Dutch and Nordic companies kick-start international market expansion
The Nordic markets are generally attractive for a (first) international step for Dutch scale-ups in the sustainable energy and circularity sectors. As this market is generally receptive to sustainable innovations and there is a willingness to invest in these. The other way around, for Nordic cleantech companies the Netherlands, with its innovative mindset and open business culture, is a great place to scale and expand to the rest of Europe. To capitalize on this, InnovationQuarter joined forces with Cleantech Scandinavia to set up the first Dutch-Nordic Market Access Program. With this program Dutch and Nordic cleantech companies will be supported intensively in their first steps into each other’s markets.
On the 29th of April the Dutch-Nordic Market Access Program was kicked off with an informal and interactive session in which we explored the participating companies’ individual goals for the program and everyone was asked to share relevant experiences. These goals vary from setting up a first pilot project abroad, finding a commercial client, or preparing for future establishment in the foreign market. What participants showed to have in common was a great drive to learn and help each other explore the respective markets. In fact, the kick-off also enabled companies to get to to know each other, and the first opportunities for synergy and collaboration between participants, be it in their home or target market, were explored.
The Dutch-Nordic Market Access Program runs until September 2021. In May two more plenary sessions are scheduled in which we will focus on providing Dutch and Nordic market information respectively, and give the participating companies the possibility to check their propositions and USPs with stakeholders in the target market. In the period from June until September the program will continue. Each company will be assisted on an individual basis: they will be supported in obtaining the specific information and contacts needed for market entry. Because of this individual approach, the number of participating companies has been limited and in this first edition of the program a total of 11 companies have been selected for participation.
About the partnership between InnovationQuarter and Cleantech Scandinavia
The Dutch-Nordic Market Access Program follows from the Memorandum of Understanding Cleantech Scandinavia and InnovationQuarter signed in 2019, thereby committing to intensifying collaboration between their respective ecosystems. The focus of this partnership is supporting companies in entering and accelerating their activities in each other’s markets, either for international collaboration, trade or establishment.
Other currently running activities that follow from the MoU are a series of round tables to connect Dutch and Nordic actors in the fields of sustainable building and urban energy systems, as well as a joint Dutch-Nordic digital mission on Deep Energy Retrofits to Boston, in which 16 companies introduce their innovations to stakeholders in the Boston region.
Anne de Vries
