More than fifty innovative Dutch companies (startups, SME’s and large businesses) and knowledge institutes are part of an economic mission to Boston (United States) which is dedicated to Life Sciences & Health. The participants will showcase the strength of the Dutch ecosystem to US partners and investors at the BIO International Convention, the world largest annual expo and event regarding biotechnology. Ministers Micky Adriaansens (Economic Affairs and Climate Policy) and Ernst Kuipers (Health, Welfare and Sport) of the Netherlands will lead this trade mission (4-9 June 2023) together and will meet separately with federal US partners in Washington D.C. as well.
Minister Micky Adriaansens (Economic Affairs and Climate Policy): “The Netherlands has a very blooming Life Sciences & Health ecosystem including promising startups and scale-ups who contribute to regenerative medicine for example. We are Europe’s connected Life Sciences & Health metropolis. In 2019 we’ve started to work closer together with Massachusetts to strengthen our economic and scientific ties. I’m confident that this trade mission will boost economic opportunities for collaboration and investment between US and Dutch companies and knowledge institutions in the field of life sciences and biotechnology.”
Minister Ernst Kuipers (Health, Welfare and Sport): “I am thrilled to witness the remarkable synergy between the US and the Netherlands in the biotech and med tech sectors. Our cooperation transcends borders, and I’m convinced we should intensify this relationship. By joining forces we can revolutionize healthcare through cutting-edge innovation, unlocking new frontiers in medicine. Together, we are poised to reshape the future of healthcare, empowering lives and fostering breakthroughs that will inspire generations to come.”
In Boston the ministers will attend the 2023 BIO International Convention, including the dedicated Dutch pavilion and joining side events such as various panel discussions and roundtables. The ministers will visit separately companies and research institutions, at the expo and in the Greater Boston area, that are pivotal to the successful life sciences ecosystem in Massachusetts. Together with Governor Maura Healey of Massachusetts they will host a so-called ‘Future of Life Sciences’ event. On Tuesday, June 6 this specific event will be joined by all Dutch participants of the trade mission and representatives of the US life sciences ecosystem.
The Dutch ministers will separately travel to Washington D.C. for meetings with their US counterparts at the departments of Commerce and Health and the National Economic Council. Minister Adriaansens will discuss topics such as transatlantic economic relations, economic resilience and security, (clean) emerging tech, innovation and critical raw materials. Minister Kuipers will have conversations about health care, research and the medical supply chain.
Life Sciences & Health in the Netherlands and Boston
In total 3.000 Life Science & Health research and development companies are active within the Netherlands with an economic impact of approximately €7 billion. The Dutch LSH sector received an additional boost with the relocation of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to the Netherlands in 2019. The twenty-billion-euro National Growth Fund directly benefits the sector with funding for projects as RegMedXB, Health-RI, Biotech Booster, Pharma NL and Oncode-PACT.
The Greater Boston area is the world’s capital of the life sciences industry. It’s home to more than 1,000 biotechnology companies, ranging from startups to billion-dollar pharmaceutical companies. The many world leading universities in the area give the region a large network of scientists and an excellent talent pipeline.
Source – Dutch Government