Amsterdam is one of 15 European cities which can be described as a ‘knowledge hub’ alongside places such as Barcelona and Milan, according to a report commissioned by European Commission.

The researchers assessed 258 cities in terms of economic growth, employment, educational levels and demographics.
The report by by research group Ecorys classifies Rotterdam as a ‘gateway’, putting it on a par with Antwerp and Naples.
The Hague and Utrecht are labelled ‘national service hubs’ like Bonn and Seville while Eindhoven can call itself a ‘research centre’ like Gent, Cambridge and Grenoble.
Enschede and Heerlen are described as ‘transformation poles’ together with Turin and Liverpool. Tilburg gets the category ‘modern industrial city’ while Arnhem and Groningnen are ‘regional market centres’.
The results of the research will be used to develop European regional policy.