FLEVOLAND - Economy
Polders with a world view
Many firms in Flevoland are export-oriented (the main purchasers are Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom). Refuse vehicles 'made in Flevoland' can be seen all over the world, and fish products and potatoes from the province are available in many European shops and elsewhere. Another typical export product is expertise in land reclamation and cultivation, with countries in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa showing a particular interest in such know-how.
Investment parallels the outstanding export results, especially in the business services sector, in manufacturing, and in tourism, with the region's yachting harbours and holiday homes concentrated along the waterfront with its extensive woodland stretches.
Research and development are important to the economy. World-famous institutions such as the National Air and Space Agency and the Institute for Waste Water Treatment carry out pioneering research. The agricultural sector also has well-known research centres such as the Animal Sciences Group, active in Holland and Europe. Small and medium-sized firms are more strongly represented in Flevoland than elsewhere: the great majority of firms have fewer than 10 employees, less than 1% have over 100.
Wide range of activities
Most firms are in the commercial services, the (retail) trade and consumer goods repair sector. Percentage growth in these sectors is negligible since more and more industrial firms and business and other services are settling in Flevoland: the graphics trade, for example, is strongly represented.
In Lelystad the Factory Outlet Center Bataviastad started in 2000 with over 1 million visitors per year, whereas the international attraction park of Six Flags is situated in Dronten.
Agriculture and fishing are relatively important: as well as the farming and agricultural processing businesses, there are the fisheries concentrated in Urk, the site of Europe's largest flat-fish market with an annual turnover of more than EURO 110 million. There is a boom in organic farming, with production and processing plants as well as research and training institutions concentrated around Lelystad. And Noordoostpolder is specialised in seed-potatoes and exported all over the world.
The number of internationally known firms in Flevoland is steadily increasing: the head office of Lease Plan, Beiersdorf, IBM, Giant and the European head offices of Japanese firms such as Yanmar Diesel, Mitsubishi and Pioneer are all in Almere.
The Schiphol-Amsterdam international airport and the world's biggest sea port, Rotterdam, are 50 and 100 km respectively from Lelystad, the regional capital. Good road, rail and water connections ensure that the region is easily accessible from the economic centres of both the Netherlands and neighbouring countries. Flevoland has its own recently extended Lelystad airport for European commercial traffic and infrastructure development is in full swing.
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