 2004
Denim
Tommy
Hilfiger
tote bag:
‘Always
ridiculously
full.’
Dolls’ house:
‘Another
gift, this time
from the
grandparents.’
‘My daughter’s
batteryoperated
piano, a gift
from my sister
in England.
Luckily, it
plays its own
pre-recorded
tunes!’
11 ams
‘This is Zac,
our pedigree
ragdoll cat.’
Timson’s
11-year-old
son, Joseph.
Her husband
Stefano and
four-year-old
daughter
Camilla were
in Italy at the
time of our
shoot.
‘My husband
works from
home at this
iMac, so he
can spend
time with the
kids. He has an
online cultural
agenda,
zero20.nl’
lonG stay
Jip en Janneke
and Dutch for
Dummies, the
books Zook
used to learn
Dutch.
12 AMS
Couch from
Ikea: ‘We love
Ikea.’
Chris’s wife
Donna, who is
an avid lover of
horses, found
this horseshaped lamp
in the antiques
shop next to
their house.
Book:
The Dutch, I
Presume by
Martijn de
Rooi, about the
icons of the
Netherlands.
Chris Zook, business writer and partner at Bain & Company
Originates from Boston, USA
In Amsterdam since 2006
A vase by
Alvar Aalto,
bought on a
trip to Finland.
The window
bays are
decorated with
old planks that
were exposed
during the
restoration of
this ancient
house, in the
style of famous
Dutch designer
Piet Hein Eek.
Souvenirs
Zook collects
souvenirs
from every
country that he
visits, like this
antique chest
from China
and painted
lacquered box
from Russia.
Chris keeps an
English/Dutch
dictionary in
every room.
Pictures of
sons Andrew
and Alex, both
of whom study
in the UK.
lonG stay
‘A very
human way
to live’
14 AMS
text Megan Roberts
photo Thijs Wolzak
Carolyn Timson, design director at life
style über-brand Tommy Hilfiger, on
why Amsterdam is the only city she
wants to live in.
Forty-year-old Brit Carolyn Timson is a great
advocate for the fashion brand whose preppychic designs she oversees. From her classicwith-a-twist silk shirt to her summer freckles,
Timson personifies the fresh, young Tommy
Hilfiger vibe – even in the midst of the Dutch
downpour during which we meet.
Timson arrived in Amsterdam 12 years into
her career as a designer. Having been hired
by whimsical fashion label Moschino while in
her final year of a fashion degree at London’s
Kingston University, she relocated to European
fashion capital Milan shortly after graduating.
Consultancy positions at Italian powerhouse
labels Max Mara and Iceberg eventually led her
to Tommy Hilfiger’s Amsterdam headquarters,
where European operations were in their
infancy.
‘After two years doing freelance design for
them, dividing my time between Amsterdam
and Milan, I realised I was more here in
Amsterdam than there in Milan – even though
there was technically home.
‘I really hadn’t ever contemplated living in
Amsterdam before,’ she explains. ‘I came and
bought my engagement ring here years ago, but
that was the only association I had with the city.
The more time I spent here, however, the more
I realised that Amsterdam is a really warm city
to live in – not the weather, perhaps – but it’s
very easy to live here, an easy place to move to.
There aren’t a lot of culture shocks and it’s very
easy to integrate into things quickly.’
So in 2004, Timson and her Italian husband
Stefano Xotta, a web creative, moved to
Amsterdam permanently, bringing their young
son Joseph (now 11) with them. They’ve never
looked back.
‘If I had to live in a city, with children, with a
family – which I do, for my job – Amsterdam is
the only choice. It’s a very human way to live;
the scale is good; you don’t feel overwhelmed
by the city at all. And also I travel a lot, so the
connections are really convenient – for business,
but also in terms of getting to see the allimportant grandparents in Italy and England.’
A year after relocating, the couple bought
their rented home in the city’s Oud-Zuid
neighbourhood. ‘I went a little bit beyond
budget when we rented, but I fell in love with
the house immediately, it felt like a perfect
family home,’ she says. ‘No other house we saw
compared. Luckily, it worked out cheaper to
buy the house than to rent it! The process was
very straightforward – one of the easiest things
that we’ve done.
‘The space was really nicely set out already; we
just painted and slowly furnished it. It’s more
practical than for show, our home… We brought
some things from Italy – the sofas, some
bookshelves – and have collected things here
and there. I don’t quite know how it happened,
but it was very empty when we arrived; it
definitely isn’t now!’
The arrival of Timson’s daughter Camilla four
years ago – born, in the Dutch tradition, at
home – adds an extra layer of family history to
the house.
As for the future, ‘It’s hard to get away now,’ she
says. ‘We’re happy here. My husband’s business
(online Amsterdam cultural agenda Zero20.nl)
is based around the city and well supported by
the ICT industry here. I only expected to stay
for two years, and that was eight years ago…’
She shrugs, smiling. <
‘This city is the
birthplace of the
multinational
company’
‘Amsterdam has everything we need,’ says
Zook, as he takes my soaking wet umbrella
in the hallway of his 17th-century canal-side
home. Lightning, rain and thunder can be
heard outside. ‘I even love this real Dutch
weather,’ he says, laughing. He must be joking,
I think, as I stand dripping on the marble floor,
but his wife confirms it.
Zook is a partner at consultancy firm Bain &
Company, headquartered in Boston, and a
‘business thinker’ by trade. He is ranked among
the 50 most influential thinkers in the business
world by the London Times. In addition to his
consultancy work, Zook shares his business
knowledge through his best-selling books,
the most recent of which, Repeatability: Build
Enduring Businesses for a World of Constant
Change, offers guidelines on how businesses
can survive – and even grow – in turbulent
times. Stick to what you’re good at, says Zook;
embed that uniqueness in the entire company;
and, above all, keep learning.
This three-fold theory applies beyond the
realm of business, says Zook: ‘When you
consider this philosophy in the context of
a city, you can see that Amsterdam pulls it
off really well. The city retains its heart and
soul, the old centre, while continually moving
forward.’
Zook and Robinson bought an impressive
period building, engrossed themselves in the
history of the house and had it completely
restored. The house had lost its original
character, Zook says – ‘just like many a
company that doesn’t stick to its roots’.
Zook and his wife were integrated into Dutch
culture in no time. They swapped their car for
bicycles, joined local art and culture boards
and became committee members of the
English Reformed Church in the Begijnhof.
‘Things are simple in Amsterdam,’ says Zook.
‘You’re soon accepted into the community,
thanks to the mentality and openness that
prevail here and the ease with which things are
done. It’s a breath of fresh air – particularly
for people like us, from America, which is
saturated in rules, bureaucracy and restrictions.
The mere fact that you can cycle here without
a helmet gives you a sense of freedom.
‘And you mustn’t forget that the principle
of the multinational has its roots here. The
Dutch East India Company was one of the
first multinationals to operate globally. The
Dutch are born traders. And you can’t talk
about the Netherlands without mentioning
Amsterdam: its capital city, beating heart and
a major international tourist attraction. Having
said that, after living here for a while it feels
more like a big village. Everything you could
possibly need is within reach. We bought all
our furniture locally: from craftsmen, antique
dealers, galleries and bric-a-brac markets.’
‘And from Ikea,’ Robinson adds, pointing to
the sofa.
‘Do I miss anything specific from back home?
I couldn’t really tell you, because I don’t think
like that – neither privately, nor in business.
Successful businesses don’t operate like that
either. Everyone is shaped by their past, their
roots and their personality. That’s just how it
is. The key, however, is to focus on the future,
and our future lies here in Amsterdam for the
time being.’ <
text Ivo Weyel
photo Herman van Heusden
15 ams
Chris Zook, partner at consultancy firm
Bain & Company and best-selling author
of business titles such as Profit from the Core,
on why he chose Amsterdam as his new
home.
Why We Came
‘Our
people
love
to live
here’
Cem Bozkurt,
Ceo alvimedica
medical technologies
Alvimedica
Medical
Technologies
sets up its global
brand office in
Amsterdam.
CEO Cem Bozkurt
MD explains why.
16 AMS
text Hans Kops
illustration Martyn Overweel
17 AMS
Why We Came
the development and production of equipment such as stents and catheters used in
heart surgery. First they took over the Turkish
company Nemad, which specialises in stent
technology, and then the American catheter
specialists In-Vivo. Headquartered in Istanbul, Alvimedica has now grown into a global
player and has one of the largest and most
Cem Bozkurt is an ambitious
well-equipped clean rooms and production
man at the head of an ambitious
facilities in the world of medical technology.
company. Within the next three
As a result of this growth, a network of sales
years, Bozkurt intends to grow
Alvimedica Medical Technologies outlets has been set up that covers more than
40 countries.
into one of the five largest proBut to reach the absolute top of their game,
ducers of high-end heart surgery
Alvimedica must also organise its research
equipment in the world. As such,
the Turkish company will be mak- and marketing activities on a global scale and
ensure that as much knowledge as possible is
ing an important contribution to
passed between the marketers and researchers
increasing the survival chances of
perhaps millions of heart patients, in each of the countries where it has facilities. Or, as CEO Cem Bozkurt explains: ‘As
says the chief executive officer
we take our place among the leading comwith obvious pride. But he also
panies in our field, we take a special pride in
secretly hopes that placing Alvimedica at the forefront of medical investing in our human resources. We have
science will one day bring the No- created a team of skilled professionals who
bel Peace Prize for Medicine to his work together toward success in five different
native country. ‘That is one of the continents.
