Last year, eleven British firms set up in Rotterdam in anticipation of Brexit, Port of Rotterdam said in its release. They represent nearly a third of the international firms that established a location in the port city last year, according to Rotterdam Partners. The new arrivals include companies like Cogoport, Webhelp, Airlift Systems and GE Healthcare. Together, these 36 international players will be creating over 1,430 new jobs and making a combined investment of EUR 199 million in the city’s economy.
These international firms were attracted by Rotterdam Partners, which bears responsibility for Rotterdam’s city marketing and persuading international companies to choose the city as a business location. Rotterdam Partners director Jeroen Kuyper: “The figures for 2018 show that Rotterdam has been able to maintain a stable position in an international playing field that was characterised by considerable volatility over the past year.
Companies continue to be interested in Rotterdam as a business location. They are attracted by a variety of aspects, including our innovative climate, the scope Rotterdam offers for experimentation, the presence of the right talent for their requirements and our strategic location in Europe. Our ambitions for Rotterdam are to maintain this growth and further align it with the city’s wish to develop a ‘next economy’ that is sustainable, digital and circular. That is why in our acquisition activities, we will be putting an even stronger focus on international companies that work on the forefront of circularity, sustainability, innovation and digitalisation.”