Construction & infrastructure in the Northern Netherlands

Due to the geographical position of the Netherlands, the country has always been at the forefront of innovative infrastructure projects. Whether that is to protect from flooding, making roads and rail-routes accessible, or the well-developed inland and sea ports. In the late 20th Century, the requirement for a digitised telecommunications infrastructure was pushed to the fore, and now the Netherlands has one of the highest rated connectivity networks in the world.  

Most infrastructure projects in the Netherlands (and specifically the North) are started by one level of government, or a national agency. The Rijkswaterstaat- which is responsible for both waterways and roads, and tenders around €3 million per year in contracts. The Dutch national government maintains a large fund for infrastructure projects, and you can view this fund’s budget for 2023 here. In the North, the Rijkwaterstaat’s main office is in the city of Leeuwarden, in Friesland. Rail links within the Netherlands is run by ProRail- a nationally-run agency. However, infrastructure projects that include the rail network are often run as public-private partnerships, such as the ‘C2C’ rail freight line that runs from Coevorden in the Province of Drenthe through to the industrial powerhouse of China’s east coast.

On a more local level, each of the Provinces of Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe offers a range of subsidies and tenders for public works projects. These are usually given for locally-relevant projects: for example the Province of Drenthe’s subsidy initiative to improve the cycle paths and biking infrastructure in the Province. Friesland has its own plan for developing infrastructure at a Provincial level. 

Across the Netherlands, companies that are involved in both construction and infrastructure are invited to become members of Bouwend Nederland, the sector organisation for the entire country. It has an office in the city of Groningen, and supports its members in terms of complying with safety and environmental regulations, moving to a more digital industry, making the construction industry more open; and planning for the future.  
In recent years, the requirements of changing the Dutch economy and its use of energy and natural resources have created opportunities for enterprises within the field of hydrogen production and transport. Here you can find a roadmap for the development of the Dutch hydrogen market.