Since merging with Van Gansewinkel Groep in 2007, several parts of the former AVR business have been integrated into the collection and recycling companies of Van Gansewinkel.

The traditional waste incineration activities of AVR have been developed in recent years into an industrial Energy from Waste platform through the implementation of innovative growth projects to produce an optimal mix of heat, steam and energy. With a total permitted capacity of over 1.8 million tons, AVR is the market leader in The Netherlands, with two main locations in Rotterdam and Duiven. In addition to the production of electricity, a growing part of the energy produced at the EfW plants is delivered as steam to neighbouring industry and heat to local district heating systems. In 2012 AVR realised an annual turnover of € 256 million with an EBITDAE of € 108 million. AVR has 434 employees.

Cees van Gent, CEO Van Gansewinkel Groep: “This represents a good outcome for both AVR and Van Gansewinkel. It allows AVR to build upon the transformational change of the last years. For Van Gansewinkel Groep it is a new important step forward. With this transaction, we significantly strengthen our financial position. We are now fully focussing on collection and recycling. In combination with the reorganisation that we implemented at the end of 2012, this provides a very solid base to reinforce our position as the market leader in waste collection & recycling in the Benelux.”

The transaction is subject to the customary requirements, including approval pursuant to the European Union Merger Regulation. A works council consultation process has been initiated.

The $60 million Integrated Contractor Logistics Support (ICLS) contract will provide support in the Netherlands and at Ft. Hood, Texas, where Dutch Chinook and Apache air crews train with the U.S. Army. The agreement – the first of its kind with any of Boeing’s rotorcraft customers – is based on the number of expected flight hours rather than ordering and stocking parts.

“This partnership will help both parties for years to come,” said John Guasto, director of Boeing International Rotorcraft Support. “The Boeing and RNLAF teams worked tirelessly to develop and refine this program to reduce costs and improve reliability.”

The program will increase flight-hour readiness for the Air Force and underscores the excellent working relationship between Boeing and the Dutch armed forces.

“The Boeing and RNLAF teams have partnered to create an innovative and integrated program approach which is the first of its type globally for Boeing Rotorcraft,” said Peri Widener, Global Services & Support vice president of Rotorcraft Support. “This will result in more affordable support solutions and enhanced flight hour readiness of Royal Netherlands Air Force CH-47 Chinook and AH-64D Apache helicopters.

“This agreement underscores our mutual commitment to a capable force for decades to come,” Lieutenant General Alexander Schnitger, Commander of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, said. “This contract is not just a support contract. It is a long term partnership between Boeing and the Royal Netherlands Air Force which will increase the availability of our CH-47 Chinook and AH-64 Apache helicopters at lower costs. I am very pleased that the Dutch industry is also part of this initiative that enables industry to enhance their maintenance, repair and overhaul capabilities in the Netherlands.”

Boeing is continuing to expand its support of the Dutch aerospace industry with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with AAR Aircraft Component Services to potentially provide maintenance, repair and overhaul services. AAR has extensive expertise servicing aircraft components for air forces in Europe, the United States and other countries. Along with Boeing, the strengths and experience AAR brings will help ensure improved and affordable readiness for the RNLAF fleet.

The new report, FTTH Netherlands 2013, also provides an overview of the state of the Dutch FTTH market at the level of the individual twelve provinces, with a detailed comparison of 2012 versus 2013. From our assessment of the market on a provincial level, we see that Flevoland (HP penetration 64%, HA penetration 22%) and Overijssel (HP penetration 42%, HA penetration 12%) lead, while Zeeland is lagging (virtually no FTTH).

The report provides a short overview of what happened in the past year at big and small FTTH players. Reggefiber attracted another EIB loan. KPN received permission for the takeover of four Reggeborgh service providers, winning a market share of about 90 percent on the Reggefiber networks. CIF announced a number of takeovers and joint ventures. Vodafone recently bought Wiericke, which will boost its FTTH goals. Tele2 entered the market. Several major and new players are presented, and there are brief discussions on a number of hot issues in the (international) broadband and FTTH markets.

