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Contact /Rinke Zonneveld Datum /

ECE's Scale-up Dashboard 2017

Scale-ups in the Netherlands

The Scale-up Dashboard 2017 shows that:

  • The number of scale-ups in The Netherlands has increased to 3237. This means that the number of scale-ups increased by 5.4% in the past year compared to the previous year.
  • The number of startups becoming scale-ups rises tremendously. Over the past two years, this has increased by no less than 220%. One in ten scale-ups in the Netherlands arise from a startup.
  • Top sectors count relatively many scale-ups. The top sectors Energy, High-tech and Life Sciences & Health are at the frontrunners.
  • An increasing number of companies in the Netherlands are hardly, if at all, growing. Almost a third of Dutch companies are even shrinking.

ECE's SCale-up Dashboard 2017, the statistics

More startups become scale-ups

Prof.dr. Justin Jansen: “The Scale-up Dashboard is the first list that truly takes into account and measures all companies in the Netherlands with more than 10 FTE. There are more lists about scale-ups available, but those give limited insights because companies have to register themselves or the lists are focused on specific sectors. Insight in which companies truly belong to the Top of scale-ups is missing and that is what we hope to achieve by creating and launching this Top 250 Scale-ups (Top 250 Groeibedrijven) – of over 3000 scale-ups – in the Netherlands.”

“Although more and more startups are making the step to scale-up, considerable efforts are still needed to keep countries like China, Israel and America up and running”, says Prince Constantijn van Oranje, special envoy of StartupDelta. Find out what he has to say more about the current position of startups and scale-ups in the Netherlands and the research findings (interview BNR in Dutch).

Interested? Have a look at the preview above or request the Scale-up Dashboard 2017 via www.ece.nl. A similar dashboard (in Dutch) is available for scale-ups in Zuid-Holland.

 

Source / ECE

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Contact /Chris van Voorden Datum /

Dutch Office Locations Ranking 2017

Leiden in Top 3

In the 2017 edition, Spring Real Estate investigated 145 office locations in 34 municipalities. Based on the lettability scores per location, the relationships between office locations have been determined. The winner of this years’ ranking is the Zuidelijke IJ-oever in Amsterdam. Just like the 2016 edition, there is a surprising top 3 ranking for the Bio Science Park in Leiden.

Dutch Office Locations Ranking

In addition to the lettability score per location, this report provides an overview of the key figures per office location and features stock, stock in construction, supply, take-up and rental prices. To provide a complete view on market dynamics, insight is given into the most prominent rental- and investment transactions per location.

You can find the complete ranking in this research below.

 

Bron / Spring Real Estate

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Contact /Chris van Voorden Datum /

The Netherlands in Top 10 on IMD World Talent Ranking 2017

The Netherlands in Top 10

The prestigious annual IMD World Talent Ranking assesses the methods countries use to attract and retain the talent their businesses need to thrive.

Europe continues to dominate the 2017 list, with 11 out of the 15 most talent competitive economies based on the continent, after a strong performance in 2016. Switzerland, Denmark and Belgium remain the most competitive countries in the 2017 IMD World Talent Ranking. Austria, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden make up the Top 10.

IMD World Talent Ranking

The annual IMD World Talent Ranking report covered 63 countries and assessed the methods the countries adopted to attract and retain talent. The rankings are based on a country’s performance in three main categories: investment and development, appeal, and readiness. The Netherlands was ranked 3rd, 7th and 15th on these terms, respectively. The three categories assess how countries perform in a wide range of areas. These include education, apprenticeships, workplace training, language skills, cost of living, quality of life, remuneration and tax rates.

It is European countries’ outstanding education systems that set them apart from the rest of the pack. On average, each has a high level of investment in education accompanied by a superior-quality educational system, from primary to tertiary levels. This allows them to develop local talent and at the same time attract foreign, highly-skilled professionals, which many European businesses rely upon to perform.

The Netherlands in Top 10 on IMD World Talent Ranking 2017 (page 73)

The Dutch score

The Netherlands entered the Top 10 and is in 6th place in the IMD World Talent Ranking 2017.

The Netherlands ranked 3rd in the investment and development category, with a strong performance in health infrastructure (2nd) and its effective implementation of apprenticeships and the prioritization of employee training (both 6th).

The country ranks 7th in appeal, mostly because of the well-educated and skilled people (3rd), a  high quality of life (5th) and a high worker motivation (5th). The Netherlands is also ranked first for language skills.

