The number of alliances involving Dutch financial companies has shot up in recent years, according to research by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Eindhoven University of Technology. Last year, Dutch banks and insurers were involved in 121 alliances, compared with 80 in 2005 and just five in 1996.

In particular, alliances with technology companies were popular, as were tie-ups with companies operating in Asia.
Others were more novel, such as SNS Reaal’s alliance with motoring organisation Route Mobiel, concert organiser Mojo and children’s tv company Jetix.
PwC’s Pieter Koene told the Financieele Dagblad that firms often had no clue how many alliances they were actually involved with. ‘They get quite a shock when they see them all added up,’ he said.