‘In this global cluster, Amsterdam and Assen
principal targets of our research
play an important role. Assen is our entry to
and development base,’ he says.
a specific and highly valued pool of medicalThe arrival of Alvimedica in Amsterdam is an important
technology knowledge that pre-exists in
step on the path to achieving these ambitious goals, says
the nearby academic centre of Groningen.
Bozkurt in the reception area of the recently opened
The University of Groningen has faculties
Alvimedica global marketing office. Located alongside
and courses that are directly relevant to our
a stately Amsterdam canal, the building literally leans
research and development programmes, makagainst the official residence of the City Mayor.
ing it easier for us to recruit highly qualified
‘Amsterdam was a natural choice for us,’ continues
researchers and other talents. And Amsterdam
Bozkurt. ‘We are growing our presence in the Netherlands, having launched the Alvimedica Vascular Research has a longstanding history as one of Europe’s
leading business hubs because of its innovaCenter in Assen last year, in the northeast. Amsterdam
tive character and its accessibility. The combiand Assen are now among our most important global
nation is a winning one for us.’
locations.
‘The research centre has made key contributions to
product development, and facilitates the further evolution of the organisation and the expansion of our market
position. This is a very complex operation in a global
biomedical industry that is evolving rapidly, so we decided
to set up a coordination centre for all our marketing and
brand activities around the globe. To us, it was only logical that Amsterdam should be at the heart of this. After
we decided this, it was easy. The NFIA, the Netherlands
Foreign Investment Agency, helped us find a location and
within three weeks we could start hiring.’
18 AMS
‘As far as our
global marketing
operations are
concerned,
Amsterdam is the
best place for us
to be.’
A GLOBAL PLAYER
Alvimedica Medical Technologies has a brief yet eventful history. In 2006 a number of Turkish investors joined
forces, having identified interesting market opportunities
in what the medical world calls ‘invasive surgery’ and
alvimedica
At first glance it would seem easier to concentrate your
business activities in your research centre in Assen. What
made you decide otherwise?
‘Our multinational team of experts, scientists and
professional business executives use the latest communication technologies to synchronise our business
processes, marketing operations and research efforts.
This gives us the flexibility to make optimal location
decisions. A global brand benefits enormously from a
business setting with as many different players as there
are in Amsterdam. The city has a very stable communication infrastructure, a deep and profound knowledge of
global marketing and brand strategies and our
people love to live here. Talent
simply flourishes in
Amsterdam.’
Alvimedica was founded in 2006 by Turkish
businessmen living in Denmark and Sweden
to develop innovative products in the
field of interventional cardiology. In 2007
Alvimedica purchased the Turkish company
Nemed, a manufacturer of coronary
stents and PTCA catheters, both used for
unblocking arteries. In 2009 Alvimedica
bought an American manufacturer of
diagnostic and guiding catheters called
In-Vivo.
Alvimedica is now active in 40 countries
worldwide, employing more than 200
people. It has become one of the leading
global Turkish brands, with a turnover of
$40 million in 2011, and $30 million of
exports volume.
Alvimedica opened its state-of-the-art R&D
centre in Assen, the Netherlands, in 2011.
It employs 24 people. This year, Alvimedica
expanded its operations in the Netherlands
to include a global marketing office, located
on Amsterdam’s stately Canal Ring.
For global brand management you
need internationally oriented people
– and such people like to live and
work in Amsterdam. Do you agree?
‘Indeed they do. From that perspective I see a lot of similarities
with my hometown of Istanbul.
Both cities provide a vivid lifestyle, the proximity of a diverse
business community and a strong
social universe. Amsterdam and
Istanbul also share a rich and
strong business heritage and are
business hubs as well as attractive
cities to live in. These similarities
have already nurtured four centuries of prosperous trade relations
between our countries.’
The economic possibilities of the
trade relations between Turkey and
the Netherlands have not yet been
fully realised. Do you think Alvimedica will be the first of many
You spent part of your childhood in the Netherlands, where your father was the first Turkish
professor at the University of Wageningen. Did this
personal history affect your decision to locate your
business here?
‘It was definitely a plus that I have experienced
daily life here before and that I already had
knowledge of the dynamics of the business
and scientific environments in the Netherlands. However, the decision to invest in the
Netherlands was a majority one taken by our
board and made on strictly rational arguments.
Actually, the discussion on the location for our
global brand office was relatively short and
easy. For us, there were no real competitors to
the attractions of the Amsterdam Metropolitan
Area.’ <
19 AMS
Which characteristics of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area
attract you most?
‘As far as our global marketing operations are concerned,
Amsterdam is the best place for us to be. The city has a
strong international orientation and a very well-equipped
cluster of service organisations. And naturally, there is the
vibrant pace of the city’s business life and its immaculate
legacy as a global centre of trade for many years now.’
Turkish companies to invest in this region in the
near future?
‘Within the past decade, the Turkish economy
has shown a solid growth performance, resilient to the turbulence in the global economic
system. In line with this positive development,
Turkish businesses are showing progress,
evolving from the producer, provider and exporter identity into truly global organisations.
At Alvimedica we benefit from the fact that
we are almost a start-up: we have structured
our business with an international approach
and have been an internationally oriented
organisation from the beginning. But many
Turkish companies are only now restructuring
their international operations and realising that
they need anchor points outside of Turkey.
I am confident that more and more of them
will appreciate the potential of the Amsterdam
Metropolitan Area. And we are playing our
part as voluntary ambassadors for Amsterdam
within the Turkish business community.’
20 AMS
Amsterdam
celebrates
400 years of
friendship and
trade with
Turkey
The ties between Turkey and Amsterdam go back centuries. The tulip, national symbol of the Netherlands,
originated in Turkey. Today Amsterdam is home to almost
40,000 Turkish Amsterdammers, and the business ties
between Turkey and Amsterdam are strong. This painting
from the Rijksmuseum illustrates the story of four centuries of amicable ties.
In 1612, ambassador of the Dutch Republic Cornelis Haga
was welcomed in Constantinople, capital of the Ottoman
Empire, making it the first power to recognise the Netherlands – which was revolting against Spanish rule – as an
independent country. Sultan Ahmed I granted the Dutch
the privilege of trade, at very low tax rates, and the freedom to set up mercantile houses, thus marking the start
of 400 years of friendship and trade.
Some 120 years later, in 1731, 19-year-old Amsterdam-
Amsterdammer
in lzmir
stunning views of the bay, was the heart of high society in
the city. The family also had a 27-room country house and
an estate that included a tobacco plantation.
In around 1770, David van Lennep commissioned Swiss
artist Antoine de Favray to paint his family. The portrait
now hangs in the Rijksmuseum and depicts his seven
eldest children, with their teacher in the corner to the far
right, and Grandpa Leidstar to the left dressed in traditional Turkish clothing. Anna Maria and her eldest daughter are also in traditional Turkish dress, and on the floor
is a Turkish carpet. The baby being held by its mother is
Jacob van Lennep, who later took over the reins of his
father’s trading house and went on to become the Dutch
consul in Smyrna and, in 1826, agent of the new Netherlands Trading Society. The Van Lenneps continued to
live in Izmir into the 20th century, yet their ties with
Amsterdam have endured to this day.
21 AMS
mer David George van Lennep decided to try his luck in
Turkey. He arrived in Smyrna, known today as Izmir and
located on the country’s west coast, which was one of
the most important trading cities of the Ottoman Empire.
There was already a community of Dutch tradespeople in
the city, and Van Lennep started out working for an acquaintance. In 1737 he began operating as an independent merchant, exporting silk and mohair from the Turkish
hinterland, and figs and citrus fruit from the islands in the
Aegean Sea.
In 1758 – at the age of 45 – Van Lennep married 20-yearold Anna Maria Leidstar, a Dutch woman born and bred in
Constantinople, where her family ran a mercantile house.
The couple had 13 children, who in turn each made good
marriages. One traveller referred to David van Lennep as
‘the uncrowned king of the Dutch community in Smyrna’.
Van Lennep’s house, which boasted large galleries with
22 AMS
The Hub
netWorks
‘This
city has
always
been
open and
neutral’
Beneath the
streets of this
old city lies
one of the
most modern
fibre-optics
networks in
the world. This,
combined with
the presence of
an innovative
community
of ICT
entrepreneurs,
makes it the
ideal place for
ICT businesses
to set up shop.
23 AMS
text Hans Kops & Mark Smith
photography Henk Wildschut
netWorks
‘It’s all about
interactivity
nowadays, and
Amsterdam is
Europe’s epicentre
of all things
interactive.’
(Dirk Bavelaar,
Netherlands
Country Director at
ReachLocal)
‘THE EPICENTRE OF ALL THINgS INTERACTIvE’
Last year, American online marketing company ReachLocal established its European head office and service
centre in Amsterdam’s World Trade Center. The global
market leader in the sector for smaller and medium-sized
organisations, ReachLocal wants to expand its European
activities.
