Atlas Research

What Atlas Research does

Atlas Research is a privately held Dutch research bureau founded in 2003 and headquartered in Amsterdam, specializing in urban, socio-economic, and cultural research for government and corporate clients. It operates as an independent division of the cross-media group Sijthoff Media Groep B.V., leveraging shared infrastructure while maintaining editorial and methodological autonomy. The firm is best known for its annual Atlas voor gemeenten publication, a 20+ year longitudinal comparison of the 50 largest Dutch municipalities across more than 50 indicators covering population, socio-economic position, and housing attractiveness, complemented by a digital platform launched in 2023 that covers all 342 Dutch municipalities with custom benchmark and policy scenario capabilities.

Its core product portfolio is built on proprietary indices and instruments, including the Bredewelvaartsindex (broad prosperity index, 34 indicators across 8 dimensions), the Leefbaarometer (livability meter, co-developed with In.Fact.Research for the Ministry of BZK), the Woonaantrekkelijkheidsindex (housing attractiveness), the Regionale Cultuurindex (developed with the Boekmanstichting), the Gemeentelijke sportindex (developed with HAN), and the Bijstandsverdeelmodel (welfare distribution model used by the Ministry of SZW to allocate municipal welfare budgets). The team of approximately 13-15 researchers applies quantitative methods including hedonic pricing models and CBS microdata analysis to commissioned research for national ministries (SZW, BZK, OCW, JenV), provinces, municipalities (Utrecht, Nijmegen, Amstelveen, Zoetermeer), housing corporations (Eigen Haard), insurance firms (a.s.r.), and energy/policy entities (NAM, IMG, WODC).

Atlas Research monetizes through a mix of (i) annual print and digital publication sales (Atlas voor gemeenten priced at approximately €60 per copy), (ii) recurring subscriptions to its digital platform, (iii) commissioned government research contracts, and (iv) bespoke consultancy reports. Distribution is domestic-only, with go-to-market driven by direct outreach, the annual Atlas conference in Amsterdam, and content marketing through the website and newsletter. Co-founders Gerard Marlet and Clemens van Woerkens transitioned to founder-emeritus advisory roles in 2022, with operational leadership under Director Rein Halbersma and senior researchers including Marten Middeldorp and Nancy Blaker. The firm has produced 361 publications since 2004 and celebrated its 20th anniversary in November 2024.

Name

Atlas Research

Legal name

Atlas Research

Website

https://atlasresearch.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Atlas Research is a privately held Dutch research bureau, founded in 2003 and headquartered in Amsterdam as a division of Sijthoff Media Groep, that produces the annual Atlas voor gemeenten and proprietary indices (Bredewelvaartsindex, Leefbaarometer) for Dutch ministries, municipalities, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Socio-Economic Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Market Research & Consumer Insights (BPAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF), Quantitative Research & Survey Analytics (Survey Design, Sampling, Statistical Modeling) (MPAAALAF), Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

Keywords

• Municipal research services
• Socio-economic policy analysis
• Livability measurement indices
• Urban policy benchmarking
• Government commissioned research

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Publications Sales (Atlas voor gemeenten): Annual book publication of the Atlas voor gemeenten comparing 50 largest Dutch municipalities across 50+ indicators, sold as print and PDF editions.
2. Digital Platform Subscriptions: Subscription-based access to the interactive digital Atlas platform covering all 342 Dutch municipalities, with features like custom benchmarks and policy scenario creation.
3. Commissioned Research for Government Clients: Research contracts for Dutch ministries (SZW, BZK, OCW, JenV), provinces, and municipalities. Examples include Leefbaarometer development, welfare budget determination, culture mapping, and impact assessments.
4. Custom Reports and Consultancy: Bespoke research reports and consultancy for government and corporate clients on topics including urban economics, housing, culture, labor markets, and social welfare.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Atlas Research is a Dutch research bureau that publishes the annual Atlas voor gemeenten (a benchmark study of Dutch municipalities on 50+ indicators) and operates its companion interactive digital platform, while delivering commissioned socio-economic, urban, and cultural research to Dutch ministries, provinces, and municipalities. Its core product family also includes proprietary indices such as the Leefbaarometer (livability meter) and Bredewelvaartsindex (broad prosperity index) used in national policy and municipal budget allocation.

