Economic clusters

The Economic Development Board of Almere (EDBA) is the city's primary agency that plans and executes strategies to make Almere (and with it the Amsterdam metropolitan area) a compelling (inter)national hub for business and investment across key economic clusters.

The EDBA promotes links between agencies (government, business, research, education) in order to develop the human, intellectual, financial and cultural capital needed to create a vibrant, self-sustaining environment for enterprises of all sizes. Five economic clusters were designed to develop into the drivers of Almere’s economy.

1. ICT and Media

With its sophisticated glass fiber infrastructure, Almere is one of the most wired cities in Europe. ICT-related businesses are increasingly choosing Almere as their business location. The ICT and Media sector is not only a strong and growing sector in itself; ICT and (new) media applications are also enablers for innovation and development. Consequently, they have a vast impact on all the economic and social sectors in the region.

2. Logistics

Being a part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam , Almere is in the vicinity of two international airports, the port of Amsterdam and a plethora of railway and motorway connections. This makes Almere an indispensably strategic location for logistics. With 1,400 businesses and 8,800 jobs it is the second largest industrial sector.

3. Health and wellness

The health care sector is Almere’s largest employer. The city was a front-runner in introducing an integrated health care approach. This approach now proves to be a useful point of departure in creating innovative solutions for a population that keeps growing – and growing older.

4. Sustainable area development

Building upon forty years of experience in new town development, a new phase of innovation can begin in Almere, with the deployment of proven processes and technologies in sustainable building and area development. A current example of sustainable innovation is Almere Solar Island. Solar collectors capture the heat of the sun and provide heating to 2,700 homes in the adjacent residential district.

5. Lelystad airport

Lelystad Airport – situated some twenty kilometers east of Almere - is expanding to establish its reputation as a key modern, regional airport. This expansion includes lengthening the runway to 2,100 meters and building a new terminal building and platform. Additionally, the municipalities of Almere and Lelystad and the province of Flevoland have joined forces to develop a high-quality business park for airport-dependent businesses.