Strategy to regional potential
The NTS was published in January 2024. It identifies ten technologies with which the Netherlands should strengthen its international position. The message: geopolitical pressures, accelerating transitions and the need for technological autonomy call for targeted investments. Van Heerwaarden: “But such a strategy remains abstract if you don't link it to regions, companies and ecosystems. That is why we in North Holland are now looking very concretely at where our strengths lie. Which technologies are already present in our region? Which clusters are emerging? And where are opportunities that are currently untapped?” ROM InWest, like the other ROMs, was tasked with making this translation. The first step: highlighting two value chains in which North Holland already excels. Rijswijk: “These are AI in healthcare and biotechnology. Around these themes, we are working hard on a concrete strategy with interventions that can take entrepreneurs, researchers and policymakers further.”
AI in healthcare
“The combination of strong knowledge institutions, innovative healthcare organisations and a growing number of AI startups makes North Holland ideally suited to be a leader in AI in healthcare,” Rijswijk says. “We want to push this even further. We tested this agenda with 40 companies working on AI in healthcare from all over the Netherlands. Think of a company like Kepler Vision, which uses AI for fall detection in the elderly, or UbiOps, which offers an AI platform for healthcare institutions. “These are examples of companies that are already making an impact,” says Van Heerwaarden. “But companies applying AI in healthcare often run into the same barriers: how to ensure efficient implementation and adoption, and how to deal with shorter sales cycles (convincing each hospital separately). We are looking at how to lower those barriers.
Biotechnology
The second strategy focuses on biotechnology, a sector on the rise worldwide. The scope of biotechnology can range from vaccines to sustainable food production. North Holland has strong players such as Sanquin, NKI, Amsterdam UMC and the seed breeders in Seed Valley. Yet it still often lacks focused attention in regional policy. “Biotechnology is often seen as something medical, but it is just as much about new materials, nutrition or climate solutions,” Rijswijk said. “We see a lot of knowledge and research, but the step to valorisation, actually bringing innovations to the market, remains difficult.” The strength of medical biotechnology in the region is also underexposed. In scientific publications and patents, Amsterdam is a world player. The recently introduced RS virus vaccine was invented and developed there. The scale of new high-value activity can still grow significantly with strengthening networks and more funding.
Blind spots
Besides these two strategies, there are also blind spots: technologies in which North Holland is strong, while hardly any policy has been developed for them. Think of cybersecurity, in which the Amsterdam region is internationally recognised. Or quantum software, which is developing but still lacks infrastructure and attention. “The region has gold in its hands. It is just that there is still limited digging for it,” says Van Heerwaarden. “Noord-Holland and Amsterdam do not have a strong tradition of technology policy, even though we are the most high-tech region in the Netherlands next to Noord-Brabant.”
Why now?
“North Holland deserves technology policy that does justice to its potential,” Rijswijk argues. “We need policies that support entrepreneurs in developing key technologies. Because international competition is increasing. Autonomy in technology is more important than ever, especially in a world where geopolitics, defence and energy supply are increasingly linked to digital technology. North Holland plays a crucial role in this, with its knowledge institutions, activity and connectivity.” That strength is currently underused, Van Heerwaarden argues. “The region is changing and technology as a basis for economic growth and making choices in your technological profile is increasingly important for future-proof earning power.”
