Ecorys is one of the oldest economic research and consulting companies in Europe.
Its history dates back to 1929, when a group of businessmen from Rotterdam established the Foundation, Netherlands Economic Institute (NEI).
One of its first directors (1935-1968) was Professor Jan Tinbergen, who was awarded the first Nobel Prize for Economics for his work in 1969.
In 2000 Ecorys[1] was created through the merger of the Dutch company NEI Kolpron with ECOTEC Research and Consulting, a UK-based company specializing in social and environmental policy, founded by Frank Joyce and Hugh Williams OBE.
ECOTEC had several hundred employees in multiple offices across Europe and extensive contracts with regional, national and international governments.