 

Source / IMD

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Contact /Martien Kuunders Datum /

Medisch Artificial Intelligence bedrijf Quantib uit Rotterdam

Faster and more objective diagnoses by automatic interpretation of MRI and CT scan data

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Quantib is one of the most renowned Dutch players in the field of medical AI applications. Quantib utilizes ML software for the segmentation, classification and quantification of medical images, improving diagnostic quality and allowing for a more efficient workflow of physicians and researchers. Quantib is a spin-off of the Erasmus MC, developing her products in close collaboration with the internationally recognized Biomedical Imaging Group Rotterdam (BIGR) under supervision of Prof. dr. Wiro Niessen.

Moreover, Quantib has strong partnerships with industry players (GE Healthcare, Philips and Intrasense) for research, development and the distribution of her products. Recently, Quantib received media coverage as winner of The Dutch Data Science prize. Quantib’s first products received FDA approval and CE marking in 2016 and focus on the detection and tracking of neurological disorders such as Parkinson, Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.

The investment allows Quantib to bring new ML applications to the market with regards to stroke, lung disorders, oncology and bone structures. Quantib will also establish new partnerships with leading international academic hospitals.

In conjunction with the investment, the management team has been reinforced with Arthur Post Uiterweer (former Philips and Boston Consulting Group) and Jorrit Glastra (former Shell). The supervisory board will consist of Prof. dr. Gabriel Krestin, Harm-Jan Wessels and health entrepreneur Jaap Maljers.

Investment in Quantib

Rudolf Scholte, CEO of Quantib: “Our software supports radiologists and neurologists with their objective assessment of MRI- and CT scans. Our deep learning algorithms can support better diagnoses, and a better assessment of treatments’ effectiveness. Up until now, our main focus was on brain disorders. This investment allows us to develop new products and to extend our team.”

“Quantib’s applications help standardise and speed up image analysis and allows for the detection of subtle changes over time. It increases the objectivity of the diagnostic process and therefore delivers an improved diagnosis combined with more efficient processes, positively impacting a large group of patients. We see large international growth opportunities for the company and we are proud to be a part of this development.” says Ewout Prins, Managing Partner Holland Venture.

Francis Quint, Head InnovationQuarter Capital: “Quantib facilitates faster, better and more efficient diagnoses, a fantastic result from the close collaboration with Erasmus MC. We are happy to support this Rotterdam-based company with their ambition to extend the range of their current technology to other applications.”

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Contact /Niels Krol Datum /
EMA vestigt zich in 2019 in Amsterdam-980x450

Bron: Dutch bid for EMA / YouTube.

The EMA relocation is a direct consequence of the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union. EMA has been based in London, UK, since it was established in 1995 and currently employs around 900 staff members at its headquarters in Canary Wharf, London. A total of nineteen cities from across the EU made bids to host the agency, with Amsterdam coming out on top. EMA Executive Director Guido Rasi stated, “My staff and I are very honored that so many Member States showed an interest in hosting EMA.”

Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Halbe Zijlstra was very positive about the result: ‘This is a fantastic outcome. It’s good for the Netherlands, but above all, it’s good for EU citizens who can continue to count on high-quality medicines and proper supervision of medicines. It shows that we can tackle the effects of Brexit with resolve.”

Professor Rasi was happy with the Amsterdam decision: “Amsterdam ticks many of our boxes. It offers excellent connectivity and a building that can be shaped according to our needs. I am very grateful that the Member States took into account our requirements for business continuity and gave priority to the protection of public and animal health.”

Efficacy, quality and safety

EMA is the body responsible for assessing the efficacy, quality, and safety of new medicines, for human and animal health, before they are approved for the European market. In addition, the organization supervises the safety of authorized medicines and promotes research into and the development of new medicines. Every year EMA organizes hundreds of meetings for thousands of experts from Europe and further afield.

The organization has approximately 900 highly qualified staff from all the EU member states. A large majority of EMA staff expressed their willingness to move with the agency to the new home in Amsterdam. The EU had set out six criteria to be met when evaluating candidate locations, including the city’s ability to get the agency fully operational on time, transport accessibility, available schooling, and employment opportunities for spouses.

