Innovation is in the DNA of the Netherlands
The first microscope, submarine or four-wheel drive, the Delta Works, the Compact Disc, WiFi, Bluetooth or the construction of a satellite network that makes the Internet of Things a reality worldwide; These are all groundbreaking Dutch innovations.
It is not without reason that we are one of the world's forerunners in the field of high-tech innovations; a guide country. In 2019, for example, the Netherlands was fourth in the European Patent Office's international ranking, with no fewer than 404 patent applications per million inhabitants.
The demand for high-tech products is increasing worldwide. Our top sector develops and produces semi-finished products, components and materials for the whole world. This makes the Holland High Tech ecosystem one of the largest exporters in our top sectors.
We actively look for solutions to social challenges and enjoy working with others. Holland High Tech acts as an accelerator of the innovation process. Through collaboration in the innovation helix and the specific focus on key technologies, we create knowledge and solutions that contribute to valuable innovations at home and abroad. Dutch solutions for global issues.
Our ecosysteem
Our ecosystem in the Netherlands employs approximately 500,000 people, who generate €70 billion in exports. This makes the Holland High Tech top sector one of the largest exporters of knowledge and goods.
Current market developments give the Netherlands an excellent position. The demand for hightech products is increasing worldwide. Our top sector develops and produces semi-finished products, components and materials for the whole world. This makes the Holland High Tech ecosystem one of the largest exporters in our top sectors.
Many end products increasingly consist of electronics, software and new materials. These developments are based on key technologies that are firmly rooted in the Netherlands: micro/nanoelectronics, nanotechnology, photonics, advanced materials, semiconductors, electronic components and systems.
Internationalization strategy Holland High Tech
Our internationalization strategy has four main themes:
- export
- technological collaboration
- strategic acquisition
- human capital
Our goal, together with all partners in our ecosystem, is to rank among the top internationally and to increase our exports to approximately €75 billion in 2025. We achieve this by working at four levels:
- Activate
Participate in strategic fairs, trade missions, innovation missions, exploratory missions, etc. - Plans per sector
Plans (finished or in progress) for automotive, robotics, photonics, semiconductors, aerospace and composites - Country plans
Together with Dutch and foreign partners and governments in the innovation helix, we have developed specific plans for Germany and France - Programmanagement
Implementing and monitoring the action agendas in the subsectors and countries in collaboration with the missions abroad, RVO and NL in Business
International country plans
What market opportunities are there specifically for your organization? What are the challenges, which innovations can be deployed abroad in the short term and which knowledge institutions and governments are looking for (technology) partners?
Holland High Tech has formulated a number of strategic instruments based on the needs for Dutch solutions in Germany and France: the international country plans for Germany and France. It is up to Dutch companies and knowledge institutions to contribute to innovative solutions for Energy, Sustainability and Digitalization. Read more about this in our country plans.
Germanyplan
This plan focuses on Energy and Digitalization. It looks at e-mobility, smart charging stations, returning energy to the grid, Artificial Intelligence, data-driven communication and also at the innovations of lightweight materials with applications in the automotive and aerospace industries. In addition, promising trade regions are being looked at.
Franceplan
This plan is the start of a multi-year public-private programming with the aim of bringing Dutch and French partners together in projects and strengthening each other. The focus is on the areas of Sustainability and Digitalization, looking at the aviation and automotive industries and key enabling technologies including composites and photonics.
Videos
Spring event 2021: Internationalization
During the Spring Event of Holland High Tech during Dutch Technology Week, the topic was Innovation & export, market opportunities across the border and the focus countries Germany and France. Watch this event again here.
Germanyplan
The partners of Holland High Tech have joined forces and knowledge in this joint Germany plan to work more closely with Germany. Not only as a trading partner, but also as a technology and innovation partner.
Fall event 2021
Guustaaf Savenije, general manager at VDL ETG, spoke about the innovative power of the Netherlands. “Deploying quantum computing is important for the Netherlands. [...] Thermal management is a wonderful spin-off of quantum computing! We can become world leaders in this technology and many companies can emerge from this.”
Partners in collaboration
For this internationalizationstrategy we work together with International Innovation Attachés Network, RVO and NL in Business.
Actuele dossiers
Wat speelt er in het ecosysteem? Blijf op de hoogte van de meest up-to-date ontwikkelingen in onze topsector en ontdek de laatste hightechtoepassingen en lopende onderzoeken.