Amsterdam: a creative and diverse capital

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According to recent research carried out by the Martin Prosperity Institute, Amsterdam is one of the best developed cities in the world based on ‘the three T’s of economic development: Tolerance, Talent and Technology’.

Out of the 61 global cities studied by the institute, Amsterdam was ranked fourth.

A talented workforce in Amsterdam
In the report by the Martin Prosperity Institute, Amsterdam scored an A- on the talent index, due to the abundance of knowledge workers you find here. Amsterdam actually has the highest density of knowledge workers in the Netherlands, with 44% of the population having attended higher education institutions. Eighty percent of the workforce speaks English, making Amsterdam the largest anglophone city in continental Europe. According to the World Talent Index, the Netherlands ranks fourth in the world for attracting and developing talent, surpassing every other country on the European continent.

Traditionally tolerant in the Netherlands
The Dutch have been exploring other cultures and trading with them for centuries, making the nation a magnet for open minded, creative people from all over the globe. These days, Amsterdam has a productive regional workforce drawing from 180 different nationalities, in large part due to the liberal, tolerant and free-spirited image that the city is renowned for. In turn, this openness to people and ideas has helped Amsterdam to emerge as one of the world’s leading creative capitals, alongside giants like London, New York and Los Angeles.

Technology hotspot
In regards to the technology dimension of the survey, Amsterdam scored excellently, awarded an A. The ICT sector in the Amsterdam Area is particularly well developed. With fast connections and high internet utilisation rates, as well as the largest data transfer hub in the world, Amsterdam is wired to be a thriving base for ICT. A web of ICT businesses – ranging from telecom and data centres to social media marketers and software developers – have chosen to invest in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area.

For each participating city, the Martin Prosperity Index has published a scorecard. The entire scorecard for Amsterdam can be downloaded here.{jcomments on}