The Dutch high tech industry: a potential goldmine for innovative thinkers

Updated on 19 February 2024

If you are an innovative entrepreneur and would like to pilot your ideas in a welcoming and innovative atmosphere, the Netherlands might just be the place for you. Some of the high tech industries in this country are amongst the leading in the world, mostly due to cutting-edge research and development and highly modern facilities. Dutch technological products are highly sought after and in general exported worldwide, which makes the Netherlands a perfect base for your tech start-up.

The Dutch have proven their worth in the tech sector

The High-Tech Systems and Materials (HTSM) sector thrives in the Netherlands. Due to the creative, pragmatic and open approach of the Dutch towards high-tech innovation, many interesting inventions and solutions have been known to come from the Netherlands. This includes innovative solutions in sectors such as renewable energy, mobility, security, health and climate change. Solution in such sectors are often found via collaboration and cross-over research, which is exactly one of the traits the Dutch excel in.

Teamwork and constant collaboration are necessary elements in any rapidly changing sector, which are often encouraged by setting up specialist centers of research. One such example is the ‘Brainport region’ in and around Eindhoven, where experts in multiple fields meet to find original solutions to persistent issues. This region was even voted the World’s Most Innovative Region in 2015, and up until today the Netherlands holds the current 4^th position of the world’s most innovative countries according to the World Economic Forum.

Highlights in the Netherlands are collaborations between universities such as the TU Delft, Universiteit Twente and the Breda University of Applied sciences, which are actively involved in many high-tech business endeavors and sectors. In general, it is moderately easy to find skilled specialists as well as many interesting investment opportunities in the Dutch high-tech sector.

The Dutch high tech industry vs. the global challenges of today

The Netherlands might be a small country in terms of acreage, but don’t be misled by this. The Dutch are well-known for many world-famous inventions, ranging from the submarine and Bluetooth to the microscope, 4-wheel drive and the telescope. Next to that, the Dutch company Philips is responsible for the invention of cassettes, CD’s and even DVD’s. These are everyday objects that everyday people use, meaning there already is a rich national history regarding many entrepreneurial innovations and inventions.

Nowadays you can find a wealth of interesting companies and start-ups that focus on sustainability, cleaner and renewable energy and solutions that deal with waste. Therefore tech start-ups from all over the globe are highly sought after, simply because the Dutch believe in a collaborative effort to constantly find original solutions to new world problems. The tech market generally focuses on smaller niche markets and stands apart from the rest by focusing on technological excellence.

High quality infrastructure and computer-savvy multilingual employees

A very large portion of innovation in Holland is IT-related, pushing the boundaries in various sectors such as multimedia technologies, virtual laboratories, parallel computing and modeling. The Dutch IT-infrastructure is one of the most developed in the entire world. This enables every start-up to choose from a large pool of professionals, making it easy for you to grow your business fast. Next to Dutch natives, you can also expect a large amount of expats from various fields that can provide you with necessary personnel and assistance.

If you are interested in starting up a company in a country that excels in the development of new technologies and communication systems of the future, the Netherlands is a safe bet. Almost every sector provides room for improvement, making it easy for you to realize your ideas and plans. Intercompany Solutions can provide you with assistance from A to Z during the whole process of setting up a business in the Netherlands. Simply contact us for more information, and we will provide you with a clear quote and ample information.