Moving to Groningen as an expat
Due to the fact that Groningen is home to one of the world’s top 100 universities, The University of Groningen more than 24% of the city’s population consists of students. The bright side of being a university city? A vibrant nightlife and cultural scene, from markets to all-night-open bars. Another good FYI to keep in mind about Groningen is that, although well serviced by public transport, it’s known to be a World Cycling City, where 60% of all journeys by its residents are made by bike. They’re so big on bikes that they even host an International Cycling Film Festival annually, showcasing bicycle-related films.
The industry of the area is booming mainly in the fields of hospitality, especially in hotels and catering, along with the fields of health and life sciences, energy, and tech with a close collaboration between different agencies and institutes tackling these areas.
One of the most notable facts about this city is that, in 2018, it fell right behind Amsterdam in the number of fast-growing tech companies in the Netherlands.
Given its northern location, the city sees slightly colder temperatures in the winter whereas the summers are more on the humid side as the city is affected by the North Sea.