European pharmaceutical network

The Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board (CBG) is a major contributor of expertise to the European network of pharmaceutical authorities coordinated by EMA. A large number of pharmaceutical organizations are currently located in London, many of whom work intensively with EMA. It is likely that at least some of these organizations will want to relocate to the same place as EMA. This could potentially strengthen the Dutch position in European pharmaceutical policy and boost the Netherlands’ attractiveness to companies and institutions in the top sectors of life sciences and health, and agrifood.

Dutch Minister for Healthcare, Bruno Bruins commented: ‘This is good news for all patients across Europe. In Amsterdam, the EMA will be able to continue its important work without interruption after Brexit. The Agency can continue to grant access to new, innovative medicines without delay.” He added: “Now, the real work begins. Amsterdam and the Netherlands as a whole are fully committed to ensuring the EMA’s relocation runs smoothly. We are ready to get started and we will make sure that the EMA’s important work is not disrupted.”

Effective collaboration between EMA and the Netherlands on the basis of the commitments made in its offer to host EMA is the key to ensuring a successful move and the continuation of EMA’s operations with minimal disruption. The Agency now has just over 16 months to prepare for the move and take up its operations in Amsterdam on 30 March 2019 at the latest.

Source / Investinholland.com

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Contact /Gerty Holla Datum /
Ncardia-versnelt-internationale-groei-dankzij-105-mln-groeikapitaal

From left to right: Secretary of the state Mona Keijzer of Economic affairs and Climate; Stefan Braam, CEO Ncardia; Gerty Holla, Senior Investment Manager InnovationQuarter; Rinke Zonneveld, Director InnovationQuarter © Verkijk

Ncardia, an emerging drug discovery and development stem cell technology company whose mission is to deliver cardiac and neural drug discovery and safety solutions based on its best-in-class human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived technology, today announced the completion of a €10.5 million Series B financing round. The round was led by Épimède, a Belgium venture capital firm.

The company is is of great social importance as well, with technology that improves the care for heartpatients, reduces the costs of healthcare ans can replace animal testing. -Francis Quint, Head of InnovationQuarter Capital

Ncardia is a privately held company with operations in Europe and the US, that produces and commercializes high-quality, fully functional human iPSC derived cardiovascular and neuronal cell types. Using its cell products, Ncardia develops and commercializes electrophysiology-, biochemistry- and contraction-based assay services for predictive safety pharmacology, toxicology testing and drug efficacy screenings. In addition the company has built up a strong portfolio of patents covering the use of stem cell models for these applications. Ncardia believes that stem cell technology fast-tracks the delivery of better medicines to patients by improving the drug discovery process.

Ncardia-versnelt-internationale-groei-dankzij-105-mln-groeikapitaal

F.l.t.r: Leendert Jan Visser, Director MKB Nederland; Secretary of the state Mona Keijzer of Economic affairs and Climate © Verkijk

Stefan Braam, CEO of Ncardia, commented: “At Ncardia, important progress has been made on product and service programs for drug safety and efficacy screening. We have built strong and dedicated teams for research & development, manufacturing, drug discovery services, and sales & marketing, to execute our plan to become the trusted leader in human iPSC-based drug discovery solutions. I am delighted with the continued support from our current investors and I am very happy to welcome Épimède as our new investor.”

Marc Foidart, Investment Manager at Épimède said: “Ncardia had a very strong and encouraging start. We are convinced of the added value Ncardia will deliver in the coming years. We are very pleased to join the strong syndicate of existing investors and to support Ncardia growth acceleration.”

Secretary of the state Mona Keijzer is pleased with the new investment that Ncardia receives: “Congratulations Ncardia with your new investors. Ncardia is an inspiring example of how a Leiden based company, established by five young scientists, can impact the pharmaceutical industry. Your stem cell technology enables better drug development, benefitting patients all over the world. ”

Francis Quint, InnovationQuarter: “Ncardia is a good example of how a regional startup with unique technology can develop into a leading scale-up within a few years. The company is is of great social importance as well, with technology that improves the care for heartpatients, reduces the costs of healthcare ans can replace animal testing.”

The participants in this funding round include Épimède, InnovationQuarter, SRIW, SambrInvest, Vesalius Biocapital and SFPI-FPIM. The funds raised will be used by Ncardia to speed-up its already promising international growth, to develop the next generation safety assays and to expand capabilities in the cardiovascular drug discovery and high throughput screening domain.

