‘Dutchies don’t shut your ideas and like to get things done’
What do expats think of living in the Netherlands? In Dutch Diaries, foreigners share their experiences.
Published on January 17, 2025
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Mauro traded Sardinia for Eindhoven and has been an editor at IO+ for 3 years. As a GREEN+ expert, he closely monitors all developments surrounding the energy transition. He enjoys going on reports and likes to tell stories using data and infographics. He is the author of several series: Green Transition Drivers, Road to 2050, and Behind the Figures.
From the middle of the Mediterranean Sea to the Netherlands: Andrew Borg moved from Malta last March to work as a simulation engineer for FLASC, a startup active in offshore renewable energy storage. The company offers a solution to stash energy for hours through a proprietary hydro-pneumatic concept, an alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries.
After a few years of collaborating with the company remotely while pursuing his Ph.D., Borg got an offer to join the team in Delft, and he couldn’t say no.
Dutch Diaries
Getting a job opportunity, moving to a new country, and settling in are three moments every expat has experienced. But how does the Netherlands look in the eyes of the foreigners who move here for work? In our new series, Dutch Diaries, we bring the stories of expats who moved to the Netherlands to work in the tech and innovation sectors. Why did they decide to come here? What do they like the most about the Netherlands? What would they change?
View Dutch Diaries SeriesWhy did you decide to move to the Netherlands?
“For two reasons. First, because the offshore energy industry is huge here. Second, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, my experience of living abroad was taken away from me while studying for a master’s in the United Kingdom. I felt like I didn’t live that experience to its full. So it made sense to me to move abroad again from a personal and professional point of view.”
How has it been so far?
“So far, it has been very good. After living for a while in Delft, I had to move to The Hague. I enjoyed staying in Delft, but now I have fallen in love with The Hague, where more things are happening. The adaptation was smoother since two of my colleagues are compatriots I knew before.”
What were the first cultural shocks you experienced?
“Dutch directness has been a positive cultural shock. These ten months have helped me to be more down-to-earth and not be scared of saying anything. Ultimately, it feels better to go straight to the point.”
What did you like the most so far?
“The work-life balance is one of the things I appreciated most, alongside multiculturality. You don’t feel like a minority for the most part, and it is very easy to mingle with people from other countries.
Work-wise, everyone has an attitude to get things done and not to shut down ideas. Growing as a startup can be challenging because you are trying to bring something that has not yet been fully proven to the world. Here, it feels like someone is never saying that your idea will never work or that it doesn’t make sense. Instead, attitude is the one that improves that concept and eventually makes it work.”
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‘I couldn’t get the Dutchies' obsession with agendas. Now, it has become my reality’
What do expats think of living in the Netherlands? In our series Dutch Diaries, foreigners share their experiences.
What is your take on the Dutch startup environment?
“It is a good, fast-paced environment. In the very first days after getting here, I remember my colleagues telling me to take my time to settle and understand all the dynamics. After a while, I can now see how fast things go and how reactive you need to be. But it has been gratifying.”
How gratifying?
“When doing my Ph.D., it was sometimes hard to see what impact my work could have. You might be scared that your paper will end up on some shelf and be forgotten. Whereas now, being part of the offshore energy industry, I feel like having a more direct impact on where things are going.”
Is there a Dutch habit you don’t get?
“Actually, there are two of them. One that I have seen quite a lot is a lunchtime habit, eating a hagelslag–for the readers not familiar with hagelslag, this is a slice of bread spread with butter and topped with chocolate sprinkles, commonly eaten at the end of lunch ed.--It is pretty interesting to me. I get it tastes good, but it’s funny to me how religious Dutch people can get about it.
Something else I don’t fully understand is how some Dutch people can have dinner at 6 p.m. and then do some sports afterward. That is definitely a habit I can’t really comprehend.”
Is there something you would bring from Malta?
“Sometimes I feel like there is not a chance of having many get-togethers with people close to you. In Malta, we like our parties; we enjoy spending time with friends and family and, generally, with large groups of people. In the Netherlands, gatherings are more intimate. I miss those gatherings, and you can make an outing out of anything simple.”
What is that one anecdote you always tell back home about the Netherlands?
“The fact that nobody shuts your ideas strictly relates to the attitude Dutch people have about thinking of ways to create something new and having a very innovative mindset. They are not afraid of change and of trying new things. And, of course, I tell them how much they like getting things done.”
Do you see yourself living here in the future?
“These first months have been good. Missing family is the toughest aspect, but having a bit of home at work helps, and there are many positive life aspects here. I don’t see why not. ”
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