The Tech Champions Manifest Highlighting Support for Deep Tech

Yesterday was the launch of the Tech Champions Manifest at Nieuwspoort in The Hague. A packed hall included representatives of pension funds and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, MPs, journalists, VCs, and scale-up CEOs. Our director Esther Peters also attended this launch.It was an important occasion where Royal Highness Constantijn Van Oranje-Nassau highlighted the urgent need for action to support Dutch deep-tech scale-ups.

How can we ensure the Netherlands stays competitive on the global stage?Compared to the US, Dutch deep-tech scale-ups are growing four times slower and have a ten times lower success rate to become a long-term stable player, indicating a pressing need for improved support and infrastructure to regain a path to competitiveness; the Netherlands needs to develop an integrated tech and business climate vision.

Key leaders in biotech, based at Leiden Bio Science Park, including Onno van der Stolpe, founder of Galapagos and board member at Leyden Labs; Koenraad Wiedhaup, CEO and Marieke van der Lans, CFO of Leyden Labs; and Eline van Beest, CEO of Hybridize Therapeutics, were part of this critical conversation. Christian Rood, CEO of LeydenJar and one of the Tech Champions couldn’t attend. Ingrid Thijssen, Chair of VNO-NCW, also addressed the importance of investment in deep tech scale-ups and an integrated tech and business climate vision necessary for our economic growth and the future development of the Netherlands and Europe.

The Tech Champions Manifest was presented by Tech Champions, representing scale-ups based on the National Technology Strategy (NTS) and its crucial technologies. A great initiative, laying out clear and urgent steps for the Netherlands to regain its competitive edge. It emphasized the importance of creating a stable environment through consistent long-term policy to foster innovation, the need to move faster in supporting scale-ups, ensuring they can thrive and expand in an increasingly competitive global market. Finally, the manifesto calls for a united approach to risk, where public and private sectors work together to accelerate growth and innovation.

Leiden Bio Science Park, as The Netherlands No 1. hub for Life Sciences and Health, supports this manifesto and will be at the forefront of these developments, driving advancements in biotech that will shape the future of health.Let’s strengthen forces to support deep tech developments that improve our economy and our lives!