12 •
BUILDING THE FUTURE
- 13
BUILDING THE FUTUREThe imminent arrival of the EMA, a European Union agency leaving
London in response to Brexit, is a big deal for Zuidas. The City of Am-
sterdam is going out of its way to attract more knowledge-intensive
organizations to the district [also see our inter view with David van
Traa on page 8]. Not only is it profiling Zuidas as a top location for
international enterprise, it’s also promoting its growth as a new
urban centre with excellent business, residential and recreational
prospects. The EMA’s relocation to Zuidas represents a big step
towards achieving these ambitions. With VU University Medical Center
Amsterdam and related facilities also nearby, the district will become
an important international healthcare cluster as well as a magnet
for even more businesses. Also, the fact that the EMA receives some
36,000 visiting experts annually, translating into around 15,000 hotel
stays, will mean a terrific boost for Zuidas and the greater metro
region as a whole.Affairs, the Central Government Real
Estate Agency and the City of Amsterdam
(together with contiguous cities) and their
Expat Centres. The EMA Transition Team
will be coordinated by the Ministr y of
Health and will act as the focal point for
EMA, regarding all aspects of the transiti-
on process.BUILDING THE EMA OFFICE
No less complex is the job of building the
EMA’s future premises. And the pressure is
on, given the looming Brexit deadline of late
March 2019. The relocation will be overseen
by the Central Government Real EstateAgency (CGREA): a 100%-government-
owned non-profit agency, which will
operate as a one-stop shop, and will
concern itself with all aspects of realizing
the new EMA premises. CGREA provides
real estate for the Dutch government
and international organizations in the
Netherlands. Its areas of expertise
include real estate management, project
development, building technology,
architectural design and tender procedures.CONSTRUCTION PREPAR ATIONS
To get ever ything finished in time, CGREA
launched a tender procedure this pastOctober, which will conclude in March- Already, the plot on which the EMA
office will be built is being prepared for
construction, with the demolishing of a
parking deck next to the EY building now
in full swing. Completion of the conference
section of the new EMA headquarters
is slated for 1 April 2019, after which the
offices will follow. Given that the EMA will
probably be in a transition phase before
this, the Zuidas Amsterdam Development
Office will make sure that full temporar y
premises are available from 1 Januar y
2019 to accommodate those EMA staff
members who arrive earlier.
The EMA office will be located on Scarlattilaan, next to EY. RAI station is to
the right, and above is the site of the future nhow Amsterdam RAI hotel. At
the right side of the KPN-tower, a Van der Valk Hotel will be built.
Photography YourCaptain LuchtfotografieEMA CONSTRUCTION
IN HIGH GEAR
The news late November that the European Medicines Association (EMA) will be moving to Zuidas was
received with euphoria– not only in Zuidas but also amongst policymakers and politicians in The Hague
and Brussels. Since the announcement, preparations for the EMA’s move have kicked into high gear.
EMA TRANSITION TEAM
The relocation of the EMA will also involve a huge logistical operation,
with some 900 staff members transferring from London, many of
whom will bring along their partners and children. Entire families will
be looking for places to live and for international schools for their kids
in and around Amsterdam. An all-encompassing and personalized
expatriation programme will be provided for the relocation of all EMA
staff and their families who choose to relocate, and which will be
offered throughout the entire trajector y. It will provide support with
finding housing, selecting and registering with international schools,
choosing health insurance, supporting employment opportunities
for partners and assisting with any other administrative procedures
associated with relocating to another countr y. This support will be
provided by a dedicated EMA Transition Team, consisting of experts
from the ministries of Health, Foreign Affairs, Education, EconomicThe EMA building will be approximately 80 metres
tall, with 19 floors, and will include a conference
centre and offices for 900 employees. The total
floor area will be around 43,000 m^2.
Artist’s impression Central Government Real Estate Agency
Drawing of the entrance of the EMA building.
Artist’s impression: Central Government Real Estate Agency