Amsterdam, Netherlands - SEO Economisch Onderzoek

institutions in place such as Kennispoort Amsterdam which forms an interface between theknowledge institutions and the corporate sector. This may improve the access for firms to theknowledge base at HEIs. But such initiatives will fail to have impact when businesses do not infirst instance feel the urge and necessity to innovate their production processes and product linesand seek assistance from the HEIs to do so. It is here that the corporate sector in the Amsterdammetropolitan area can make more progress than is currently the case.The third challenge is to establish effective regional learning systems as a means to counternegative social effects from a divided labor market, favoring the opportunities for the highereducated but with bleak prospects for the lower end of the labor market. The HEIs are alreadytaking steps to build more effective regional learning systems, but the coalition supporting suchsystems should be broadened and must for example include the business community,intermediary organizations in the labor market and social security organizations. As a side effect,this may help promote the cause of life-long learning which also benefits from more effectiveregional learning systems.The fourth challenge is to adopt an integrated approach to the labor market. In the city ofAmsterdam urban sprawl reduces the growth of labor supply and in its track that of employmentopportunities. The difficult housing market in the city combined with the mounting problems ofcommuter traffic may deepen these effects of urban sprawl. This poses a serious threat to thecompetitive position of the economy in the whole metropolitan area in the mid and long term. Italso undermines the contribution of the HEIs to regional development due to the risk of a humancapital flight. Such risks require close monitoring. How do the demand and supply of highereducation develop in the region? What is the labor market position of higher education graduates?These are developments which the HEIs should monitor more closely in order to safeguard theirpositions. The HEIs should be aware of the options open to them to improve their quality asnational and international talent magnets. In addition, coalition formation is called for toeffectively tackle the bottlenecks which hinder the development of the regional knowledge-basedeconomy.These four challenges provide input for a regional action plan for the Amsterdam metropolitanarea placing HEIs centre stage. This agenda should try to promote increasing returns of scale inthe region, which can be achieved by establishing close ties between emerging technologies inpromising economic sectors such as the life sciences and the ICT-sector. In addition theopportunities for non-technological innovation should be boosted which for Amsterdam areabundantly found in the cultural complex. Culture and education are two of the key factors forturning Amsterdam into a talent magnet of national and international importance. Allstakeholders in the region should recognize the added value of the attraction of the region forknowledge intensive businesses, highly educated workers and talented scientists. The action planfor the region must include measures to maximize the attraction force of this magnet, perhaps inthe form of a pact or convenant between all parties concerned. The HEIs in the Amsterdam areashould take a lead in establishing those ties, but it also requires the cooperation of the businesssector and stresses the importance of valorization and entrepreneurship. Concerning this latteraspect it is of the highest importance that Amsterdam not only becomes the city of teaching andlearning, but also the city of entrepreneurship it once was.7