Product overview

Atlas Research is a Dutch research bureau specializing in urban, socio-economic, and cultural research for governments and businesses. The core offering consists of the annual Atlas voor gemeenten (Atlas for Municipalities) publication and its digital platform counterpart, which together compare Dutch municipalities across 50+ indicators. Key research products include the Leefbaarometer (livability measurement), bredewelvaartsindex (broad prosperity index), and various themed Atlases covering topics like culture, sports, water, and happiness. The company operates as part of Sijthoff Media Groep and conducts research across themes including housing climate, social welfare, economy & labor market, and art & culture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Atlas voor gemeenten (annual publication) Annual printed and PDF publication comparing the 50 largest Dutch municipalities across 50+ indicators, organized along themes including population, socio-economic position, and residential attractiveness. Contains rankings and comparative analyses intended for Dutch policymakers, administrators, researchers, and journalists.
• Digitaal platform Atlas voor gemeenten Interactive subscription-based digital platform covering all 342 Dutch municipalities, allowing users to create custom benchmarks and policy scenarios. Provides Brede Welvaart rankings and detailed comparative data across municipalities.
• Leefbaarometer (Livability Meter) Livability measurement instrument developed in partnership with In.Fact.Research for the Dutch Ministry of BZK, assessing and monitoring neighborhood livability across the Netherlands. Measures multiple dimensions including physical environment, safety, and social factors.
• Bredewelvaartsindex (Broad Prosperity Index) Composite index measuring broad prosperity across municipalities using 34 indicators organized into 8 dimensions: material wealth, health & well-being, work & education, work-life balance, residential pleasure, nature & environment, social cohesion, and safety. Developed over 20 years of Atlas research.
• Woonaantrekkelijkheidsindex (Housing Attractiveness Index) Index measuring how attractive a municipality is for living, ranking Dutch municipalities on housing attractiveness criteria. Used in the annual Atlas voor gemeenten publication.
• Regionale Cultuurindex (Regional Culture Index) Regional culture index developed in partnership with the Boekmanstichting, measuring the state of culture per province across 88 variables organized into three pillars: capacity (supply), participation (usage), and finances. Includes 20 indicators covering performing arts, heritage, visual arts, literature, and film.
• Gemeentelijke sportindex (Municipal Sports Index) Index measuring sports supply and sports participation per municipality, developed in partnership with the HAN (Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen) Academie Sport en Bewegen.
• Commissioned research and consultancy services Bespoke research reports and consultancy delivered to Dutch ministries (SZW, BZK, OCW, JenV), provinces, municipalities, housing corporations, and corporate clients on topics including urban economics, housing, culture, labor markets, welfare distribution, livability, gambling policy, and societal cost-benefit analyses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Social cost-benefit analysis of welfare distribution model used to distribute municipal budgets
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• SEO Economisch OnderzoekcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with SEO Economisch Onderzoek on welfare budget distribution research for the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs (SZW). Collaborated on multiple editions of the bijstandsverdeelmodel (welfare distribution model) from 2017 onwards, including the 2020 and 2021 budget determinations. Also collaborated on the optimal verdeelsystematiek (distribution methodology) for the social domain in the Gemeentefonds.
• BoekmanstichtelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Boekmanstichtel (Boekman Foundation) to develop the Regionale Cultuurindex (Regional Culture Index), providing insight into the state of culture per province across 88 variables organized into three pillars: capacity, participation, and finances. The index covers performing arts, visual arts, literature, heritage, and film.
• In.Fact.ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with In.Fact.Research on developing and maintaining the Leefbaarometer (Livability Meter) for the Dutch Ministry of BZK. In.Fact.Research contributes to the development of the livability measurement instrument, with Atlas Research leading the research and publication.
• HAN (Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the HAN University of Applied Sciences (Academie Sport en Bewegen) to develop the gemeentelijke sportindex (municipal sports index) measuring sports supply and participation per municipality.
• Sijthoff Media Groep B.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtlas Research is a division of Sijthoff Media Groep B.V., a cross-media news and trade media company headquartered in Amsterdam. Within Sijthoff, Atlas Research functions as an independent research bureau while utilizing support services within the broader group.
• BrabantKennissecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned research partnership with BrabantKennis on societal differences and spatial inequality in Brabant province, covering labor market inequality, economic inequality, spatial inequality, and differences in social trust and happiness.
• RIGO Research and AdviessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with RIGO Research and Advies on the Leefbaarometer 2018, analyzing livability in the Netherlands. Atlas Research and RIGO published the analysis of livability developments between 2016 and 2018.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• I&O Research: I&O Research is a Dutch research firm providing both quantitative and qualitative studies for government, corporate, and nonprofit clients. Their broad coverage of policy-relevant social and political research in the Netherlands overlaps with Atlas Research's public-sector client work.
• Dialogic: Dialogic is a Dutch research and consultancy firm delivering socio-economic and policy impact studies for ministries, provinces, and municipalities. Their commissioned research model and Dutch public-sector client base closely mirror Atlas Research's go-to-market approach.
• SEO Amsterdam Economics: SEO Amsterdam Economics is a Dutch applied economic research bureau based in Amsterdam with a strong track record serving Dutch ministries. They are an existing Atlas Research partner on the bijstandsverdeelmodel for the Ministry of SZW, with directly overlapping socio-economic research capabilities and clients.
• Decisio: Decisio is a Dutch economic research and consultancy firm focused on regional economics, spatial policy, and urban economics. Their regional and municipal economic research practice closely tracks Atlas Research's themes around woonklimaat and economie & arbeidsmarkt.
• RIGO Research and Advies: RIGO Research and Advies is a Dutch research and consulting firm focused on real estate, housing, and urban livability, and was Atlas Research's prior collaborator on the Leefbaarometer 2018. They overlap directly on Dutch municipal livability measurement and socio-economic research for government clients.
• Motivaction: Motivaction is a Dutch market research agency specializing in societal segmentation, opinion polling, and policy research for public and corporate clients in the Netherlands. Their government-facing research orientation and methodological focus make them a direct competitor for similar Dutch policy mandates.

Broad incumbents

• CBS (Statistics Netherlands): CBS is the Dutch national statistical office producing official government statistics and microdata. While it is the primary data backbone that Atlas Research draws upon rather than a head-to-head competitor, it shapes the supply of Dutch municipal data that defines the competitive landscape.
• PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency: PBL is a Dutch governmental research institute studying environment, spatial planning, and sustainability to inform national policy. As an established public-sector research institute, it competes for attention and mandates within the Dutch policy research community relevant to Atlas Research.
• SCP (Sociaal-Cultureel Planbureau): SCP is a Dutch intergovernmental research institute producing studies on quality of life, welfare, and cultural participation for parliament and ministries. Its thematic focus on brede welvaart directly overlaps Atlas Research's positioning in Dutch municipal quality-of-life measurement.
• Kantar Netherlands: Kantar Netherlands is the Dutch arm of Kantar, a global consumer insights and market research group serving brands, agencies, and public-sector clients. They operate at much larger scale and broader scope but compete for a subset of Dutch market research and policy mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atlas-research-amsterdam

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Atlas Research