Netherlands x Taiwan

Amsterdam Smart City (ASC) & Taiwan Smart City

The Netherlands, often referred to as Holland in certain languages, including English, is well-known for a variety of things. Among them are its windmills, tulips, lovely canals, beer, and cuisine. However, the creation and use of energy are crucial for the survival of some of these things. Being the second-largest exporter of agricultural goods behind the United States, the nation is fortunate to have over 225 food-processing businesses, all of which need a lot of energy to operate efficiently.

The Netherlands is a world leader in urban efficiency and green energy innovation and adoption. Its capital, Amsterdam, was one of the earliest adopters of the idea of a smart city. The Dutch initiated the smart city project and the “Amsterdam Smart City” (ASC) platform in 2009. This strategy models off a holistic quadruple helix concept — government, companies, universities & research institutes, and citizens. Adding onto the quadruple helix concept, another contributing factor to the success of this initiative is its transparency and accessibility to everyone. The Dutch have made its city data open source, meaning anyone can access it, add to it, and link it to their system. The European Commission named Amsterdam the “European Capital of Innovation” in 2016. The Dutch initiated its Amsterdam Smart City ASC, a platform that gathers governments, innovative experts, knowledge institutions, businesses, and social organizations. With its value-first approach, ASC’s goal is not only to build a smart city but a wise one with a smart, green, and healthy future.

On the other side of the world, the island of Taiwan is also working towards a similar goal. Taipei City introduced the “Taipei Smart City Project Management Office” (TPMO) in 2016. Through Public-Private partnerships, TPMO aids with opening public test fields, activating creativity, and introducing resources from collaborating corporates, promoting Bottom-up and Top-down proof of concept (PoC) projects.

Relationship of Longevity

Although there are no official diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and Taiwan today, the two governments have a long-standing business relationship benefiting both sides.

The Dutch were the first foreign investors in Taiwan, dating back to the 1600s. In 1664, Taiwan became one of the Dutch’s most profitable colonies, where The Dutch East India Company yielded 26% of their profits. Not only is the Netherlands Taiwan’s first foreign investor, with a total of US$35.2 billion invested since the beginning of this relationship, but they are also Taiwan’s top foreign investors. Furthermore, the Dutch were also the highest foreign direct investor for three consecutive years in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Taiwan also supports the Dutch economy. In 2018, the Netherlands was the largest recipient of Taiwanese Investment in the European Union, with US$1.1 billion received. On a lighter note, another way Taiwan directly contributes to the Dutch economy is through beer. With annual revenue of US$202.62 million, Taiwan is the second largest export market for Heineken.

Case Study [The story of electric two-wheels exchange]

When we think about the Netherlands, many of us think of bicycles. This is most likely due to the fact that it is one of the most common types of transportation, with 36% of Dutch citizens expressing that it is their most habitual method of transportation. Bicycling exhibits Dutch qualities and civil virtues of independence, self-control, modesty, and stability. Similar in Taiwan, however, with motorcycles and scooters. In 2018, over 70% of respondents in Taiwan expressed that they own a motorcycle or scooter. Japan’s Automobile Manufacturers’s Association estimates that Taiwan has the highest rate of motorcycle ownership globally.

Riding the sustainability movement, the European Union is advocating for using electric bicycles. As a result, Europe became one of the most rapidly growing regions for adopting electric bicycles, accounting for approximately 39% of the global market share. To contribute to the international efforts of sustainability, Taiwan plans to transition out of fossil-fueled motorcycles. By 2035, Taiwan intends to ban the sales of all new fossil-fueled motorcycles. The wide adoption of two-wheeled vehicles and the need for a sustainable future for both governments sparked a repetitive business exchange between the two.

In 2014, Van Moof, an e-bicycle company known for its simplistic designs, sought to expand its operations internationally. With the assistance of the Netherlands Office Taipei, it landed in Taiwan. The following year, a Taiwanese transportation startup, Gogoro, also known as “The Tesla of Scooters”, joined the International Motorcycle and Accessories Exhibition in Milan, Italy. After the event, Gogoro announced that in 2016 it would expand its scooters to its first European city, Amsterdam, where it will become a participant in ASC’s Experience Lab. Soon after, in 2021, Swugo, a Dutch startup with the mission to speed up the electrification of active, human-scale urban mobility, embarked on its journey to Taiwan in search of a partnership for its e-component supplier. During this trip, Swugo also successfully entered Appworks‘ accelerator program. Later in the year, Tier Mobility announced that it would bring the ride-sharing service to the Netherlands using Gogoro’s vehicles. Planning on launching commercially next year, Swugo is still in Taiwan; through the connections supplied by AppWorks, they are still currently in the process of negotiating with component suppliers.

The following points demonstrate the close economic ties between Taiwan and the Netherlands:

• The largest European investor in Taiwan is from the Netherlands.
• The second-largest EU trading partner in Taiwan is the Netherlands.
• The Netherlands is Taiwan’s fifteenth-largest commercial partner globally.
• Taiwan’s initial EU investment destination is the Netherlands.
• The following categories encompass the majority of the goods shipped from the Netherlands to Taiwan:
  -Machinery
  -Manufactured items
  -Transportation equipment
  -Chemicals

Writers:
-Cristel Chu Gómez
-Sebastian Chen