Why did they choose Amsterdam as a base? ReachLocal
needs an environment that is at the forefront of digital
innovation. Here, the company’s consultants can rely on
a network of partners that is ahead of the curve in the use
of social media, gaming technology and other interactive
marketing instruments.
‘Amsterdam has it all,’ according to ReachLocal
Netherlands’ Country Director Dirk Bavelaar. ‘It’s all
about interactivity nowadays, and Amsterdam is
Europe’s epicentre of all things interactive. In terms of
digital accessibility and stability, the Metropolitan Area is
one of the best places in the world and boasts a multifaceted ICT industry.’
24 ams
ICT HUB
The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area is an increasingly
important centre for ICT, ranking fifth among the world’s
most attractive locations for companies in the information
and communication technology industry to set up shop. The
city’s ICT cluster is now estimated to include around 20,000
companies. Last year, they made €9 billion and employed
just under 100,000 people. The cluster is supported by a rich
network of knowledge and research institutes, and it increasingly attracts businesses for which ICT is a technology that
drives innovation and which therefore want to be located
close to the source. These include creative companies in the
dennis Gada, Client partner, infosys
fields of marketing, communication, advertising and design,
‘My role at Infosys means acting as country
as well as video-games developers and, for example, the
rep for the Netherlands. That means
managing our finances and operations here. world’s largest producer of navigation software, TomTom.
Unsurprisingly, local government considers the ICT indusHaving come to Amsterdam from India
try to be the region’s most important growth engine. As the
seven years ago, I’ve seen our head count
Economic Development Board (the region’s economic think
grow to more than 500 people and we’re
tank for local government) states: ‘Developing the ICT clusstill expanding.
ter is essential to our future growth and competitive strength.
I find Amsterdam to be a very encouraging
It’s an increasingly important location factor for new busibusiness environment, particularly in the
nesses and serves to stimulate new enterprise.
field of ICT. Everything here dovetails
‘These days, ICT is expected to produce a solution for
with our organisation’s goal of providing
just about every major problem of a modern society,
consulting solutions that create better
such as managing the care of an aging global population;
business value for everyone. And the
Netherlands is a very adaptive community in ensuring that big cities can accommodate two thirds of
terms of online banking, social media and so the global population and still be pleasant places to live;
on. Emerging business models are always at improving access to education; creating a safer world and
making society more sustainable. ICT is only really at the
the forefront of everyone’s mind.
beginning of its development. We intend to facilitate the
From a personal perspective, I think
industry as much as possible so that all of these ambitions
Amsterdam is very expat friendly. I travel
– and more – can be achieved here.’
a lot for my role, so having a world-class
airport on my doorstep is a huge bonus.
The City has also set up an unparalleled
Expatcenter, which eases the transition for
all of our new hires.’ (photo page 25)
25 ams
Guerrilla Games offices;The Hub office;
Dennis Gada, Infosys
netWorks
26 AMS
‘Amsterdam
has always
been open and
neutral.’
(Cara Mascini,
Chief Marketing
Officer at
AMS-IX internet
exchange)
Cara mascini, Chief marketing officer,
ams-iX
‘Operating since 1994, our exchange
connects parties as diverse as local internet
service providers through to the large
telecoms companies. I think it’s testament to
Amsterdam’s forward-thinking nature that we
were established so early, originally as a way
for the city’s academic community to keep in
touch with their cronies in other world centres
for technology, like Chicago.
Amsterdam has always been open and
neutral; these are the values that have made
it possible for us to connect so many of the
players in the ICT community. It’s an attractive
place to do business, because it’s very dense.
There’s a level of competition and choice here
that drives down costs, but always through
innovation.
Although we’re a relatively niche operation
made up of 40 people, our employees come
from all over the world, and we’re very proud
of that diversity. At the last count, we have
17 different nationalities at AMS-IX. That
makes for a tremendously vibrant working
environment, and I look forward to the 18th!’
(photo page 28)
SOLID DEvELOPMENT PLATFORM
Amsterdam and the surrounding area now have a solid
platform for continued development as well.
First and foremost, the region enjoys a strong and widely
accessible infrastructure. The network density of ultra-fast
broadband connections is one of the highest in the world.
The city is also home to the Amsterdam Internet
Exchange (AMS-IX), which with 500 members is one
of the most important internet exchanges in the world.
Ranking second to none as an internet hub, at the end
of last year traffic on AMS-IX reached a milestone of
300,000 terabytes.
The presence of AMS-IX makes Amsterdam the preferred location for companies large and small that generate large quantities of internet traffic. It has also resulted
in the Metropolitan Area developing into a European
centre for high-quality data analysis and storage, with
a striking number of international data centres having
already been established in Almere. Terremark, a subsidiary of the American telecom giant Verizon, opened a data
centre at Schiphol in June 2010 that not only meets the
highest requirements with regard to sustainability, but –
thanks to its capacity – has also become one of AMS-IX’s
most valuable partners.
There is another reason why the ICT industry in the
Amsterdam Metropolitan Area is growing at its current
accelerated rate: the rapid development of cloud computing. More and more software and vital data is being hosted
in the cloud, which makes the location of those hosting
servers an increasingly important consideration. Companies such as Terremark look for locations that enjoy minimal security and political risks and that boast favourable tax
conditions. The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area is one step
ahead of its competitors in that regard too.
% traffic handled by top 10 European internet
nodes
City
Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Frankfurt (Germany)
London (United Kingdom)
Moscow (Russia)
Kiev (Ukraine)
Stockholm (Sweden)
Prague (Czech Republic)
Paris (France)
Budapest (Hungary)
Madrid (Spain)
(Source: The Boston Consulting Group, 2011)
Percentage
24%
23.2%
14.8%
5.9%
3.6%
3%
2.9%
2.8%
2.7%
2.5%
27 AMS
Guerrilla Games motion capture
actor Jermaine Martis
Clockwise from top left:
Cara Mascini, AMS-IX; The Hub
netWorks
A gL OBAL vILLAgE
Amsterdam is often described as a global city that’s as easy
as your home town – the ultimate global village. The most
important attraction of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area
for international ICT companies is that despite having the
infrastructure and service levels of a global city, it has managed to remain navigable, accessible and pleasant to live and
work in. These qualities have resulted in a high degree of societal interaction and flexibility: parties that wouldn’t perhaps
otherwise come into contact find each other more easily in a
metropolitan area where any part of the city can be reached
within an hour. And the walls between the various industries
seem less high: according to the Economic Development
Board, what sets this region apart are the many connections
that exist between ICT and other industries – particularly the
creative sector. This yields new products and services, and
unique joint ventures.
The interaction between these industries is not left to chance.
The City of Amsterdam and the ICT industry develop many
initiatives together that promote the transfer of knowledge
within the ICT ecosystem and challenge participants to look
beyond the borders of their own sector. Successful examples
include accelerators such as Rockstart and Startupbootcamp,
which guide start-up companies through their problematic
launch and start-up phases and put them in touch with
potential financial backers. The theory is that the success of
ICT is increasingly dependent on the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of individuals. After all, the most important
innovations of recent decades have been devised by people
Top 10 European cities’ internet connection
speeds
City
Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Riga (Latvia)
Geneva (Switzerland)
Zurich (Switzerland)
Dublin (Ireland)
Brno (Czech Republic)
Kyyiv (Ukraine)
Ceska (Czech Republic)
Valencia (Spain)
Timisoara (Romania)
(Source: State of the Internet, Akama, Q4 2011)
Average MBPS
9.5
8.7
8.3
7.9
7.9
7.9
7.7
7.5
7.3
7.2
‘The City has
set up an
unparalleled
Expatcenter,
which eases the
transition for
all of our new
hires.’
(Dennis Gada,
Client Partner
at Infosys)
John singh, solicitor and Co-founder of
the indian expat society
‘Having been born in the Netherlands,
I’m not an expat myself, but I quickly
became aware of the importance of Indian
knowledge migrants to the ICT industry
and the innovation that thrives here, so I
wanted to play a part. That’s what led me
to co-found the Indian Expat Society here.
Our expansion has gone hand-in-hand with
the rise of a thriving tech-focused Indian
community in Amsterdam and beyond. We
currently have some 1,500 members.
Our aim is to make Indians feel at home
in the Netherlands. Given that it’s so easy
to conduct one’s business and social life in
English here, you might think that’s no great
challenge. But there are, of course, cultural
differences, and our aim is to make people
feel at home from the get-go.
There’s a plethora of social events, most
of which are focused on the area of
Amstelveen, a short bike ride from the city
centre. Of course, there’s an annual Diwali
festival, but we also direct members towards
services like online grocery stores (for
example, www.spicestore.nl) where they can
obtain authentic foodstuffs.’
29 ams
The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area is also an established
testing ground for new technology and applications. The
Economist Intelligence Unit, an accepted authority, believes that consumers and organisations embrace innovations more quickly in the Netherlands than anywhere else
in the world. This is part of the reason why major ICT
players such as IBM and Cisco base their activities in Amsterdam and its surrounding areas, and why innovations
and new services are tested here first.
netWorks
with brilliant ideas working from their student dorm rooms.
