Report: Space sector generates €1.2 billion for the Netherlands
Space cluster in Noordwijk draws attention to “historically low budget” for the sector in open letter
Published on November 14, 2025
NL Space Campus Noordwijk
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The space cluster in the municipality of Noordwijk generates a production value of €1.2 billion per year. The added value amounts to €668 million. The cluster provides employment for 7,600 people. However, this added value is under threat due to the historically low Dutch contribution to the European Space Agency.
Research agency Decisio calculated the economic impact of the Dutch space cluster in Noordwijk. In an open letter, the space sector is calling for attention to this issue today.
According to the study, the added value of the space sector is largely attributable to the European Space Agency (ESA-ESTEC) in Noordwijk. ESA-ESTEC generates €819 million in production value annually and employs nearly 5,000 people. The bottom line is that the added value amounts to no less than €466 million.
Another 92 companies
Other space companies in the cluster also contribute significantly to the economic impact, with €400 million in production value and 2,700 jobs. In addition to ESA-ESTEC, there are 92 other companies active in the Noordwijk space cluster. Most of these are located on the NL Space Campus. Together, they provide direct and indirect employment for 1,170 people.
“The municipality of Noordwijk is home to ESA-ESTEC and the NL Space Campus, making it the center of Dutch space travel,” says Pim van Strien, alderman in Noordwijk. “Here you will find the technical knowledge, professionals, and network that innovative and technological companies are looking for. This study clearly shows how many jobs and livelihoods it generates.”
“The valuable thing about this study is that it looks beyond just the number of companies and people employed,” says Marc Sandelowsky, director of NL Space Campus. “Space travel gives an enormous boost to our economy.”
Sector sounds the alarm
However, the value and ambitions of the sector are under pressure due to the Netherlands' announced low registration at the European Space Agency's Ministerial Conference at the end of November. According to Sandelowsky, the proposed registration is 25 percent lower than in the previous budget period.
The space sector is therefore sounding the alarm in an open letter to the cabinet and the House of Representatives. The sector calls the registration “a direct and serious threat to the Dutch space industry, our knowledge base, and the position of the Netherlands within Europe.”
“The Netherlands' investments, both nationally and through ESA, are essential to our earning capacity, our innovative strength, and our strategic autonomy. Without a clear commitment to the space sector (...), the Netherlands risks losing its autonomy in this vital security domain, undermining European strategic interests [and] missing out on billions in European investments.”
The authors of the letter call on politicians to reconsider the proposed budget and to endorse an ambitious, long-term financial commitment “that is in line with national ambitions for the space sector and underlines our commitment to the European cooperation framework.”
The open letter is signed by SpaceNed, the NL Space Campus, the Province of South Holland, Holland High Tech, the municipality of Noordwijk, and FME, among others.