Ncardia-versnelt-internationale-groei-dankzij-105-mln-groeikapitaal

© Verkijk

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Contact /Thijs Schaap Datum /
Get in the Ring the Netherlands 2017

© Marco De Swart

Get in the Ring

Get in the Ring the Netherlands is organized by the Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship (ECE) and supported by the City of Rotterdam and EY. The event took place for the fifth time in Rotterdam and is part of the Global Entrepreneurship Week, a week in which thousands of events take place worldwide that focus on entrepreneurship.

The startups are looking for customers and strategic partners for the growth of their company. ”There are a lot of opportunities for this during Get in the Ring Netherlands. The 70 multinationals and governmental organizations present are happy to be available as customers, suppliers or partners ” says Martin Luxemburg, director of the ECE. Based on requests from the startups, more than 600 speed dates with the participating organizations took place on Thursday. The effect of these conversations appears to be significant; 65 percent of the speed dates result in a follow-up conversation that in some cases even leads to a collaboration.

“It is still too early to say to which collaborations the conversations of this year will lead, but the City of Rotterdam is a nice example. Based on their participation with Get in the Ring last year the City of Rotterdam has started a project with a startup in solar panels that have been placed at test locations in the city” says Martin Luxemburg.

For the startups the speed dates were not the only activity; they were also challenged to qualify for the evening program to ascend the stage and to pitch their startup for a 700-strong audience (read: possible customers, partners or talent) in the ring. No competition without jury members, this year the Champion jury members were the founder of international software company WeTransfer; Bas Beerens, founder of scale-up YoungCapital; Rogier Thewessen, and entrepreneur Janneke Niessen.

Startups Kozie, LABFRESH en Convious winnen Get in the Ring Nederland

And the winners are…

The startups do not step in the ring alone, but will compete against an opponent in their own weightclass. Dementia technology startup Kozie took the win in the lightweight category against SeraNovo. Kozie develops multi-sensor technology that enhances the perception of people with dementia, so that demented people can recover memories from their childhood through a music pillow or music rug. The middleweight winner is LABFRESH after a strong pitch battle against Somnox. LABFRESH sells clothing of a special material that does not stain and smell. The heavyweight winner Convious offers a platform where people can buy tickets and determine the price themselves. Convious was in the ring against Felyx. The three winning startups receive a ticket to the Global Meetup of Get in the Ring. In addition, they receive 1 year access to the EY Finance Navigator. This Finance Navigator is the first corporate startup of EY and was launched yesterday during the event.

Get in the Ring The Netherlands is part of a worldwide network of the Get in the Ring Foundation, which annually organizes 150 events in 100 countries. The winning startups of all these events worldwide will meet in Cascais, Portugal, from 30 May to 1 June, during the Global Meetup of Get in the Ring. Entrepreneurs, investors and corporates can join the Global Meetup, which is entirely dedicated to establishing international connections.

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Contact /Sasja Heijman Datum /

The Dutch Life Science sector present at MEDICA 2017

MEDICA 2017

MEDICA exists for more than 40 years and attracts every year ten thousands of visitors. This year over 5,000 exhibitors from over 70 countries were represented. MEDICA presents the entire spectrum of innovations for outpatient and clinical care. The five main themes were:

  • Electromedicine & Medical Technology
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Physiotherapy & Orthopaedic Equipment
  • Laboratory Equipment & Diagnostics and Disposables
  • Commodities and Consumer Goods

The Dutch Life Science sector present at MEDICA 2017

Holland Pavilion

For the 7th time, the Netherlands was well represented at the Holland Pavilion organized by Task Force Health Care and Health~Holland. The Holland Pavilion (300 m2) provided an excellent opportunity to meet the 29 participating Dutch companies and experts from the Dutch Life Sciences & Health sector.

InnovationQuarter was present at MEDICA 2017 to speak to companies that are considering setting up their operations in the Netherlands, and West Holland in particular. Also existing ties with fellow trade and investment agencies overseas have been strengthened and new contacts were made.

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Contact /Sasja Heijman Datum /

Dutch Digital Health Mission to Silicon Valley 2017

CITRIS

For InnovationQuarter, this trade mission builds on the warm relationship with CITRIS that was concluded by the MoU in 2016. CITRIS, the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society, and the Banatao Institute leverage the research strengths of University of California campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Merced and Santa Cruz, and operate within the greater ecosystem of the University and the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley.

