Leeuwarden had a population of approximately 96,000 in 2009 and is the capital of Friesland, a province in the north of the Netherlands.

The city has been settled since at least the tenth century and maybe many centuries earlier. Leeuwarden hosts the country’s largest cattle and flower markets, and the region is renowned for its many windmills. Interestingly, Friesland is the only province in the Netherlands that has its own language – West Frisian.

The City of Leeuwarden is a partner of CLIQ, a network that promotes innovation in cities with populations between 50,000 to 25,000. CLIQ has developed an innovation cluster on sustainability, focussing on solar energy, biomass fuels and LED lights. Leeuwarden has nominated an ‘Experimental Area’ in Newton Park IV as an experimental space for sustainable innovations. The Water Alliance, which comprises members from business, government and learning institutes, is also based in Leeuwarden. The Alliance focuses on developing innovative and sustainable water technology that can be used worldwide.