‘Alone you’ll go faster, together you’ll go further’

Amsterdam Economic Board identifies what is needed in regional cooperation to get parties moving. Together can we overcome major obstacles on the way to that smart, green and healthy future. We create breakthroughs that we cannot achieve alone.

What strategy will we be pursuing in the next five years?

“We are continuing to build on the smart, green and healthy future of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area for everyone. As a spider in the web, we connect parties and people, we drive solutions from initiatives and programs and we put relevant matters on the agendas of decision-makers of public and private organisations. It must be worthwhile to work together and not side by side to increase the broad prosperity and well-being in the region. That requires coordination, so time and this requires a player who stands between the parties in the network and facilitates that.”

How do we really make an impact on the way to that smart, green and healthy region?

“By demonstrating in the region itself that you can actually save energy through collaboration, develop other ways of data storage, for example to prevent diseases, reliably share data, do something together about the shortages on the electricity grid, help people on the way to jobs in the tech labor market and can develop all kinds of sustainable transport, including the promotion of cycling.”

“Again, as that spider in the web, we also have an overview of what is happening where. This brings coherence between the enormous amount of players and activities in the region. A good example is the development of the platform Vraaghettomas.nl, which offers insight into all talent initiatives in the region.”

Read more about our work on such topics in our initiatives and programmes.

‘Working together on the future of this beautiful region is the greater goal’

“We make an impact on socially very relevant issues with the aim of a sustainable and inclusive economy for all residents of the region. The current Board represents a large number of key players from the region who are willing to put their weight behind the execution of our course. Our Board team is strong as the spider in the web, the networker who stands between the parties and gets to work with partners. I therefore invite the network to make time and sometimes put its own interests aside for the greater importance of working together on the future of this beautiful region.”

How can the Amsterdam Economic Board achieve breakthroughs as a trusted linchpin? What is key?

“Complex issues of our time require cooperation across the boundaries of sectors and individual interests. The crux is working together with various partners within the business community, knowledge institutions, governments and social organisations towards a common goal, so that this region becomes smarter, greener and healthier. This is apparent from the concrete results we achieve within initiatives and programmes. Results that the partners would not have achieved individually and that require the Board as a player without institutional interest to bring them together and keep them together and to steer towards radically different solutions and bold decisions, such as is necessary for the shortages on the electricity grid.”

Amsterdam Economic Board connects partners in our Board and the Network Council.

What is the strength in collaboration with ROM InWest?

“ROM InWest is very important to the Amsterdam Economic Board. Our initiatives now have the opportunity to apply for and develop funding. We provide the ROM with knowledge about networks and players in the region that are active in areas such as health, the circular economy and the energy transition. Together we strengthen each other.”

What makes the work so interesting for you personally?

“Working at the Amsterdam Economic Board is an enormous privilege. Working together on the future of the region where I was born and raised, committed to socially relevant issues, with a great team of Board members and a large and inspiring network at the intersection of politics, entrepreneurship, education and science.”

Curious about the Board’s strategy? Download our ‘Koersdocument’ and read more (in Dutch).