Life sciences gateway to Europe
Great business climate + strong biotech cluster = business acceleration
The Dutch Life Sciences Cluster
The Dutch life sciences sector exists of some 900 companies and employs over 55,000 people. There is a strong research infrastructure consisting of 12 universities, 8 university medical centers and world-renowned research institutes such as the Netherlands Cancer Institute and the Hubrecht Lab. Combine this with the strategic location, competitive fiscal climate, superior logistics infrastructure, and the presence of the major contract research organizations and it is clear that the Netherlands provides a perfect life sciences gateway to Europe.
Cooperation is in our Genes: Strong Research and 
Development Infrastructure
The Dutch government actively supports and co-funds a research and development infrastructure where people and ideas from academia and industry come together. The business community, knowledge centers and government agencies have combined forces to create high quality research in the Life Sciences. Together they have invested over 1.5 billion euro in the life sciences through public private partnerships. The three pillars of the Dutch Life Sciences and Health program are:
These pillars have been able to draw from a wealth of basic research that has been generated by other partnerships such as the Netherland Genomics Initiative. These investments have given the industry a strong boost and created over 100 separate projects.
 Areas of Expertise
The Netherlands excels especially in cardiovascular diseases, oncology, neurosciences, infectious diseases and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. As a result of the high quality university medical centers, universities of technology and companies such as Philips it has also developed a high level of expertise in medical technology, clinical research and diagnostics.
Perfect Breeding Ground
Add to the above the rich collections of patient samples, medical databanks, patient cohorts, and a highly skilled talent pool and it is clear that the Netherlands is a perfect breeding ground for life sciences. As a result, the Netherlands is home to established companies such as Philips, DSM, Merck and Amgen. Here is a partial list of North American life science companies that have established operations in the Netherlands. Select any highlighted company for a case study on why they did:
More than three-quarters of medical device makers go overseas first when launching new products, according to researchers at Northwestern University. High costs, long review times and increasing unpredictability led more than three-quarters of medical device makers to seek overseas regulatory approval before launching a bid for FDA clearance, according to the largest-ever survey on the 510(k) review process. Read more.
Map of the Dutch Life Sciences Sector
The Life Sciences & Health website offers guidance to the Dutch Life Sciences landscape for entrepreneurs, international companies, investors and life sciences professionals and instant access to all that the Dutch life sciences sector has to offer. Click here to search the interactive company database containing hundreds of companies and research organizations working in health, medical technology, agro-food and industrial biotechnologies and find out where they are located in the Netherlands.
In February 2013 the European Lead Factory launched with locations in Leiden and Brussels. This drug discovery platform - a public-private partnership set up under the EU’s Innovative Medicine s Initiative (IMI) - works to enhance early drug discovery and development.
The Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency
With 30+ years of experience the NFIA, an operational unit of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation and Agriculture, can play a valuable role for companies in their investment decision making process. The NFIA is a pivotal advisor when considering an improvement to sustain their pan-European business success. Our services are rendered free of charge, without obligation and on a confidential basis. |