The Economist Intelligence Unit is an independent company within the Economist Group and a key part of its ‘2025 Hot Spots’ report ranks 120 cities from across the globe according to their competitiveness. This is defined by the research group as “the ability to attract capital, businesses, talent and visitors”. Together with cities in the United States, Northern European cities dominate the top 20 of the list.

To measure competitiveness in this report, the researchers used 32 indicators across eight different categories: economic strength, physical capital, financial maturity, institutional character, social and cultural character, human capital, environment and natural hazards, and global appeal.
Amsterdam attracts foreign businesses

The competitiveness of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area is reflected in its ability to attract new foreign businesses to set up here. In recent years, the region has annually added between 100 to 120 new international companies each year. The Amsterdam Area is presently home to around 2,000 international companies, accounting for approximately 15% of overall employment.

State Secretary Dekker: “Cartesius enables our scientists to achieve important new scientific insights, and can help to force breakthroughs. But not only that: businesses are eager to transform such breakthroughs into innovations, which could lead to millions of revenue. Therefore the new supercomputer is of great importance for our knowledge economy.”

To celebrate the inauguration of Cartesius, SURFsara organizes on 14 June, 2013 the symposium “Computing of the Future”. In the morning session, the emphasis is on scientific research and how Cartesius can contribute to obtaining rapid and new research results. Bull Nederland is the supplier of the national supercomputer. Jean-Marc Denis, International Business Development Director of Bull France, explains the specifications, sustainable aspects, and the various phases of the implementation.

Anwar Osseyran, SURFsara managing director: “With Cartesius we have deliberately chosen for an on-demand strategy. Our on-demand strategy allows us to offer cost-effective capacity tailored to the needs of the Dutch researchers. With the new generation Intel Xeon chips, combined with the latest hot water cooling technology of Bull, we have the most powerful, but also one of the greenest computer systems in the Netherlands. Together with Bull as technology and business partner, we work on strengthening the competitive position of the Netherlands in science as well as in business.”

In the afternoon the emphasis lies on the technology transfer between science and industry. (Inter)national guest speakers will present their future vision with a focus on the importance of high performance computing (HPC) and collaborations.

Lucas Grinsven, Head of Communications and Community Relations at ASML, elaborates how Dutch technology is a keystone for Moore’s Law and thus allowing supercomputing. Dr. Stephen Wheat, General Manager of the High Performance Computing Division at Intel, discusses the importance of Big Data and the potential of “Internet of Things”. He also pays attention to the central role of Intel in the field of innovation in HPC.

The investment for the new system is made possible by SURF, with contributions from the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Household consumption in 2013 will decline, due to lower disposable income levels and decreasing house prices, while public spending also will continue to decline as a result of ongoing spending cuts. The slight recovery projected for 2014 is related to Dutch exports benefiting from recovering world trade. Domestic spending levels will hardly contribute to next year’s growth. This is concluded in the June projections, published today in the Dutch CPB Policy Brief 2013/06 ‘Juniraming 2013′ by CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.

The situation on the labour market is bleak. Employment will drop this year by 1¼% and in 2014 by ½%. At the moment, unemployment levels are rapidly increasing. In 2012, the average unemployment level concerned 5.3% of the labour force. In 2013, this will grow to an average 6¾% and in 2014 to 7%. This weak labour market has a downward impact on wage levels. Contract-wage increases in the market sector are expected to lag behind inflation, for both these years. In the public sector, they will lag behind even further in 2013, as wage levels in this sector have been frozen.

The economic decline in 2013 will dampen tax revenues and increase unemployment benefit payments. However, as a result of sizeable spending cuts and tax increases, the government deficit is still projected to decrease, from 4.1% of GDP in 2012 to 3.5% this year. Further increases in unemployment benefits are projected for next year, which will contribute to the government deficit increasing to 3.7% of GDP in 2014.

