Most successful year for WFIA

The WestHolland Foreign Investment Agency (WFIA) has successfully completed 2011 by achieving a total of 40 successful projects in the West Holland region, its best result since inception in 2000.

Out of the 40 projects, 33 represent a new foreign company and 7 represent an expansion or relocation of an existing foreign company. These 40 projects have directly generated 144 new jobs and it is expected that after the initial implementation period, a further 338 jobs will be generated.

Companies setting up offices in West Holland in 2011 come from 17 different countries and represent a diversity not seen in previous years. This range of diversity is partly explained by a greater use of new media, allowing the WFIA to extend its reach into a broader scope of countries and industries.

O3b Networks

Countries that the WFIA has traditionally targeted accounted for 75% of the results achieved in 2011; this includes China, the United Kingdom, and North America. The largest new foreign employer in 2011 was satellite operator O3b Networks from the United Kingdom, which expects to grow to approximately 50 employees after 3 years.

Three quarters of the companies attracted in 2011 operate in one of the new top sectors, as recently defined by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation. The high-tech sector includes 11 companies and represents the largest share in the group. These are active in IT, Telecom, Security, Automotive and Aerospace. In addition, four companies are active in Life Sciences.

Most notable is the attraction of the upstream oil and gas cluster in The Hague, part of the Energy top sector. A standout project in this sector and amongst all foreign companies attracted in 2011 is the establishment of the European headquarters of Kuwait Petroleum (Q8) in December of last year.

WestHolland Foreign Investment Agency (WFIA)

The WFIA assists international companies in establishing, expanding or relocating their operations in the WestHolland region. The WFIA was founded in 2000 by the municipalities of The Hague, Delft, Leiden, and Zoetermeer along with The Hague Chamber of Commerce and The Hague Region. Since December 2008 the municipality of Lansingerland has been a member of the WFIA. The province of South Holland also supports the WFIA.

More information can be found at www.westholland.nl.