With 21.3% of Dutch GDP/GDP, North Holland is the largest regional economy in the country. Thanks to leading knowledge institutions and strategic technologies, the region has a solid foundation and strong prospects for its future earning potential.
ROM InWest builds on this by encouraging entrepreneurship around new, socially relevant technologies and accelerating upscaling. With our focus on innovation and sustainability, we give direction to entrepreneurs and investors, strengthen trust and enhance the region's competitiveness.
Through discussions with entrepreneurs, joint studies with the Amsterdam Economic Board and the Ontwikkelbedrijf Noord-Holland Noord, and the implementation of the COL and MIT, we have gained good insight into which innovations are most promising. To exploit these opportunities, we connect regional and national partners, forge strategic collaborations and attract funding from outside the province. In this way, we stimulate entrepreneurship around these innovations and contribute to a strong, sustainable economy.
Europe structurally invests too little in research & development (R&D), which puts pressure on our productivity and future prosperity. The Netherlands lags behind its neighbours, and within the Netherlands, North Holland scores lower than many other provinces.
Do we see opportunities to strengthen entrepreneurship around promising innovations? Then we are committed to attracting additional funds from the state or the EU. In doing so, it helps that we can act together with the other ROMs. Some examples are:
In March 2025, the regional development companies (ROMs), together with the Ministry of Defence and EZK, launched the SecFund. This new investment fund focuses on dual-use technologies: innovations that have both civilian and military applications. Through the fund, Dutch startups, scale-ups and innovative SMEs can apply for funding to develop and scale up these technologies. Here, ROM InWest plays a key role as a link between national funding and regional entrepreneurs. In this way, we help innovative companies in North Holland advance their technology and contribute to strengthening both our economy and our security.
In 2025, ROM InWest brought the national innovation programme DigiC to North Holland, previously started by ROM Utrecht. DigiC accelerates sustainable and circular construction using digitalisation. It brings together municipalities, the province and large construction companies with innovative entrepreneurs working on smart, digital and circular solutions for the construction sector. Through this programme to North Holland, entrepreneurs gain access to partners, assignments and funding, and ROM InWest helps startups and scale-ups test their innovations, scale up and strengthen the sustainable competitiveness of the North Holland construction sector.
We see it as an important task of the ROM to act as a bridge between national schemes and regional needs. In doing so, we unlock opportunities for innovative entrepreneurs in the region and increase their access to financial resources and expertise.
Since 2021, ROM InWest has been managing the portfolio of Corona Bridging Loans (COL), part of the national support programme the ROMs implemented together with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate in 2020 and 2021. These loans provided startups, scale-ups and innovative SMEs with financial space to cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. ROM InWest has been actively assisting these companies in repaying their loans ever since. And with success: of the 285 loans granted, 165 have now been fully repaid, and by the end of 2024 the portfolio will have been reduced to €24.8 million. That is well above the set target.
The national SME Innovation Stimulation Region and Top Sectors (MIT) scheme has regional counters that support startups and SMEs in developing innovative products and services. The province of North Holland is responsible for implementing the North Holland MIT scheme. Since 2022, ROM InWest handles the substantive assessment of MIT applications on behalf of the province. Until 2024, we assessed 722 applications for the MIT and MIT R&D scheme on behalf of the province, of which 370 companies received a positive advice. Based on these opinions, the province decided on the allocation and amount of subsidies. The scheme not only offered financial support to entrepreneurs, but also provided valuable insights into the region's innovative strength. This knowledge is recorded in ROM InWest's CRM system and forms a solid basis for future policy and targeted support of innovative entrepreneurship in North Holland.
Where necessary for a resilient and innovative economy, ROM InWest builds coalitions. When knowledge institutions, governments, financiers and companies know how to find each other, knowledge is applied faster and innovation becomes more powerful. Sharing and exploiting innovation not only increases the region's economic clout, but also the social impact of entrepreneurs.
Amsterdam's LSH sector is seen as a sleeping giant with huge potential. Research shows that Amsterdam can be globally distinctive, rivalling Cambridge and Boston. The large renowned knowledge institutions such as Amsterdam UMC, together produce a lot of high-quality knowledge, patents and publications. This is also visible in the amount of innovations emerging in the market. These innoavties not only lead to a healthier and longer life for the population, but ijn also interesting from the perspective of economic activity and regional economic development.
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