Dutch Digital Health Mission to Silicon Valley 2017

Digital Health Mission

The mission was kicked-off by Matthew Holt, well-known of the Health 2.0 conferences, who explained the group the healthcare system in the US and the implications for digital health companies. Several hospital visits ensured the delegation could talk directly to their end-customers and key decisionmakers. The group visited amongst others the San Mateo Medical Center, El Camino Hospital, Stanford and UCSF. Other visits included Kaiser Permanente, Launchpad Digital Health and companies active in the Netherlands such as Medisense.

The mission was closed with the Dutch Digital Health night at the Consulate General of the Netherlands in San Francisco where the companies pitched their product for a crowd of 100 internationals in the digital health sector.

Amongst the participants were the West Holland based New Compliance, Bayards, Topic Healthcare Solutions, Hippus/Handshoemouse and the Rathenau Institute.

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Contact /Hans Dreijklufft Datum /

UNIIQ_AmylonTherapeutics_Katwijkse-Ziekte-1-980x450px

From left to right: Tim de Jong (UNIIQ), Ivo de Nooijer (LURIS), Tsinat Hailu (Director nonclinical Development Amylon Therapeutics), Robert Strijk, Alderman for Accessibility, Economic Affairs, City Centre and Culture City of Leiden, Liduina Hammer (UNIIQ)

Katwijkse Ziekte and CAA

Amylon Therapeutics develops a therapy against Katwijkse Ziekte, formally called Hereditary Cerebral Hemorrhage with Amyloidosis, Dutch Type (HCHWA-D). Katwijkse Ziekte is a heritable orphan disease which originates from the Dutch city of Katwijk. Currently, there is no therapy for the Katwijkse Ziekte and there is no effective therapy available to prevent the development of the disease. Patients, between 40 and 60 years of age, suffer of severe bleedings in the brain as a result of the development of Amyloïd bèta plaques in the blood vessels walls. Depending on the location and the impact of these bleedings, they can lead to paralysis, dementia, and even death. The progression of the disease is significant: after every event, the risk of new bleeding increases and the condition of the patient worsens with each bleeding. On top of that, the moment of the next bleeding is unpredictable.

I am delighted that with its investment UNIIQ provides Amylon Therapeutics the opportunity to continue the development of a therapy against Katwijkse Ziekte and making the next step towards clinical development – Thomas de Vlaam, founder and CEO Amylon Therapeutics

Katwijkse Ziekte is a special (hereditary) variation of Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA), a disease which is known to cause multiple hundreds of thousand of patients worldwide, which are affected by or die from the consequences of CAA every year. Another difference between Katwijkse Ziekte and CAA, apart from the fact that CAA is not hereditary, is that the time of onset of CAA is unpredictable. Besides these differences both diseases are similar. Therefore a development of a successful therapy against Katwijkse Ziekte could be a promising step towards finding a therapy for CAA and potentially Alzheimer’s disease, a disease which is also characterized by the formation of plaques in the brain.

Next step towards clinical development

Thomas de Vlaam: “Due to the hereditary dominant mutation we know for sure that Amyloïd bèta plaques will be formed in the brains of patients. By using our “exon skipping” technology Amylon will be able to stop the formation of the Amyloïd bèta. If we can stop the formation of the plaques we expect to stop the bleedings in the blood vessel walls as well.”. De Vlaam continues: “I am delighted that with its investment UNIIQ provides Amylon Therapeutics the opportunity to continue the development of a therapy against Katwijkse Ziekte and making the next step towards clinical development. Until now there is no cure or therapy for patients with Katwijkse Ziekte, we strive to make a change and help these people.”

“Today we have added another promising Leiden based biotech comapny to our portfolio”, mentioned Liduina Hammer, UNIIQ Fund manager. “By focusing on the development of a therapy for Katwijkse Ziekte Amylon will solve an unmet need: there is no cure or therapy against Katwijkse Ziekte. Using the UNIIQ investment to proof its concept Amylon will be able to make a step towards clinical development”.

Amylon Therapeutics was founded by the ambitious entrepreneur Thomas de Vlaam who is supported by experienced and successful biotechnology entrepreneurs such as founder and former CEO of Crucell, Dinko Valerio. In addition, as ProQR Therapeutics spin-off, Amylon Therapeutics has the profound expertise and experience of its shareholders at its disposal.

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Contact /Gerty Holla Datum /

BioGeneration Ventures Fund III reaches EUR 82 million in final close

New investors include biopharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb, healthcare company Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc. (JJDC) as well as private equity investor Schroder Adveq, and the MAN Pension Trust.

