DOSSIER - The Netherlands: a golden age of high-tech

Cosmopolitan and multilingual, Amsterdam is a particularly welcoming place for start-ups. As are all the cities in the Randstad, a conurbation of seven million inhabitants that includes The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht. As the economic centre of the Netherlands, Amsterdam is gradually shedding its reputation as a frivolous, party capital to establish itself as a cultural capital with first-rate institutions such as the Rijksmuseum and the Concertgebouw. For its part, Utrecht, with its air of a wise medieval city, has achieved excellence in experimentation. As the country's leading university town, it relies on a young, skilled workforce to launch revolutionary ideas. Reported by Cécile Balavoine. Photos by Ludovic Maisant.