30 AMS
‘Amsterdam
has a really
independent
mind set – it’s
a place where
for centuries
people haven’t
been scared
to innovate.’
(Hermen Hulst,
Managing
Director &
Co-Founder of
Guerrilla Games)
hermen hulst, managing director &
Co-founder, Guerrilla Games
‘For me, being based in Amsterdam represents
a European lifestyle in a context where it’s
possible to maintain a North American-style
work ethic. When I worked in Silicon Valley, I
was impressed by the level of commitment and
dedication that developers there have towards
their output. Now I see that dedication on our
creative shop floor too.
Amsterdam has a really independent mind set
– it’s a place where for centuries people haven’t
been scared to innovate. Newcomers are
inspired by that spirit of independent thinking.
I think it’s what drove me and my friends to set
up Guerrilla Games in the first place.
We have some 26 nationalities working here in
our Amsterdam office. As an employer, I find it
easy to attract people from overseas because
people are attracted by the quality of life. Take
my commute to work; a ten-minute walk along
the canals, dropping my kids off at school on
the way!’ (photo page 31)
COLLABORATIvE BREEDINg gROUNDS
By bringing together development teams from different disciplines, ICT professionals and video-game and app developers are encouraged to look at a problem or at the market
from a different perspective. One result is that Amsterdam
is developing into a centre for serious gaming: techniques
garnered from the leisure gaming sector are used as an
engaging way of helping surgeons and pilots, for example,
learn new skills and perfect existing ones. Two main events
in Amsterdam in this field are the brand new Got Game
Conference (20-21 August), bringing together high-level
industry professionals with novices and students, and Unite,
the yearly event for developers and publishers working with
the Unity 3D platform, on 21-22 August. At the Living
Labs project space, people from different disciplines meet
to develop user-driven, practical and experimental solutions
for modern-day problems. In the Health-Lab, for example,
uses and service providers come together to give health care
innovations a better chance to break through.
Another fast-growing collaborative knowledge network is
Appsterdam, which invites app developers to choose Amsterdam as a springboard, and – on a more general level –
collaborative communities like The Hub Amsterdam, which
is at once an innovation lab and business incubator. All these
initiatives contribute to the vitality of the ICT industry in
the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area by linking technological
innovations with creativity, and making them accessible to as
many people as possible. <
mike lee, mayor & founder, appsterdam
‘As a former Apple employee, I knew full well that while you
can work on tech projects from a laptop anywhere, there’s
a huge advantage to gathering like-minded people in one
place. Any idea that you have can be enriched by bouncing
it off others.
Instead of returning to the Valley for another tour of duty,
I decided to set out on a year-long world tour to find the
place in the world that could offer app developers the best
quality of life for the least personal expenditure. Amsterdam
was a straightforward consumer decision in that regard:
it was immediately apparent to me that this city has the
happiest people on Earth, with all the cultural advantages
of a place like New York or London, but with very few of the
disadvantages.
Appsterdam is a non-profit organisation that runs monthly
events giving app developers a chance to network and
share great ideas. We help app makers understand and
practice community values, such as craftsmanship, quality,
diversity, cooperation and professionalism. Practically, that
means hosting weekly lectures and meet-ups, game days
and trips to local attractions. Other world cities have tried
to kick-start a tech industry using purely financial incentives;
with Appsterdam the city is the incentive, and everything
else flows from the joy of living here.’
31 AMS
Hermen Hulst, Guerrilla Games
City sCrapBook
1
ulrika lundgren
The Swedish owner
and designer of fashion
label Rika allows a peek
inside her glamorous
Amsterdam life
2
1 ‘This is a Christmas
card from an illustrator
friend, Felicia. She
joked that I’m the one
of the left!’
2 & 12 ‘I love the
Amsterdam art scene,
from grand old
institutions like the
Rijksmuseum to the
edgy FOAM
photography gallery.
So inspiring.’
3
3 ‘My signature motif.
The room keys at my
B&B come on one of
these.’
4 Ulrika also runs a
guesthouse called
Maison Rika. This is
her welcome card in
pink envelope. ‘I want
my guests to feel like
they’re living the life of
an Amsterdam local.’
32 AMS
5 ‘One of the great
advantages of living in
the Netherlands is the
availability of beautiful
flowers.’
6 ‘Amsterdam is really
learning to love the
French fancy.’
4
5
6
8
7
9
7 ‘The staff at Small
World Catering are
always charming and
jovial.’
8 ‘I sell these in my
store. The A is for
Amsterdam, of course.’
9 ‘This place is a
cavernous cinematurned-restaurant
serving Italian classics
by candlelight.’
1
10
10 ‘This Essie brand
nail polish reminds me
of Delft blue pottery!’
11 ‘This is me with
Bart de Groot, a fellow
Scandinavian who runs
the Acne store a few
doors down from me.’
Image Zora Ottink
11
13
33 AMS
12
13 ‘From my Rika
Boutique. My atelier
is upstairs, so I’m
regularly on hand for
advice.’
City sCrapBook
photo Mark Smith
‘Amsterdam
is a town full
of people
doing the thing
that they’re
great at’
‘My two boys love
living in Amsterdam.
Here’s my son Luca at
the store, before going
off to his horseriding
lesson at De
Hollandsche Manege
stables.’
Originally a fashion and interiors stylist
for prestigious publications such as
Casa Vogue and ELLE Decoration, Ulrika
‘Rika’ Lundgren moved to Amsterdam
from her native Sweden 12 years ago,
attracted by the city’s inspiring beauty
and the high quality of life she foresees
for her children, Fexix (16) and Luca (9).
34 ams
A photo shoot that she was styling took
Lundgren to the Spanish island of Menorca
in 2005, where she had a local craftsman
make her a bag to use as a prop on set:
a leather tote adorned with Rika’s nowtrademark star motif: ‘A star reminds me
of Hollywood as well as rock ’n’ roll,’ says
Lundgren of the much-copied aesthetic.
After countless compliments and requests
from fellow stylists and fashion-world friends,
Lundgren commissioned another 100 bags
and the ‘Rika’ label was born. Nowadays, her
capsule collection of chemical-free leather
and canvas bags, chic leather dresses and
colourful brogues is available to buy from the
‘Rika Boutique’ store that bears her nickname
in the postcard-perfect Nine Streets area
of Amsterdam. Her designs are beloved of
fashion trendsetters such as supermodel Kate
Moss and Hollywood actress Kirsten Dunst.
Speaking of Hollywood, Lundgren is
something of what that town might refer to
as a ‘triple threat’, having already expanded
her Amsterdam-born brand into the world
of publishing (the last issue of her high-style
Rika Magazine featured contributions from
supermodel-turned-photographer Helena
Christensen) and, most recently, hospitality.
Situated literally across the street from her
design atelier and boutique, Maison Rika is a
two-room luxury B&B overlooking one of the
most picturesque stretches of the Herengracht
canal. From the framed butterflies on the
walls to the star-shaped key rings, everything
in Maison Rika is the embodiment of the
designer’s chic aesthetic, described by her
right-hand man Jean-Sébastien (a former
model, of course) as ‘bohemian rock star’.
Lundgren, who lives near the
Noordermarkt in the Jordaan district, says
that she wants guests to ‘really live the life
of an Amsterdammer while they’re staying
at Maison Rika’. Hence, guests receive the
designer’s personal restaurant and retail
recommendations, updated and left on their
bedside table: ‘My favourite thing about
Amsterdam is that there is a real culture of
specialists: if you want tremendous meat,
there’s a butcher for that, rather than some
anonymous chain store. It’s a town full of
people doing the thing that they’re great at.’
Having joined their ranks, Lundgren, it
seems, is going to stick around…<
text Mark Smith
Russell Shorto
The soul of the city
Can a city have a soul? Nobody can answer such
a question, but I believe it’s possible to identify
what makes some cities successful. For Amsterdam, it starts with water. Imagine yourself as one
of the settlers who migrated to an inhospitable
corner of northern Europe in about the year
1100.You manage to gain a foothold in a harsh,
windswept environment.You grow rye for bread
and catch carp in the marshy inlets; you build
a home. And then, after winter passes, you find
that the shore is remade: your home, the land you
thought you knew, is gone.
So came the idea to defend against the sea. With
superhuman effort, dykes and dams were built.
New land came into existence from out of the sea:
polders. But the sea was inexorable, so those original settlers kept working. They carved canals into
their landscape. Thus they turned the problem of
water into an advantage: the canals became highways. Homes went up along them. A great dam
was built near the mouth of the Amstel River: the
Amstel dam. Now the settlement had a name.
Such work could not be done by individuals.
It required tremendous cooperation. Thus was
born the famous consensual society of the Low
Countries. Where elsewhere in Europe feudalism held sway, with power flowing from King or
Pope down to Lords and Bishops and eventually
to commoners, here the land was owned by the
community that had made it.
The twist is that this communal society also
became Europe’s most individualistic society.