BGV III is now one of the largest funds focused on seed investments in European biotechnology companies.

The new fund will build on the track record of the first two BGV funds which have yielded major successes. These include Dezima Pharma sold to Amgen for USD 1.5 billion and Acerta Pharma which at USD 7 billion was the largest private exit in Europe in the biotech sector to date. BGV was founding investor in both companies, which are typical examples of the biotech sector’s ability to generate so-called “unicorns” delivering outsized returns for investors.

The firm’s third fund will focus on therapeutics, medical devices and diagnostics, within Europe, in particular in the Benelux and Germany. Five investments have already been made from the fund into German immuno-oncology company Catalym, and Dutch companies Escalier Biosciences, Scenic Biotech, VarmX, and Mellon Medical working on autoimmune diseases, target discovery, haematology, and vascular suturing respectively.

Edward van Wezel, BGV’s Managing Partner said: “Over the last years, BGV has proven that investing in early stage companies is critical in developing innovative science to meet patients’ needs; it can be financially very attractive as well. We believe that support and close collaboration from Bristol-Myers Squibb and JJDC illustrate the increasing interest in early stage innovation. This also demonstrates the unique position that BGV has reached in this arena.”

Paul Biondi, Senior Vice President, Head of Business Development Bristol-Myers Squibb commented: “Bristol-Myers Squibb recognises the potential of early stage innovations emerging from leading scientific groups in the European biotech scene. We are committed to working with VC investors such as BGV who can identify the investment opportunities with the most potential to deliver transformational medicines.”

BGV operates as a joint venture with Forbion Capital Partners, providing access to the later stage perspective on early innovation and a global network of experts and pharma companies. The BGV team has broad experience in investment, life sciences, business development, and commercial operations. The team includes experienced biotech entrepreneurs as venture partners and advisors.

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Contact /Damien van der Bijl Datum /

YesDelft-en-ECE-join-Forces

With two world-leading universities on technology and business only 15 minutes apart it is a no-brainer to combine this mutual power into one programme. The joint programme consists of the existing Get Started programme offered by ECE and the Validation Lab programme from YES!Delft that have been running successfully for several years.

So what is the main difference between startups from Delft and Rotterdam? “The main difference we see is at the starting point of the entrepreneurial venture. Most aspiring entrepreneurs from Delft start off with a technological solution and seek for the right problem and market. Entrepreneurs from Rotterdam are good at building businesses, but ideas are mostly born by a personal frustration” states Martin Luxemburg, director at ECE. The purpose of the program is to guide these nascent entrepreneurs in the process of finding the right product-market fit with experienced coaches and mentors guiding them through this journey.

“If you would have taken a look at Coolblue or Rituals 10 years ago, you wouldn’t necessarily call them innovative. But taking a look at them now, these companies are leading scale-ups in the Netherlands, both disrupting their markets through business model innovation.“ This unique collaboration between YES!Delft and ECE will provide advantages for the high-tech startups to start their venture in a business-minded environment and vice versa.

EJ Lugt, director at YES!Delft sees other opportunities as well: “A potential spin-off of the program could be that teams from Delft and Rotterdam join forces. Research from the Erasmus University Rotterdam shows that the chances of success are higher when teams consist of people with different backgrounds.” Good examples are Senz Umbrella and Magnet.me, both consisting of founders from TU Delft and Erasmus University Rotterdam. “One of the side-effects of the program could be the creation of more of these mixed teams, and thereby increasing the likelihood of success of these startups. The expectation is that by educating the entrepreneurs in this way and connecting them to each other, they are better able to take on (social) challenges successfully and so contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals; one of the focus points of both universities.”

Source / YES!Delft

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Contact /Chris van Voorden Datum /

West Holland's international business community joined InnovationQuarter's LINQ

On the menu

During the interactive breakout sessions, we showcased innovations of the West Holland based companies below. Click on the company name for additional information. Feel free to contact or introduce these innovative entrepreneurs to relevant (business) contacts.

  • Laevo’s innovative Exoskeleton
  • InteSpring‘s exobuddy for military of the future
  • LetsGrow, a smart platform to analyze cultivation related data
  • AvioniCS, autopilot technology on drones
  • IMSystems, groundbreaking development in speed reducer technology
  • Indymo’s submarine drone to monitor water quality
  • VSParticle’s nanoparticles, the building blocks of the future
  • De Kompaan, craft beertasting of The Hague’s award winning local brewery

For a LINQ recap in photos, please visit our online Flickr-page.

