City of health, business and knowledge

Nijmegen has 165,000 inhabitants. The majority of the working population are employed in healthcare (23%!), education and the service sector. Although Nijmegen does not have a large industrial background, it boasts a number of major manufacturing companies, one of which is NXP’s silicon chip plant. Nijmegen has become a growing city of knowledge, health and technology. The foundation of the Radboud University of Nijmegen in 1923 set the tone: Nijmegen has a wide variety of institutions providing higher professional and scientific education in many fields. It has the fourth largest university in the Netherlands. The city has about 15,000 students and many highly educated workers.


Industry, transport & logistics
Thanks to its strategic location and excellent accessibility by road, river and rail, Nijmegen functions as an important link between the ‘Randstad’ conurbation in the West of Holland and the German Ruhr area. 165,000 ships pass Nijmegen on the River Waal each year, carrying 160 million tons of goods. The picture above shows the Nijmegen Container Terminal. Transport and logistics are important pillars of Nijmegen’s service industry. Nearby Airport Weeze in Germany (56 km from Nijmegen) brings numerous European cities to Nijmegen’s doorstep.

Health, technology & innovation
Many new businesses have settled in the region since the end of the eighties. Nijmegen welcomes these developments while ensuring that new industry does not have a negative impact on the excellent living conditions or the environment. Nijmegen lies at the heart of an innovative region in the east of the Netherlands. This region is united in Health Valley, a dynamic cluster of public and private organisations geared towards matchmaking, project development and marketing. Health Valley stimulates cooperation and innovative development in health and technology (www.health-valley.nl).

The Municipality of Nijmegen initiates and facilitates close contact between entrepreneurs, government, educational institutes, knowledge and research organisations, companies and cultural partners in the city, because the best innovative ideas emerge right at this cutting edge of disciplines. In an environment where lines of communication between key players are short, knowledge and ideas quickly generate new business opportunities.

Business development & investing
As said, Nijmegen lies in the east of the Netherlands. The business development and investment agency for the eastern region of the Netherlands 'Oost NV' is experienced in helping foreign companies set up European activities in the eastern provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel. Oost NV maintains a wide network of regional, national and international regional business relations, knowledge institutes, intermediaries and governmental institutions. Oost NV can assist in site selection, finding joint-venture partners, setting up distribution centres, strategic alliances and technology transfers, consult on government regulations, taxes, financing and subsidies and provide access to venture capital. The website www.oostnv.com provides more information about doing business in the eastern part of the Netherlands.