ACEA

- NETHERLANDS

An industry that adds value

The Dutch automotive sector is comparatively small though characterised by the presence of a significant variety of carmakers and suppliers. These encompass a diverse range of manufacturers such as DAF, Spyker and Donkervoort, whose products range from flashy sportscars to innovative transport systems with automated guided vehicles or high-tech automotive components and systems. Though its total production and employment do not put the Netherlands industry in the European front rank, in terms of added value it is rather more significant than its small size would suggest.

With more than seven million passenger vehicles on its roads, the Netherlands is the sixth largest automotive market in Europe. The automotive industry, generating a yearly turnover of some € 60bn, accounts for just under 40,000 jobs, more than 2,500 of which are in R&D and engineering. These include research institutes and service providers in the fields of engineering and testing. Some 545,921 motor vehicles were sold in the Netherlands in 2005, 115,121 cars were produced locally which means that imports dominate the market.

Dutch companies develop and produce systems, components and materials for all the major marques worldwide. Their clients range from major car manufacturers such as BMW, Daimler Chrysler, General Motors, PSA and the Volkswagen Group to special brands like Maserati, Lamborghini, Bentley and Ferrari. The industry not only encompasses manufacturers of body parts, roof systems, transmissions, tyres, electronics and hydraulic systems for convertibles, but also paint and composite producers. Many of these companies belong to major international corporations, and most of them operate on the international market.

R&D geared to societal priorities

Dutch companies and research institutes collaborate closely to give the Netherlands a very strong position in automotive technologies. Research institutes often gear their R&D activities around societal priorities such as safety, energy efficiency, a healthier environment and traffic congestion. Other remarkable points are the development of “smart vehicles/smart roads”, i.e. research on the interaction between vehicles and the infrastructure, drive assemblies, microsystems and embedded systems and simulation techniques (“virtual testing”).