West Holland's international business community joined InnovationQuarter's LINQ

Let’s LINQ

InnovationQuarter’s mission is to strengthen the regional economy in West Holland by supporting and stimulating the innovation potential of this unique delta region. In close co-operation with all major corporations, educational and research institutions, and government organisations, we assist and support foreign companies like yours with their establishment, business expansion and relocation plans in our region.

And of course, we maintain in close contact with the 2,200 international companies that are already established here. Looking for collaborative contacts or in need of assistance? Get in touch with our team and we’ll introduce you in our extensive network.

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Contact /Gerty Holla Datum /

Reprotracker-plaatje-980x450

Testing for developmental toxicity is a crucial part of the early safety testing of novel medicines, chemicals and personal care products. ReproTracker visualises the key events during stem cell differentiations and early embryonic development, thereby allowing reliable assessment of the potential developmental toxicity hazards of new compounds. The assay is built on the technical and scientific background on stem cell differentiation and advanced genome editing and reporter technologies that have been developed by Toxys were previously applied in our ToxTracker assay.

“At Toxys we strongly believe in bringing high quality information to our partners and clients. I strongly believe that the future for human safety assessment is not with simple tests that only provide a yes or no answers, but advanced in vitro models that provide reliable and relevant insight into the mechanism of action of novel chemicals and materials. We are committed to support our partners in understanding their latest compounds and in making the right decisions during R&D of novel products. ReproTracker is the logic next development step in broadening our product portfolio, we combine our expertise that we have developed for ToxTracker to develop an in vitro assay that provides insight into the mode of action in early embryonic development.” – G. Hendriks (CEO Toxys)

Reproductive Toxicology

Previous incidents in the early ‘50s with Softenon, that induced severe malformation in children, emphasised the need to assess whether new products affect reproduction or embryonic development. Today, the regulatory agencies have implemented testing strategies to determine safety of compounds, including developmental toxicity. Currently, development and reproductive toxicity testing (DART) heavily relies on animal testing. The financial and ethical objections as well as the limited predictivity of the animal models for human health risks demands for better DART testing strategies. Toxys aims to apply it’s expertise and technology to develop better animal-free test systems to assess the developmental toxicity properties of novel medicines and chemicals. The financing by RVO allows Toxys to accelerate the development of the ReproTracker assay.

Source: Toxys.com

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Contact /Niels Krol Datum /

Doing business in the Netherlands

Expat family: the Netherlands is the new hotspot

The business bank HSBC interviewed nearly 30,000 expats about their experiences with and wishes for working abroad. This shows that working in the Netherlands is pleasant, because there is a lot of attention for the family here.

More than three-quarters (76%) of expat parents in the Netherlands say the health and wellbeing of children is better than it was at home. expat parents also praise the quality of education and childcare, with 72% and 65% respectively saying it is better than at home.

Last year’s winner, Swedem, ranks as the secong best country to raise a family. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of expat parantes rate the quality of childcare better than at home and 71% said the process of arranging a scholl for their children was straightforward.

The Netherlands in Top 5 of most loved countries for expats

Family, money and society make happy

Furthermore, the HSBC Expat Explorer 2017 list looks at economic opportunities and whether life is also a little fun. Daily expat life within the walls of a compound is not really conducive to happiness. Being part of society and getting acquainted with locals is just as important.

The Netherlands scores high on these three criteria and is this years fifth country in HSBC’s survey, rising nine places in one year. Just behind Germany, but overtaking Canada, Australia and even Switzerland.

The Netherlands in Top 5 of most loved countries for expats

Low salaries, good career opportunities

In economic terms, the Netherlands is not doing all that bad. Starting a business is easy and is encouraged by the government. And the career opportunities in the Netherlands are good.

However point of attention are the salaries of expats. These are lower than in Thailand or Turkey, for example. Switzerland is the country for the big(ger) money, with an average salary for expats at $ 193,000.

Brexit

Due to our strict bonus policy in the financial sector, the salaries are lower here. It is a common argument why big London banks consider leaving Amsterdam  after a Brexit.

And in regards to Brexit, the United Kingdom made a free fall on HSBC’s list placed at 22 last last year. The uncertainty for expats doesn’t do well for United Kingdom’s score, positioned in 2017 at 35.

 

Source / RTLZ / Dubai Chronicle