Because those same people did not feel they owed
fealty to King and Church, they became their own
masters. Where property elsewhere was owned
by the Church or State, here it was bought and
sold by individuals. Ordinary people had a degree
of control over their lives that would have been
impossible elsewhere. Thus the great paradox of
Amsterdam: a communal culture giving rise to an
individualistic culture.
That little progression – water, communalism,
individualism – explains everything that would
come in the city. The rise of a ship-building
industry, of a global exploration industry, comes
out of that progression. A complex corporation,
the Dutch East India Company, was the result
of an unprecedented level of cooperation among
individuals. The world’s first stock exchange came
into being in Amsterdam as a way to trade stocks
in that company, and later in everything else. It
too was a product of that paradox of communalism and individualism, for the individual risk and
hope for gain inherent in a stock market rests on a
communal sense of security.
Art in Amsterdam broke away from the Catholic
Church around the same time, and became art
by and for and about people. Rembrandt didn’t
paint for churches but for individuals. Hundreds
of other artists painted portraits of Amsterdammers and scenes of real people in their homes.
Ordinary people bought them, and hung them in
their homes.
Tolerance is a much misunderstood word. Amsterdam pioneered it. The city had hundreds of
thousands of immigrants, and while intolerance of
others was official policy in other parts of Europe,
Amsterdam realised that a mixed society was part
of its success: tolerance was good for business.
Jump ahead to the 20th century. In the 1960s, the
city had its white bicycle movement: free bikes!
They got stolen, but the idea was to promote both
communalism and individualism.
The Dutch word gedogen means, essentially,
tolerating something that is illegal but that doesn’t
harm anyone. In the 1500s, it applied to the treatment of Lutherans, whom the Catholic Church
didn’t like, but whom Amsterdammers didn’t
want to persecute. In the 1990s and beyond, it
applied to prostitution and soft drugs.
Those issues are currently being debated. But the
debate too is part of the city’s history. Consensus
and individualism don’t coexist calmly. The waters
that made Amsterdam are constantly churning. <
The
DNA of
A’dam
Russell Shorto (1959) is an American author,
historian and journalist, best known for his
book on the Dutch origins of New York City,
The Island at the Center of the World. He
is a contributing writer for the New York
Times Magazine and is the director of The
John Adams Institute in Amsterdam, where
he has lived since November 2007. In 2009,
Russell received a Dutch knighthood in the
Order of Orange-Nassau.
photo Robin de Puy
illustration Jessica Hagy
IMAGES
Amsterdam
‘situations’
Station Amsterdam Zuid/WTC, Zuidas area
By choosing a single location, photographing it repeatedly over a period of time and
then hand selecting people to feature in the
final composition, Lars van den Brink creates a kind of staged documentary photograph – a process that takes an entire day
per photo. His pictures present a day in the
life of a location condensed into a single,
apparently fleeting moment.
Lars has contributed to Dutch newspapers
NRC Handelsblad and Volkskrant and KLM’s
Holland Herald magazine, as well as several
government ministries. These images of
Amsterdam were photographed exclusively
for AMS in the summer of 2012.
www.larsvandenbrink.nl
37 AMS
Life, condensed
38 AMS
39 AMS
Torensluis, city centre
40 AMS
41 AMS
Fun Forest, Amsterdamse Bos
42 AMS
43 AMS
Oudekerksplein, city centre
AMS
EVEnTS In
text Mark Smith
PICNIC
Inspired by California’s Silicon Valley, this
annual festival of cross-media content and
technology was established in 2006 with
the intention of establishing Amsterdam
as a comparable hub of creativity and
innovation. Now in its seventh year, the
event incorporates workshops, demos and
high-profile speakers including the likes
of English entrepreneur and chairman of
the Virgin Group Sir Richard Branson. This
year’s theme is ‘New Ownership: the shift
from top down to bottom up’.
www.picnicnetwork.org
Steve Johnson
Art in Redlight
An extraordinary art fair featuring
contemporary art, photography and
jewellery, brought together in a museumlike presentation in the beautiful gothic
Oude Kerk (Old Church) in the middle
of Amsterdam’s Red Light District. Since
2005, Art in Redlight has been an important
forerunner in the city’s aim to diversify
Amsterdam’s oldest neighbourhood. Today,
this is also done through projects like
Redlight Fashion and Redlight Radio. With
an international line-up of established as
well as up-and-coming artists, AIR8 (the
eighth edition) is a cultural ‘must see’ for
September.
www.artinredlight.com
The Great Bear,
Esben Toft Jacobsen
Cinekid
From the childhood classics of yesteryear through the pioneering
technological techniques of tomorrow, Cinekid celebrates and
screens the best of youth-oriented media. Meanwhile, Cinekid
for Professionals is a four-day industry programme aimed at
international professionals working within the field of youth
media. The event brings together broadcasters, distributors,
directors, academics and journalists for the opportunity to
network with the sector’s leading players.
cinekid
october
13-26
20-23
Art in
redlight
PIcnIc
17 & 18
8&9
44 AMS
September
open
Monument
days
www.cinekid.nl
Museum Night
A chance to see an array of
Amsterdam’s museums and cultural
institutions in a completely new light,
when they open their doors late into
the night for a host of special events,
performances and presentations,
many with an anarchic edge. One
passe-partout ticket grants you
access to all the action.
Stars, Food
& Art
An extravagant dining concept that’s
spread from Amsterdam to Germany,
France and the United Arab Emirates, Stars,
Food & Art sees a new host of international
culinary superstars descend on the city’s
Sofitel Legend The Grand hotel for two
evenings of sumptuous dining and elegant
entertainment. This year’s chefs include
South Africa’s ‘Best Chef’ of 2011, David
Higgs, and Atul Kochhar, who’s been
credited with reinventing Asian cuisine in
the UK. Corporate tables are available.
www.n8.nl
W139
IDFA
www.starsfoodart.com
The world’s biggest and most dynamic documentary film festival takes over cinemas
and other venues in the heart of Amsterdam, bringing new perspectives on hot topics and sparking intelligent debate. All films
are subtitled in English, which is great news
for expats and film industry delegates alike.
www.idfa.nl
Amsterdam
Dance Event
Featuring more than 800
global artists performing
in some 60 clubs across
Amsterdam, ADE has grown
into the world’s biggest club
festival for electronic music
connoisseurs. Its parallel
conference programme
also makes it an invaluable
resource for the nightlife
industry, giving a taste of the
trends likely to migrate to
dance floors the world over.
www.amsterdam-dance-event.nl
45 AMS
Arrival of
Sinterklaas
18
IdfA
14-25
Museum
night
3
Stars,
food
& Art
november
2&3
Amsterdam
dance
Event
17-21
Another Life,
Alexandre
Dereims
AMS
EVEnTS In
Lxry
Masters
Arguably more Dubai than Amsterdam
RAI (the enormous convention centre
where this event is held), Amsterdam’s
annual ‘millionaire fair’ is a festival of
conspicuous consumption, with stands
selling everything from private jets
to jewellery. Last year, supermodel
Elle Macpherson presided over the
proceedings.
MICExperience
This two-day industry
networking event brings
together conference
and meeting planners
from around the world
with the Amsterdam
hospitality industry,
showcasing all that
the Amsterdam
Metropolitan Area has
to offer the meetings,
incentives, conferences
and events industry.
www.atcb.nl
Sinterklaas
MIcExperience
January
(date
to be announced)
lxry
Masters
6-10
5
Sinterklaas
Not to be confused with Christmas
celebrations later in the month, Sinterklaas
is a tradition of the Low Countries. After
days of festive preparation in schools and
homes, gifts are deposited in shoes tonight
by all-seeing ‘Sint’ – providing kids have
behaved themselves.
december
46 AMS
www.lxrymasters.nl
Concertgebouw anniversary
2013 marks the 125th anniversary of Amsterdam’s
stately Concertgebouw (concert hall) and its worldrenowned orchestra. Celebrations begin in Amsterdam
in January and include the world premiere performance
of a specially-commissioned composition by New York
Philharmonic composer-in-residence Magnus Lindberg;
The Concertgebouw Dinner, featuring the presentation
of the prestigious ‘Concertgebouw Prize’ and ‘Young
Talent Award’; and a season of special celebratory
concerts complementing the building’s rich history.
Chinese
New Year
www.concertgebouw.nl
Nieuwmarkt, the square dominated
by the imposing medieval building
De Waag, and the Zeedijk, the long street
running the length of Amsterdam’s Old
Town, represent the focus of celebrations
commemorating the transition into the
lunar new year in Amsterdam. Chinese
restaurants in the area stay open for
special celebration meals, and there are
usually traditional lion and dragon dances
and spectacular fireworks around this mini
Chinatown.
photo:
Peter
Stigter
Amsterdam
Fashion Week
Taking over the Westergasfabriek culture park to
the north-west of the city, this packed schedule
of fashion shows and parties sees home-grown
talent and guest exhibitors from all over the
world showcasing their vision of next season’s
hot looks. The Green Fashion Competition, as
fronted by Dutch supermodel Lonneke Engel, is a
government-funded initiative to give a leg-up to
the sustainable fashion stars of tomorrow.
47 AMS
chinese
new
Year
february
10
Amsterdam
fashion
Week
23-27
concertgebouw
anniversary
All
month
www.aifw.nl
ThE offIcE
An
extraordinary
industrious
folk
48 AMS
Zaanstad used to be called
‘the larder of Amsterdam’.