Projections of economic growth have been slightly adjusted downwards for 2013, compared to the March projections, but remain unchanged for 2014. The downward revision of 2013 leads to lower tax revenues and higher unemployment benefits, which together lead to an upward revision of the government deficit in both years.

The CPB Policy Brief also addresses structural impacts (effects that will linger after 2017) related to the Social Agreement of last April. Because of the toning down of unemployment benefit (WW) measures, this agreement will halve the positive structural impact on employment that would have resulted from the Government Agreement. Compared to results from the earlier assessment of the Government Agreement, this slightly reduces the sustainability of public finances (by 0.1% of GDP).

Results for non-food shops were not as bad in April as in March: turnover was about 1 percent lower than twelve months previously. The volume of sales was 3 percent smaller. Clothes shops and textile supermarkets reported an increase in turnover, just as chemists. Other non-food branches faced turnover decreases. In some shops traditional spring purchases may have started later because of the cold weather in March.

For shops selling food, drink and tobacco, results were poorer in April than in March. Although turnover was about 1 percent higher than in April last year, the volume fell by nearly 3 percent. Volumes were smaller in both supermarkets and specialist shops. Last year most sales for the Easter holiday took place in April, while this year they were in March.

Turnover realised by mail-order companies and web shops rose by more than 12 percent. This is the largest increase in turnover in the last six months.

The composition of shopping days was slightly more favourable than in April last year. The positive effect of this was about 1 percent.

The decrease of nearly 17 percent in the first quarter of 2013 is the largest turnover fall in the car and motorcycle trade since the second quarter of 2009. No branch within the sector managed to escape the economic malaise. Turnover of companies active in trade and repairs of both cars and motorcycles dropped sharply. The falls of 17 and nearly 20 percent respectively, were the largest ever measured in these branches by Statistics Netherlands. Car importers, too, faced lower turnover levels: 23 percent down on twelve months previously.

Lower turnover in neighbouring countries
In spite of a range of measures to stimulate car sales, turnover developments in neighbouring countries are showing a similar pattern to that in the Netherlands. In Belgium, Germany, France and Luxembourg, too, turnover has decreased the last twelve months. In 2011 the sector realised higher turnover levels in these countries, just as in the Netherlands.

Sombre prospects
The main reason for the decline in the sector is the drop-off in sales. Half the businesses surveyed in April 2013 said lack of demand was their biggest problem. This is more than double the share reporting this in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Prospects are sombre, too. Businesses expect turnover will fall further in the second quarter. They also foresee lower selling prices and reductions in staff levels.

Waves of over 1 meter high can be generated and wind, rain and darkness can be created. Additionally, a practice helicopter is installed from which HUET escape training under water can be exercised. The pool will be used by STC-KNRM for safety- and survival training and will be put into use end of this month.

Source: KNMR

Philips has approximately 1,000 real estate locations worldwide. The project management contract applies to relocations, office building refurbishment, research and development facilities, projects at industrial sites, environmental projects and office decommissioning, among others. The three year contract includes two possible extensions of one year.

Peter Warmerdam, Group Executive Vice-President of Philips Electronics said: “We are proud that we have achieved the creation of a team with best in class service providers. This will enable Philips to bring its offices and manufacturing facilities up to excellent standards.”

Royal HaskoningDHV has worked with Philips for more than 60 years, and has delivered a wide variety of services at many of the company’s worldwide locations. Some of these include the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, and the Philips Innovation Campus in Shanghai, China.

Jos van de Loo, Director Business Development at Royal HaskoningDHV said: “Our vast global office network, multidisciplinary consultancy and engineering services will substantially contribute to helping Philips achieve its challenging worldwide objectives. We are delighted to continue our long standing partnership with Philips through this significant project management contract.”