This morning Constantijn van Oranje, Special Envoy at Techleap, presented the research report State of Dutch Tech to Secretary of Economic Affairs Micky Adriaansens. He provided a comprehensive overview of the current state and future outlook of technology investment and development in the Netherlands, reflecting broader trends across Europe.
Van Oranje began by acknowledging a decline in investment following the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that the situation has since stabilized, returning to pre-pandemic levels. However, he pointed out ongoing challenges in the labor market, particularly in filling tech jobs with domestic talent, necessitating reliance on foreign capital and international talent.
He emphasized the importance of three main issues facing the Dutch tech sector: talent acquisition, access to growth capital and co-investment, and the impact of an overburdened regulatory environment. These topics, he noted, are critical to the sector’s development and were also discussion points at the event.
Van Oranje also highlighted certain investment categories where the Netherlands stands out, including health, food, and semiconductors. He referred to these as deep tech sectors, which are vital to the country’s technological advancement. Despite experiencing a ‘unicorn drought’ and a slowdown in initial public offerings (IPOs), he noted positive developments in 2024, including the emergence of new unicorns.
The involvement of universities in spinning out companies was also lauded as a growing phenomenon, leading to the development of more knowledge-intensive enterprises. Van Oranje expressed optimism about the Dutch tech industry’s prospects, emphasizing the country’s achievements in nurturing homegrown companies and gaining international recognition.
He also highlighted the geographical spread of technology development across the Netherlands, indicating a trend towards regional specialization in tech. This decentralization is seen as a positive sign of the tech industry’s robust and diverse growth throughout the country.
In conclusion, Van Oranje looked forward to the future, pointing out that the Dutch government’s new tech strategy aims to position the Netherlands strategically in global markets. The strategy prioritizes identifying and developing new growth markets and creating jobs relevant to future needs. He invited a government minister to join him on stage to discuss a comprehensive report on the strategy, underscoring the collaborative effort between industry and government to advance the tech sector in the Netherlands.
