Eindhoven is the least stressed city in the world

When you think of a tech hub, you often think of the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley or the 24-hour economy of Shenzhen. But is that hustle and bustle also productive? New research by financial services provider Remitly shows that Eindhoven is the least stressful city in the world. And it gets even better: with Utrecht, Groningen, and Rotterdam also high in the rankings, the Netherlands appears to be the ultimate safe haven for peace and stability worldwide. A wonderful score, but how do we translate this “relaxedness” into tangible results in the tech sector?

The Netherlands dominates the ‘Chill Index’

The figures don't lie. With an index score of only 2.34 (on a scale of 10), Eindhoven leaves cities such as Sydney and Copenhagen far behind. The researchers looked at factors that directly influence daily life: travel time to work, air quality, safety, healthcare, and the cost of living.

For anyone who has ever been stuck in rush hour traffic on the A2, it may sound surprising, but internationally speaking, our infrastructure is worth its weight in gold. In Eindhoven, you can get to work within 15 minutes on average. Combine that with the Brainport region—where world-class innovation takes place—and you have a unique proposition: top-level technology companies without the burnout culture you see elsewhere. For startups and scale-ups, this is a killer selling point in the battle for talent. Developers and engineers are increasingly looking for quality of life, and the Netherlands is now officially the world champion in that regard.

Peace and quiet as fuel for innovation

For tech companies, this report is more than just a nice marketing fact; it is an important economic factor. An environment with few stress factors is directly linked to higher productivity and innovative power. Research by Harvard Business School shows that there is an undeniable link between travel time and innovation: data analysis shows that every reduction in travel time leads to more and better inventions among highly educated knowledge workers.

Whereas employees in cities such as New York or London lose a lot of cognitive energy to the hectic nature of long commutes, professionals in the Netherlands can use that mental bandwidth for what they are good at: solving complex problems.

It is a signal to foreign investors and founders: in the Netherlands, you not only have access to highly educated talent and digital infrastructure, but also an environment in which that talent can excel sustainably.

The warning: Comfort should not become complacency

Nevertheless, we must be careful not to view this leading position as a hammock. The peace and stability we now cherish will come under pressure if we are not vigilant. This ties in seamlessly with the message from the recent report by former ASML CEO Peter Wennink. In his analysis, entitled ‘The route to future prosperity’, he warns that the Netherlands is at a crossroads.

Wennink argues that our current prosperity—and therefore also our low stress levels and good facilities—cannot be taken for granted. Without massive investments in innovation, education, and the business climate, we risk losing our lead. The ‘relaxed’ atmosphere in Eindhoven is still the result of years of good policy and strong public services, but as Wennink sharply points out: “The future will not wait.” If we do not invest now in the preconditions for the next generation of tech companies, that coveted number one position will become untenable.

Balance between well-being and urgency

The challenge for the Netherlands is to connect Remitly's data with Wennink's urgency. We have a fantastic starting position. The foundation is in place; people enjoy living and working here. That is a luxury that few other tech hubs have.

But to remain number one, we must use that mental peace to accelerate innovation right now. Eindhoven's low stress score proves that we have a healthy ecosystem. Let's protect that by, in the spirit of Wennink, fully committing to investment and innovation. Because you can only remain the most relaxed city in the world if you work hard on the future.