What makes Dutch business so attractive at het global level? It is their innovative nature and focus on continuity that makes them reliable and able to deliver high-quality products and services. They value their knowledge base and expand it year after year by building on their own R&D activities and the input received from the first-class universities and institutes with which they form networks. Partnership between businesses, research institutes and government bodies is firmly anchored in Dutch culture and it is crucial to success.

This volume gives entrepreneurs a platform it becomes clear how their various companies have developed over the past decades and centuries. It also describes the way they continue to operate at the forefront of the modern global market, each company in its own sector or niche.

The Dutch are particularly smart in creating business opportunities by linking social issues, commercial revenue models and research.

"Dutch businesses are popular with partners all over the globe. Wherever I go in the world I find Dutch businesses active there. Whether they are working to prevent flooding in India or developing the water infrastructure for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, they are always helping to tackle the major challenges of our time; challenges like producing enough food to feed the planet’s growing population, or anticipating the impact of climate change on water management. Dutch industry fulfils its role as a partner in this mission by sharing its knowledge of how to increase crop yields, combat flooding or optimise communications, safety and infrastructure, to name but a few examples.

This book offers a wide-angle perspective of Dutch industry. The individuals featured talk about the competition abroad, about innovation and about the challenges they encounter in day-to-day business. I am confident this book will give you a clear picture of how Dutch companies operate and work towards a better, more sustainable world. It will give you a better understanding of the engine behind our unique and thriving industry." – Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands