The Dutch dark horse may become the leader of EU- Europe.

Recently, I read an article in Financial Times. The author of this article is simon kuper, a famous columnist. Cooper's point of view is that the Netherlands is most likely to become the next European gateway.

The so-called portal is the center to enter and connect the whole European market. There are many large companies whose European headquarters or production centers are located in Britain. Raw materials and parts from all over the world are collected in Britain, assembled and produced in Britain, and then shipped to other countries for sale. This is the embodiment of the status of the portal.

However, once Britain leaves the European Union, these companies will be in trouble-for example, there may be tariffs on imports and exports, licenses are needed for cross-border sales, and the delivery time at the border will be extended. In short, it is a series of troubles. Therefore, many companies have entered a state of "combat readiness" and want to transfer their business in the UK. This phenomenon is called "corporate refugees" by the media.

But don't be confused by the word "refugee". These companies are multinational companies, such as Sony, Panasonic, Airbus and HSBC. Who doesn't want to go on with such an advanced refugee? So now there are several European countries, such as France, Germany, Ireland and so on. , are competing for these corporate refugees. This is a battle.

Tell you a few data, you listen to:

Since Britain announced its withdrawal from the European Union, 60 companies have moved their offices in Britain to Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Sony and Panasonic simply moved their European headquarters out.

Not only these 60 companies, but also as many as 250 companies are discussing relocation with the Dutch government.

Not only enterprises, but also European government agencies are optimistic about the Netherlands. Europe The office of the US Food and Drug Administration moved from London to Amsterdam.

So what is the attraction of the Netherlands, which can make it a big recipient of "British refugees"? We may first think of whether the government has given preferential policies or the Dutch tax is low, and so on.

These are all fine. However, Cooper of the Financial Times has a lower perspective on this issue, which is a cultural perspective. Here is a brief introduction to Cooper. Cooper grew up in the Netherlands, was educated in Oxford, England, and now lives in Paris, France. Perhaps because of his life experience, his observation of Europe is delicate and in-depth, with a unique angle. Last year, the Financial Times selected 10 as the most popular column, and Cooper's European Review ranked first.

Cooper believes that the reason why the Netherlands can become the gateway to Europe in the future has two major competitiveness.

In the Netherlands, although the mother tongue is Dutch, the popularity of English is also very high, which is equivalent to the second language of the Dutch. In Dutch universities, 70% of master's courses are taught in English, and more and more undergraduate courses are taught in English. On the streets of Holland, even hairdressers and bus drivers speak fluent English.

Say one thing, and you will know how the Dutch language has declined. There are two public universities in Amsterdam, one of which is the Free University of Amsterdam. This university actually cancelled undergraduate degrees in Dutch and Dutch literature this year because no students were interested. At present, the whole university has five Dutch teachers and five students. Two years ago, there was a news in China that there was only one graduate in the Department of Paleontology of Peking University. So, you see, the Dutch major and paleontology are in the same position.

Don't underestimate language. Language convenience is the most basic condition for any European country to attract those multinational companies. Think about it. If your company used to communicate with employees in English, prepare various documents in English, deal with government agencies in English, and resolve disputes in court, how expensive would it be if you suddenly changed languages?

In his article, Cooper reminded us of a small detail at this year's Davos Forum.

Well, this is the first competitiveness of the Netherlands, language. But Cooper believes that compared with language, the Netherlands has a greater advantage, and that is internationalization.

If I asked you, which country do you think has the highest degree of internationalization, where would you say? America? Singapore? But in fact, it's Holland.

DHL, the German post group, publishes a report called Global Connectivity Index every year. In this report, they will assess the degree of globalization of more than 65,438+000 countries. They consider several factors, such as the total amount of cross-border investment in this country, the number of immigrants and tourists, and even the length of international calls, and calculate an index according to these factors. The higher the index, the higher the degree of globalization, and the Netherlands is the first country.

From the logistics, we can see how close the Netherlands is to other countries. Logistics in the Netherlands is very developed. If a company delivers goods from Amsterdam or Rotterdam, it can reach as many as 65.438+600 million people within 42 hours. Of course, it may not be as good as China, but it is already considerable in Europe.

You might think that we are talking about Dutch infrastructure. But you should know that it is impossible for the Netherlands to get here today without an open culture, which began to take root hundreds of years ago. The first multinational company in history was born in the Netherlands. We all know the name, that is,/kloc-the East India Company founded in the 7th century. Since then, a large number of foreigners have gone to the Netherlands to do business. In its heyday, the whole Netherlands monopolized almost half of global trade. Although these are all history, the genes of a country's culture are written in history.

This is strange at first glance, because Holland is small and expensive, which is not suitable for agriculture. But the Dutch are innovative and rely on high technology to make them a big agricultural country.

In other places, an average of 9 tons of potatoes are produced per hectare, and in high-tech farms in the Netherlands, 20 tons are produced per hectare. If you go to farmland in the Netherlands, you will find that Dutch farmers use drones to collect data, use unmanned tractors to farm, and use LED lights to raise tomatoes.

Chaos is not a pit, chaos is a ladder.

Look at Europe with this sentence, and you will find it very applicable. Britain's withdrawal from the EU may be a trap for Britain. But for other countries, such as the Netherlands, it may be a ladder and an opportunity.