Here's Holland Compared - Enterprise Europe Network

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Human capital
and innovation
A common feature of Dutch products is that they are
highly innovative. The country generates solutions
that keep rising water levels in check, create islands
in the sea, and make waterways navigable. Apart
from this inventive approach to water management,
the Dutch also have the knowledge and the skills to
develop navigation systems with worldwide appeal,
such as TomTom. The proof of the innovative nature
of the Dutch is witnessed by the large number of
patents that are applied-for each year, and by the
presence of several world-renowned knowledge and
research institutes in the Netherlands.
Sweden
Germany
Denmark
Finland
Austria
The Netherlands
United Kingdom
France
Belgium
Ireland
Education level: upper secondary education (2006)
Percentage of population (25–64 years old) that have completed upper
secondary education. Source: OECD, 2008
Smart working population
The internationally oriented working population of the Netherlands
is well-educated, with many people able to speak more than one
foreign language. Approximately 87% of the Dutch populace aged
15-or-above speak English; 66% speak German and roughly 25%
speak French. Compared to many other EU member states, lifelong
learning is more prevalent in the Netherlands: adults take a relatively
large number of courses to continually improve their knowledge and
skill levels.
Human capital and innovation
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