Business
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Our committee works to establish contacts and relations that facilitate the development of opportunities for businesses from both cities and their surrounding regions.

The Netherlands is third largest investor in the U.S. Of all U.S. Fortune 500 companies that have a European headquarters, half are located in the Netherlands. More than half of all U.S. exports to Europe enter through the Netherlands, mainly through the Port of Rotterdam. The Netherlands is the world’s largest exporter of bulbs and flowers. The Netherlands is the largest source of jobs held in foreign-owned establishments in the Baltimore region (29.7% of all jobs in FOEs) according to a Brookings Institute analysis for the Global Cities Initiative.

Dutch companies doing business in Maryland include: Transamerica / Aegon (one of the world’s largest insurance companies), Steinweg (multi-national marine cargo operations), Ahold (Giant Foods), Arcadis (engineering), Deltares (applied research institute for water), Steril-Koni (vehicle lifting equipment), Randstad (staffing agency), and Wolters Kluwer (information services and software). 

Maryland-Netherlands business development

NACCWM

Netherlands America Chamber of Commerce for the Washington Metro area (NACCWM) organization is a non-profit, non-governmental, non-political member-based networking organization for Dutch and American businesses and individuals. Its region of operation includes Baltimore, and it collaborates with the Baltimore-Rotterdam committee on joint activities.

Maryland Department of Commerce and InnovationQuarter

Maryland Department of Commerce has a M.O.U. with InnovationQuarter, the regional economic development agency for the Dutch province of Zuid Holland (where Rotterdam and The Hague are located). Maryland Commerce collaborates with Dutch organizations like InnovationQuarter, Security Delta (HSD), Netherlands Water Partnership, Water Alliance, and others to enable businesses to collaborate and expand to each other’s regions.

Soft landing programs

Maryland Commerce and InnovationQuarter provide international soft landing programs. Maryland companies can explore the Dutch market as the gateway to Europe, and Dutch companies can explore the US market using Maryland as a gateway. Companies can do a residency and get support and networking opportunities that are tailored towards their needs. Companies can use this opportunity to find business partnerships or to explore setting up operations overseas. The programs are ongoing. Applications are accepted year-round.

In 2021, Maryland Department of Commerce expanded their soft landing program for international businesses to more sectors and locations. Companies from around the world have access to the program, although Maryland focuses on the regions of the world it has partnerships with, including the Netherlands. The program provides international companies with the opportunity to test out new markets at an affordable rate, with access to business resources, educational programs, mentors and advisors, networking events, and tailored advice. Eligible companies can receive financial assistance from Maryland Commerce. Co-working spaces and accelerators located in Baltimore and around the state of Maryland provide office space and networking to international firms.

Dutch and Maryland firms are invited to participate in the soft landing programs in each other’s regions, from sectors including: cybersecurity, quantum computing, life sciences & health, water management, climate resilience, greentech, and agritech.

• Maryland companies can explore a foreign market by landing at one of Maryland’s partner locations around the world, including the Netherlands. More info
• Foreign companies interested in the US market can soft land in Maryland at participating sites. More info

For more information, contact Andrew Kreinik at Maryland Commerce.

Cybersecurity collaboration

Baltimore and The Hague Security Delta participate in the Global EPIC program, a global community of innovation ecosystems who collaborate on projects and share expertise through an expanding network of diverse organisations.

Delegation visits

The Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee helps arrange meetings and events for visiting delegations to Baltimore and helps arrange for presentations about Baltimore’s approach to stimulating entrepreneurship and about interesting sustainable and innovative projects happening in Baltimore. The committee also helps connect Maryland delegations to organizations and contacts in the Netherlands, and supports Maryland Commerce with planning and coordination of its economic missions to the Netherlands.

Examples of Dutch delegations in Baltimore

April 2023: Representatives from InnovationQuarter and The Hague visited Baltimore to learn about its entrepreneurial ecosystem and to participate in an economic session with the Netherlands Embassy, Maryland Commerce, and other stakeholders and renew the existing MOU between Maryland Commerce and and InnovationQuarter.

March 2019: a delegation came to Baltimore on the topic of flood resiliency.

An economic & governmental delegation from Amsterdam and North Holland visited Baltimore in 2014 and again in 2016, and a Rotterdam vice mayor visited Baltimore in 2015 & 2017. In fall 2017, the Rotterdam vice mayor travelled to Baltimore with a delegation of city officials to speak about sustainable waste management and circular economy at the ISWA Congress.

More information about Dutch delegation visits to Baltimore.