Construction & infrastructure in the Northern Netherlands

The Dutch construction market is projected to grow at 5% annually and the Dutch national government maintains a large fund for infrastructure projects. Most infrastructure projects in the Netherlands (and specifically the North) are started by one level of government, or a national agency.

In the North, the Rijkwaterstaat’s main office is in the city of Leeuwarden, in Friesland. Rail links within the Netherlands are 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. Another big construction project is the new Groningen city station, expected to be ready for use in 2026.

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 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. Additionally, 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.