The city is going through an
ecnomic revival. In its brand
new City Hall, Mayor Geke
Faber explains why.
text Bart van Oosterhout
photography Thijs Wolzak
49 AMS
ThE offIcE
prove it. Between 1661 and 1794, for example, many residents of the Zaanstreek set
sail for the Arctic Ocean to go whaling. That
enterprising spirit and desire for innovation is
still very evident today. Just look at how monumental buildings and disused industrial sites
are being redeveloped, like the old Verkade
chocolate factory or the empty Bruynzeel
halls, which are currently the subject of discussions with IKEA. Or the Hembrug site, at
the point where the River Zaan and the North
Sea Canal meet, which is slightly more tucked
away. Covering around 12 acres, the site
houses numerous monumental buildings and
is surrounded by woodland. This is a unique
location for enterprise in the Amsterdam
Metropolitan Area.’
The Zaanstreek is the oldest industrial
region in Europe. And although it’s the
windmills that attract the majority of
tourists nowadays, the area remains a
prime business location. Mayor Geke
Faber explains why.
50 AMS
What does Zaanstad have to offer international
companies today?
‘First and foremost, a solid economic basis,
with companies that can benefit each other
and share knowledge. We have a large logistics
sector: much of the Amsterdam Metropolitan
Area’s goods transportation is operated from
here. Zaanstad also enjoys a very attractive location, just a stone’s throw from Amsterdam,
Tell us about the building you work in, City Hall, from Schiphol Airport and from the sea ports
of Amsterdam, which form an international
designed by architect Sjoerd Soeters and built
logistics hub. Together with the neighbouring
in the shape of a row of traditional Zaanstad
houses. It’s quite an architectural feat, but what is industrial sites here and in Amsterdam and
with the food industry in Zaanstad, we are a
it like to work here?
very important production area.’
‘We love working in such a unique environment. We’re right in the middle of the
What is the advantage of being so close to
vibrant centre – quite literally on top of the
Amsterdam?
bus station and right beside the railway. That
‘We complement each other well. Look at the
vibrancy is also reflected inside the building.
Zaan-IJ Project, for example, where we’re
The different interiors and flexible layout
developing a single connected urban area
mean that teams can meet in different conalong our riverbanks, for a potential of 30,000
figurations each time. We have lots of meetings, and we can respond quickly to changes. homes and 40,000 jobs. There’s a lot of room
The atmosphere in this building fills you with for enterprise, both literally and figuratively,
in an environment of creativity and innovaenergy.’
tion and – last but not least – at very
Zaanstad is a collection of seven smaller towns. Is competitive rates.’ <
there an advantage to this?
‘Yes: it has many different facets. We’re a
proper city, with all the facilities you’d expect,
but at the same time we have seven communities that have all kept their own identities and
that give residents the feeling they live in a
rural village setting. And Amsterdam and the
coastal area are very close.’
The residents of the Zaanstreek seem to be an extraordinary industrious folk. Is it in their genes?
‘Oh yes, and there are plenty of examples to
‘There’s a lot
of room for
enterprise, both
literally and
figuratively, in
an environment
of creativity and
innovation’
Europe’s first industrial region
Zaanstad was the birthplace of
some of the most prominent
Dutch multinationals – most
notably in the food industry –
including supermarket chain
Albert Heijn (now part of
Ahold, with its main office in
Amsterdam) and the Verkade
chocolate company, dating back
to the 19th century. Why did
they settle here?
In the 17th century the
Amsterdam craft guilds opposed
the construction of windmills,
which in those days were at the
forefront of industrial innovation.
By contrast, businesses in the
Zaanstreek were given all the
space they needed for them,
and in no time more than a
thousand windmills had been
built, making the Zaanstreek the
oldest industrial area in Western
Europe.
Wood was sawn and sails and
ropes were made in these mills
and ships were built in the
nearby docks, which enterprising
tradesmen (mainly from
Amsterdam) set sail in across the
seas. The goods they brought
back from their voyages –
mustard, cocoa, wood, paint and
paper – were processed here
too. This laid the foundation for
rapid industrialisation in the 19th
century along the River Zaan.
Zaandam came to be nicknamed
‘the larder of the Netherlands’.
51 AMS
photo: Daria Scagliola & Stijn Brakkee
IT STArTEd In AMSTErdAM
Michael crimp,
cEo, IBc
IBC has been
coming to
Amsterdam for 20
years. Ahead of
the 2012 event,
CEO Michael
Crimp discusses
TV, Twitter, and
why he never
wants to ride a
bike here again.
Switch
on
52 AMS
text Matt Farquharson
photography Chris Gloag/HH
53 AMS
54 AMS
IT STArTEd In AMSTErdAM
IBC covers all aspects of broadcasting: content creation, technology, the commercial side…
‘It’s a lot wider than broadcasting these days – it covers
every aspect of the creation, management and delivery of
news and entertainment content on all forms of electronic
media.
The simple way to look at it is that you have four screens
– a mobile device, a computer screen, a TV screen and a
cinema screen. But all of these are capable of receiving rich
and interactive content. Our job is to make sense of how
those devices can be used to receive rich entertainment and
news media.’
Media has changed dramatically. How has IBC adapted?
‘About ten years ago, IBC was a terrestrial broadcasting
event – that’s where someone transmitted and you received
things through your aerial. Your choices were to turn off or
turn over: broadcasting was not interactive in any way.
Core broadcasting is still very important, but it’s different
now. People can consume media in many ways, and among
the younger generation – I watch my son do it all the time
– on several screens at once. So electronic media is much
wider.’
How do you see broadcasting and IBC changing in the future?
‘Technology has become an enabler. These different
screens – mobile, computer, TV, cinema – have converged,
a lot of the applications have diverged, and so it’s a very
different map to work out.
All you can say is that it is very dynamic, there is nothing
mature about it, and there is lots of excitement and innovation around all these things that makes IBC an exciting
place to come.
Technology has changed an awful lot in business over
the years, and broadcasting is at the core of it. When you
consider what we call “appointment TV” – the Olympic
Games, X Factor – these are still a big family occasion. But
there is more interaction, and the new devices that you see
– Twitter addresses coming up in the middle of the screen –
are adding a richer seam and social content.’
What is new at IBC this year?
‘We try to push the boundaries, and have done a lot with
3D over last few years and super-high definition – amazing screens, 16 times the resolution of HD TV and quite
incredible to see.
We have an area called the Future Zone that is coming
together now [July 2012], and we’re currently scouring
research institutes from America, Japan, the UK and
Europe to find things that are truly innovative.
Last year, we had an exhibit where you put on gloves,
headphones and glasses, and picked up a vase. You felt a
vase; you scratched it and it made a noise. You had all the
sensations – even opening the lid and being able to smell
inside – but it wasn’t there. That is the kind of thing we try
to present. That’s not a commercial thing – that’s just something to create innovation and thought leadership.’
How can you make sure you reach the right audience?
‘We have a culture of innovating and trying things all the
time. So this year will be the second year of our Leaders’
Summit, where we invite 100 top CEOs from Europe to
come and debate strategic issues. At the other end, it’s the
first year of our Rising Stars programme, where we’re
inviting people fresh out of university and just starting in
the industry to come together and learn.’
What has kept you coming back to Amsterdam for 20 years?
‘The initial attractions are still there. It is a very open
and multicultural city; it has got fantastic international
connections. The language of our business, and one that
is spoken very widely and very well in Amsterdam, is
English.
The RAI is a well-positioned facility with a good team of
people, and the City is working hard to understand that
we’ve got a long-term sustainable business and we want
long-term relationships.’
55 AMS
‘We cover every
aspect of the
creation, management and
delivery of electronic media and
entertainment’
Can you explain what IBC does?
‘IBC is a partnership of six industry bodies that represent the
visitors to the convention and the
exhibitors. Most of them are charities – organisations such as the
Royal Television Society. It’s part
of our ethos that we’re organised
by the industry, for the industry.
The two main elements are the
huge exhibition that this year will
cover 14 halls – the RAI are building two extra ones for us – and
a six-day conference that covers
current and future technological,
business and creative issues.’
IT STArTEd In AMSTErdAM
‘People come
from over 160
countries, so we
want the best
venue, the best
support, the
best facilities,
and Amsterdam
has always
provided that’
56 AMS
IBC
IBC, originally called
the International
Broadcasting
Convention,
launched in London
in 1967, a time when
television was just
moving from blackand-white to colour. It came to
Amsterdam RAI in 1992, and has
been coming back ever since.
This year, IBC will attract
more than 50,000 of the
industry’s sharpest minds, with
a conference and exhibition
divided into three broad areas –
those who create content; those
who package, deliver and make
it work; and those who make
it profitable. It means a mix of
firms that includes the likes of
Sony, the Walt Disney Studios,
the BBC and Google, and some
of the most innovative thinking
in the industry. Delegates are
as likely to learn about the
possibilities for hologram TV as
strategies for making the most of
social media.
