Editing Enschede (section)

== Economy ==
[[File:Enschede NL 18 25 48 441000.jpeg|alt=|left|thumb|220x220px|Enschede city center]]
The city is a former centre of textile production. When this industry left the area for cheaper production centers in South-East Asia, Enschede became one of the poorest municipalities in the Netherlands. More educated and wealthier citizens have historically migrated to the [[Randstad]] region; decades of renovation work in the city center have been carried out with the goal of making Enschede more attractive to this group.
Modern shopping centres and department stores that until recently were only found in much larger cities have been opened. Enschede is host to many yearly festivals and the Old Market Square is often the venue for events, live music and other activities at the weekend.

The proximity to Germany has, historically, been another major factor in the city's economic activity, ranging from the smuggling of coffee and tobacco in the 19th and 20th century, to large numbers of Germans, who visit the city's shops and weekly markets. Therefore, many natives of Enschede speak German more or less fluently.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}

The city is co-operating with the nearby municipalities of [[Almelo]], [[Borne (Overijssel)|Borne]] and [[Hengelo]] as ''Netwerkstad Twente''. A draft law plan to merge Enschede with Hengelo and Almelo was defeated in parliament under the influence of opposition from the other towns.

There are over 95,000 jobs in Enschede. Most businesses can be found on one the business parks in the city or the port of Enschede (inland water port).

[[Grolsch]] beer is brewed in Enschede, and the tyre manufacturer [[Apollo Vredestein B.V.]] head office and a factory are in the city. It now looks like the factory in Enschede will close in 2025.

Other major employers are University of Twente, Saxion University of applied sciences, MST medical centre, Health insurance company Menzis, foodcompany Huuskes and Rabobank.