Jan Bart van der Plas, chairman Katwijk Entrepreneurs Association (KOV)
“By working together in the region, you are stronger. The Katwijk Entrepreneurs Association also has “Together for added value” as its slogan. We already do that well at the local level. On a regional level, this is good for regional marketing, for example: we have the sea, Leiden the old city and the Bulb Region the flowers. You can shout how important you are on a postage stamp, but we are one area. Then it is better to act together.
The most fundamental thing about Key Region Leiden is that the three O’s – entrepreneurs, government and education – look to the future through a common lens. After all, they each speak a different language. By working together structurally, you understand each other better.
Another advantage of this form of collaboration is that the lines of communication are short. This is useful for cross-local issues. That way we know who is who and you can reach each other quickly when there are interests that transcend the local.
The added value is that we look to the future through a common lens.
Whereas the Leiden region has many knowledge institutions, we have a lot of entrepreneurship to offer, with internships especially for workers with handy hands. They do the work for which there is a great need today, as well as in the future, enter the work early on and continuously train for it. With the knowledge and expertise in one region, you can strengthen each other.
For us, though, it is crucial that results follow. Key Region Leiden projects must have heads and tails. It should not be primarily a directors’ meeting. Within Key Region Leiden, the right factors, people and collaboration opportunities are present regionally to make projects a success.”