The invite-only Leaders’ Summit
gathers ‘the most influential and
visionary people in electronic
media and entertainment’, while
the Rising Stars programme
engages those who may replace
them a few years down the line.
Amsterdam and Hilversum are a huge hub for the international broadcasting industry. How important is that for IBC?
‘What we look for is the best event base. People come
from over 160 countries, so for us it’s about having the
hub that can provide the best venue, the best support,
the best facilities, and Amsterdam has always managed to
provide that. Amsterdam is a fantastic city. It’s like a big
village, it’s got a fantastic atmosphere.
Our heart is in Amsterdam, we’ve been there for 20 years
this year, and we’ve got good relationships. It is important
that we keep our business head in alignment, and that just
requires an open conversation, which is very easy to have
in Amsterdam.’
How important is it to be able to work with a host city?
‘There are 750,000 people in Amsterdam, and we inject
another 50,000 to it in three days. That can’t come as a
surprise. There has to be a lot of planning and forward
negotiations.
You cannot have 1,000 extra people an hour coming out
of Central Station and getting on the number four tram.
You have to have so many more trams and buses and free
passes and everything or the place will come to a halt.
We spend tens of millions of euros in that one week, so it’s
important for an economic reason, but it’s important that
the Amsterdammers and IBC feel part of it.
But we’ve grown up together – when we first came to Amsterdam, attendance was 8-10,000; now it is over 50,000.’
Do you get much free time when you are here?
‘I make free time. It’s not really free, because you’re on
duty all the time, but once the show is over at 6pm, every
night in the RAI and in the city there are social occasions,
many of them formal, some of them less so.
Everyone who comes to IBC – we’re not the sort of
people who sit in the hotel, we’re out connecting with our
stakeholders and meeting new people. It’s a part of the
ethos of the entertainment business.
But Amsterdam is not that big, and I would advise people
to get a map and have a wander around. The mixture of
art, culture and café life is worth experiencing on foot.’
Ever been tempted to cycle?
‘I have occasionally ridden a bike. I didn’t really like it that
much – the trams can be quite deadly!
But you’d be amazed how many people do hire bikes. We
bring many students and hire in a load of bikes and that’s
how they get around.
We feel very close to the city of Amsterdam and we enjoy
being there. It’s part of our DNA now.’ <
AAA locATIon
Zuidas
Zuidas is now home to some 400 foreign
or internationally oriented businesses and
growing at a rate of one new company every
two weeks, making it the regional leader
in the number of foreign-owned European
headquarters. The area specialises in financial and legal services, with an estimated
5,000 professionals working in these fields.
One of the main assets of Zuidas is its
location in relation to Amsterdam Schiphol
International Airport. Schiphol (for short) is
arguably one of the best operated airports
in the world. Servicing 313 destinations from
three directly connected terminals, it holds a
top 5 position in Europe in every aspect of air
transport. As a business centre, Schiphol area
specialises in logistics, with over 500 companies that cater to every logistical need.
Station Zuid is located in the heart of Zuidas,
and serves as a public transport hub. It is
connected by train to Schiphol (6 minutes)
and by high-speed train to Berlin and Paris
in 6 hours. A tram brings you to the city
centre in just 6 minutes. A new branch of
the subway, to be completed in 2017, will
increase the area’s connectivity even further.
But there are many more aspects that will
help Zuidas to become the economic and
commercial heart of Europe. The proximity
of the renowned Amsterdam RAI convention
centre, for example, which hosts confer-
ences of up to 50,000 guests. Or the worldclass VU University with its internationally
respected medical research centre. And
there’s the World Trade Center in the heart
of the Zuidas, which hosts many service
companies including the Expatcenter, a
one-stop shop for international professionals who settle in the area.
And there’s more to Zuidas than this. It’s
also an attractive place to live. Shops, services, bars, restaurants and cultural venues
are located in the ground floor of most
office buildings, and some 7,000 houses are
being built, some of them penthouses with
exquisite views over the old and the new
Amsterdam.
Zaanstad
Amsterdam
Harbour
City
Centre
Zuidas
Schiphol
Airport
Amsterdam
Zuidoost
Amsterdam Zuidas is not some distant business district but truly a part of Amsterdam. It
is just a few minutes from the Museumplein,
the cultural heart of the city, and from there
you are a street away from the historic centre, with its world-famous canals.
On the eastern and western sides, Zuidas
is bordered by expansive green areas. To
the west, the immense Amsterdamse Bos
(Amsterdam woods), with the Nieuwe Meer
Olympic rowing lake, is a recreational wonderland, with hidden meadows and lakes, a
kids’ playground and swimming pools and
even an open-air theatre. To the east Zuidas
borders the pastoral area beside the Amstel
River, where Amsterdammers head on weekends in their beloved boats. To the south
are the green urban areas of Buitenveldert
and Amstelveen, with many sports facilities
and high-class shopping centres. <
57 AMS
Strategically situated just a few minutes
from Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam city
centre, Zuidas is the new international business centre of Amsterdam.
Amsterdam’s
premium-class
business
district
BOSTON
CONSULTING
GROUP
Advisors
Outside the picture
on the left:
DE BRAUW
BLACKSTONE
WESTBROEK
Lawyers
LOYENS & LOEFF
Lawyers
AKZO
NOBEL
Paint &
chemicals
group
ING
Bank
VRIJE
UNIVERSITEIT
University
58 AMS
VAN DOORNE
Lawyers
ROYAL BANK
OF SCOTLAND
Bank
ACCENTURE
Management
consultants
BAKER &
MCKENZIE
Laywers
GOOGLE
Internet
search
engine
HOUTHOFF
BURUMA
Lawyers
illustration: Michiel van Iperen (Artbox)
AAA locATIon
KEMPEN & CO
Merchant bank
NAUTA DUTILH
Lawyers
BOEKEL
DE NERÉE
Lawyers
ABN AMRO
Bank
WORLD
TRADE
CENTER
STIBBE
Lawyers
ARCADIS
Engineers
APG
Pension fund
REACHLOCAL
Online marketing
agency
59 AMS
EXPATCENTER
Support centre
for internationals
AMS
fAcTS ABoUT
amsterdam
inbusiness
The official foreign investment agency
of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area,
amsterdam inbusiness provides free,
active support and independent advice to
organisations planning to invest or settle in
the region.
As your independent, reliable partner
on the ground, amsterdam inbusiness
combines essential know-how – to navigate
you quickly and efficiently through the
bureaucratic and fiscal barriers part of
any cross-border business venture – with
know-who – to provide introductions to the
individuals and agencies that can add value
and knowledge to your business.
Contact us
60 AMS
[email protected]
www.amsterdaminbusiness.com
+31 (0)20 552 3536
220 milion consumers
live within a 950 km (600 miles)
radius of Amsterdam
What amsterdam
inbusiness can do for you
• Provide a single contact point for international companies
establishing operations in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area
(Amsterdam, Almere, Amstelveen and Haarlemmermeer)
• Wide-ranging contacts in the private and public sectors, plus a
support network of civic partners within the region and around the
world
• Customised legal and fiscal advice about the opportunities and
challenges of your specific business sector – in the Netherlands and
across Europe
• Country desks in China, India, Japan, South Korea, the USA and
other countries
• Bespoke fact-finding visits to evaluate and select locations,
services and professional advisors
• Advice for company staff and their families through partner
agency the Expatcenter
• Long-term support, helping your company through future phases
of development in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area
• Comprehensive information about subsidies granted by the Dutch
government
• Corporate responsibility services
• Services are free, confidential and without obligation
32%
2
Percentage of Dutch private-sector
turn-over generated by foreignowned companies
The Netherlands’
ranking among
worldwide best
countries for
business
Just 1% of companies in the Netherlands are
foreign-owned; yet they employ 7% of all
employees and generate 32% of total
private-sector turnover.
(Source: CBS Statistics Netherlands)
4
Amsterdam’s
ranking in top 10
European cities to
locate a business
City
Rank
London (United Kingdom)
1
Paris (France)
2
Frankfurt (Germany)
3
Amsterdam (Netherlands)
4
Berlin (Germany)
5
Barcelona (Spain)
6
Madrid (Spain)
7
Brussels (Belgium)
8
Munich (Germany)
9
Zurich (Switzerland)
10
fIVE
Country
Hong Kong
Netherlands
United States
United Kingdom
Australia
Overall rank
1
2
3
4
5
(Source: Bloomberg, 2012)
Amsterdam’s ranking
in terms of climate the
government creates
City
Dublin (Ireland)
Bratislavia (Slovakia)
London (United Kingdom)
Bucharest (Romania)
Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Zurich (Switzerland)
Warsaw (Poland)
Istanbul (Turkey)
Geneva (Switzerland)
Prague (Czech Republic)
(Source: European Cities Monitor, 2011)
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1/4
Portion of Dutch
private-sector
investments in
foreign hands
(Source: European Cities Monitor, 2011)
61 AMS
(Source: CBS Statistics Netherlands)
AMS
fAcTS ABoUT
2
Amsterdam’s
rating among
large cities
for human
resources
(Source: FDI European Cities
& Regions of the Future,
2012/’13)
62 AMS
Logistics
triangle
Located at one corner of the logistics triangle comprised of Schiphol Airport and the
ports of Amsterdam and Rotterdam – the
largest and best equipped port complexes
in Europe – the Amsterdam Metropolitan
Area is perfectly located for European
distribution and assembly activities.
