Bryan Pirolli

Sponsored content author: As a global leader in everything from technology, life sciences and sustainability to agriculture, artificial intelligence and education, the Netherlands has attracted a number of other North American businesses like Netflix, CGI, Tesla, Ritchie Bros. and Lightspeed.

It’s all around us and we take it for granted – but not the Dutch. Light. While most of us simply switch it on or off to read a book or go to bed, the Dutch are working tirelessly to exploit photons, the particles of light that hold the key to the future of technology. This is especially the case with integrated photonics, where light is manipulated at the nano-scale.

The hustle and bustle of men trading securities in an open-air market was, in 1602, a novel endeavor when the Netherlands opened the world’s first modern stock exchange in Amsterdam. Over 400 years later, the nation continues to innovate the financial sector, intersecting with technology at the burgeoning field of fintech.

Dutch innovation has taken humans to the clouds and beyond. The Netherlands has excelled in research and innovation that continue today to do just that, bringing the heavens a little closer to Earth.

With 23 million bikes and just 17 million citizens, the Netherlands has long been associated with sustainable transportation. In 2019 the government pledged that all new passenger vehicles will be emissions-free by 2030, among other environmental goals, including a shift towards more efficient cycling and public transit options.

The Netherlands is at the forefront of research and production into a more plant-based future, where meat substitutes may soon be the norm. For food manufacturers, it’s clear that the Netherlands is the place to explore the future of food, notably the emerging field of plant-based proteins.

It still sounds futuristic, but quantum technology is inching towards real-life applications. The technology is set to fundamentally change the way we see the world of computers and internet. In a recent study, McKinsey forecasts the quantum computing market could reach $1 trillion by 2035, which means that now is the time to invest in the future.

For companies expanding operations in Europe, the Netherlands emerges as an ideal location. Considering expanding operations in Europe? Look no further than the Netherlands.

With new innovations and strong partnerships, the Dutch continue to build on its world-class agri/food industry. The Netherlands is a small country with huge investments in agri/food innovation, creating some of the most cutting-edge methods to feeding its population.

To overcome COVID-19, collaboration between tech and health sectors is crucial. In the Netherlands, technology is providing relief on all fronts in healthcare, spurred by innovation with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data.

New waves of Champagne, like biodynamic and organic, are making slow progress in the region. The story is for Iberia Airlines's luxury magazine, Excelente.

Trying to transfer money out of China is like being repeatedly punched in the gut by banking. Or at least it did for me as the additional fees and restrictions piled up while trying to pay my foreign credit card debt from China. I didn’t like it. Not one bit.
Fortunately, there is a solution, called Swapsy, and no, I don’t work for them. I am just the company’s biggest fan at the moment.

Some cyclists wear simple face masks, while one clever local looked like she was prepared to weld metal as she zipped down the tree-lined streets of the former French Concession. Pollen wafted heavy in the wind, but it takes more than a little allergen to stop Shanghai's cyclists from biking around town, especially on a clear spring afternoon. My eyes itched, but I pedaled my blue and white Hellobike through Shanghai, an eastern metropolis of China, the former "bicycle kingdom."

‍Painful exchange fees may be a thing of the past for anyone looking to transfer money in or out of China. Microfinance startup Swapsy is disrupting the banking system by making it easier to trade yuan for foreign currencies cheaply and, more importantly, legally.
While a leader with mobile payment systems like WeChat and using QR codes on smartphones, China has yet to produce a cost-effective way to transfer money abroad. China limits how much money both Chinese nationals and foreigner...