A glance at the timetable of shipping
services to China, for instance, reveals arrivals and departures almost daily. Just-intime services can be delivered seamlessly,
and thanks to the hugely diverse cluster
of logistics service providers in the area,
delivery can be guaranteed to virtually any
final destination in Europe within 24 hours.
Close to the
markets that
matter
The so-called ‘Blue Banana’ (also known as
the Hot Banana, European Megalopolis or
European Backbone), extends from northwest England in the north down to Milan
in the south, and covers one of the world’s
highest concentrations of people, money
and industry. The Amsterdam Metropolitan
Area sits at its centre, with easy access to
Europe’s approximately 500 million potential customers. It also sits in the heart of
the European euro zone.
11%
Increase in passenger traffic at Schiphol
Airport last year
In 2011, passenger traffic at Amsterdam’s airport
increased by 11% to nearly 54 million passengers.
That’s more passengers than before the economic
crisis began.
(Source: CBS Statistics Netherlands)
Amsterdam’s
ranking among
top 10 European
innovative cities
City
Rank
Paris (France)
1
Vienna (Austria)
2
Amsterdam (Netherlands)
3
Munich (Germany)
4
Lyon (France)
5
Copenhagen (Denmark)
6
London (United Kingdom)
7
Frankfurt (Germany)
8
Hamburg (Germany)
9
Berlin (Germany)
10
(Source: 2thinknow, 2011)
1,440
Number of
international
companies that
established
new offices in
the Amsterdam
Metropolitan Area
in 2011
As of 1 January 2012, more
than 2,200 international companies have established offices
in the Amsterdam Area, nearly
1/4 of which are headquarters.
Within Europe, Amsterdam is
second only to London when it
comes to attracting corporate
headquarters: in 2011, 31 new
headquarters were established
in the city.
(Source: amsterdam inbusiness)
Number of new
Amsterdam hotel rooms
in 2012
By the end of the year 2012,
Amsterdam will have nearly 1,500
additional hotel rooms, and despite
the increased supply, occupancy is
expected to grow from the current
75-80% to 81%.
(Source: Savills real estate consultancy)
63 AMS
3
118
AMS
fAcTS ABoUT
7th
The Netherlands’ ranking in
The Enabling Trade Index 2012
Moving up three places in the last two years,
the Netherlands now ranks 7th worldwide and
4th in Europe for enabling trade.
(Source: World Economic Forum ‘Enabling Trade Index 2012’)
82.7/100
Amsterdam’s world
wage level
City
Gross
(New York = 100)
Zurich (Switzerland)
Copenhagen (Denmark)
Oslo (Norway)
Stockholm (Sweden)
New York (USA)
Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
Munich (Germany)
Frankfurt (Germany)
Brussels (Belgium)
Dublin (Ireland)
Amsterdam (Netherlands)
144.1
134.8
116.9
101.9
100.0
95.5
94.5
90.6
90.2
83.0
82.7
50
Amsterdam’s
ranking in the
worldwide
cost-of-living
survey
City
Rank
Luanda (Angola)
1
Tokyo (Japan)
2
Geneva (Switzerland)
5
Singapore (Singapore)
8
Copenhagen (Denmark)
17
London (United Kingdom)
18
Milan (Italy)
25
Paris (France)
27
Vienna (Austria)
36
Stockholm (Sweden)
39
Amsterdam (Netherlands)
50
64 AMS
(Source: Prices and Earnings, UBS, 2011)
(Source: Mercer, 2011)
At-a-glance:
the Dutch tax system
Bred for progress and expansion, the Dutch tax system is transparent and stable – and flexible
enough to anticipate the rapidly-changing requirements of international economic flows
Companies established in the Netherlands profit from various tax advantages, including:
7 No capital-tax levy on the contribution of capital
to a company and any later expansion of share capital
8 The 30% ruling for expats: tax-free reimbursement
of 30% of an employee’s salary, provided that the
employee has been recruited or assigned from abroad
and has specific expertise which is scarce in the present
Dutch labour market
9 Horizontal Supervision: the Dutch tax authority is
the first in the world to make prior arrangements with
large and medium-sized taxable businesses on the tax
liabilities expected in the course of the year, and how
they are going to manage them. When the resulting
‘Tax Framework’ satisfies the requirements of the
inspector, then in principle no more fiscal controls are
needed for the year in question
10 Tax agreements with the majority of the world’s
trading nations, which prevent double taxation for
businesses
65 AMS
1 A competitive corporate tax rate well below EU
average: 20% up to €200,000 and 25% over €200,000
2 Advance tax assessment certainty on future
transactions, investments or corporate structures as a
result of the Dutch ruling practice
3 Participation Exemption: all benefits relating to a
qualifying shareholding (including cash dividends,
dividends-in-kind, bonus shares, hidden profit
distributions and capital gains) are exempt from Dutch
corporate income tax
4 Double taxation relief for individuals via the Royal
Decree for the Avoidance of Double Taxation
5 The Innovation Box: an effective tax rate of 5% for
income related to a patent or an R&D declaration
obtained in respect of self-developed intangible assets
(certain conditions apply)
6 No withholding of tax on outgoing interest and royalty
payments
AMS
fAcTS ABoUT
The numbers
• Over 850 international companies and their expat employees
make use of the Expatcenter’s
services
• Over 400 new expats visit the
Expatcenter each month
• In recent surveys, companies
rated the services provided by
the Expatcenter an excellent
8.7/10
• Over the last four years, more
than 10,000 expats have visited
the Expatcenter for registration
assistance
4
Amsterdam’s ranking
in top 10 most
liveable European
capitals
City
Vienna (Austria)
Bern (Switzerland)
Copenhagen (Denmark)
Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Berlin (Germany)
Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
Stockholm (Sweden)
Brussels (Belgium)
Dublin (Ireland)
Paris (France)
(Source: Quality of Living Index, Mercer, 2011)
Contact us
66 AMS
welcome@expatcenter.
iamsterdam.com
iamsterdam.com/expatcenter
+31 (0)20 254 7999
Or visit us at:
F-Tower, World Trade Center
Amsterdam,
Strawinskylaan 39,
1077 XW Amsterdam
Opening hours:
Monday-Friday 09.00-17.00
Expatcenter
Opened in 2008, Amsterdam’s Expatcenter cuts through the bureaucratic
red tape for the Metropolitan Area’s
growing number of international companies and their migrant employees
Amsterdam’s appeal lies in its rich cultural heritage, creative culture, commercial dynamism and high quality
of life. Ultimately, however, the city’s
greatest asset is its people, a healthy
– and growing – percentage of whom
are international.
The Expatcenter was one of the first
Dutch schemes to cut the red tape for
expats, drastically streamlining relocation procedures and helping them
settle in. Four years later, the Expatcenter offers a comprehensive range
of services.
Together with its partners from
the I amsterdam portal site, the
Expatcenter continues to expand its
digital support for Amsterdam’s
international community, both
practical and pleasurable. The
recently-launched mobile city guide
provides a comprehensive cultural
agenda plus insider tips on the go.
Firm partnerships – with banks and
childcare providers, movers, lawyers,
language schools and more – mean
the Expatcenter has the tools to make
an expat’s first few months a little
smoother. Because the first step of
a journey doesn’t have to be the
most difficult one.
Welcome to Amsterdam!
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
3
Amsterdam’s
European city
ranking in terms of
languages spoken
City
Rank
London (United Kingdom)
1
Brussels (Belgium)
2
Amsterdam (Netherlands)
3
Stockholm (Sweden)
4
Geneva (Switzerland)
5
Paris (France)
6
Frankfurt (Germany)
7
Zurich (Switzerland)
8
Berlin (Germany)
9
Copenhagen (Denmark)
10
8
(Source: European Cities Monitor, 2011)
One-stop shop for employees
City
New York City (USA)
Beijing (China)
Zurich (Switzerland)
Munich (Germany)
Montreal (Canada)
Los Angeles (USA)
Lausanne (Switzerland)
Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Edinburgh (United Kingdom)
Toronto (Canada)
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
(Source: Cushman&Wakefield, US News & World Report, 2011)
67 AMS
Amsterdam’s world
ranking as
a university city
• Cooperating with the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND),
the Expatcenter is a one-stop shop for international companies and their
migrant employees
• Employers can use the Expatcenter to initiate residency applications before
a new employee even arrives in the Netherlands
• Fast-track services mean qualifying expats can begin work as soon as two
weeks after their employers apply to the IND
• In one appointment, employees can collect their residence permit and
registration with their municipality. This will provide them with a citizen service
number (BSN), allowing them, for instance, to open a Dutch bank account
• Following an agreement with the Dutch Tax Department in 2011, applications
for the employee 30% tax ruling can now be made via the Expatcenter
• The Expatcenter services international companies across the Amsterdam
Metropolitan Area, in the cities of Amsterdam, Amstelveen, Almere and
Haarlemmermeer
• The Partnership Programme, created in 2009, connects expats with
service-providers operating in the expat market