Spring has begun. With sunshine in your face and daffodils on the roadside, it creates space to look ahead. What do I want to accomplish this year?

For entrepreneurs, this is not always easy. Daily work swallows you up, leaving little time for reflection and looking to the future. At such times it is nice to have someone to spar with. But with whom?

The answer is closer than you think: in our own workshop, the region. And your company is at the center of it.

That workshop has everything you need: knowledge, talent, space to experiment, companies willing to collaborate and a network that gets stronger the more often we meet. Such a network only really works when we use it. Then new ideas arise, professionals come together and projects grow.

Does the region already work this way? Sometimes yes, but not everywhere yet. At the same time, we are in good shape: a strong economy, committed entrepreneurs, developing business parks, education at all levels and municipalities that facilitate. All signals are green.

What is still needed? That we actually start doing it.

Too often we wait for each other, while municipalities, entrepreneurs and educational institutions often have the same questions. It is precisely in the joint workshop that the solutions emerge. There are the heads and hands needed to move forward. And your company is one of them!

My call: take advantage of that workshop, in a way that suits you. Join a network, project or collaboration. Visit a meeting, listen, share, ask, contribute. From the local business association to Key Region Leiden or VNO-NCW: there is always a place to start.

Not because they have to, but because it works. Because like the daffodils in the spring berm, enterprises bloom best when they are firmly rooted in the region.

This column is the first in a series and will appear in the Into Business issue over the next two years.

In Key Region Leiden, we work daily on innovations that prove their value in practice. The region is in full swing and forms a powerful breeding ground for solutions that contribute to the future. With three strong knowledge clusters, the Leiden Bio Science Park (biotech), NL Space Campus (space technology & data) and Unmanned Valley (autonomous technology), Key Region Leiden is among the most innovative regions in the Netherlands.

First edition of Pioneers Capital Day

A great example is the first edition of Pioneers Capital Day, which will take place on April 8 at Unmanned Valley. This new event is organized by Unmanned Valley in cooperation with InnovationQuarter, Rabobank and Hogeschool Rotterdam.

Pioneers Capital Day focuses on the fast-growing market for drones, software and autonomous technology. This sector is on the eve of strong growth in the coming years. To realize Dutch ambitions in safety, agritech and logistics, more investment opportunities and a higher level of investor readiness are essential.

The program

The program (April 8, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.) offers, among other things:

• Inspirational speakers from the world of technology and finance;
• Extensive networking opportunities at Unmanned Valley’s unique test site;
• Dragon’s Den-style pitch sessions, with a financial award for the best pitch;
• Speed dating sessions for direct exposure to various forms of financing.

The event is designed for start-ups and scale-ups, industry incumbents and investors.

Key Region Leiden is proud of initiatives such as Pioneers Capital Day, which further strengthen the innovative power of the region. Find more information on Unmanned Valley’ s channels. Interested? Sign up via eventbite.

Want to know more about everything happening at Unmanned Valley? Visit the website or contact us via email.

Our knowledge region offers plenty of opportunities for SMEs. Thanks to strong knowledge clusters and educational institutions, much expertise is available, and the region is developing rapidly in the field of technology and innovation. These developments offer opportunities to make companies smarter, more sustainable and more competitive. The question is: how can you, as an entrepreneur, make the most of this? Key Region Leiden helps you do just that. We bring you into contact with a relevant network, so that you get access to the knowledge and cooperation that will help your company move forward. This opens new doors and puts you on the map regionally. By strengthening your network in the region, you will be better prepared for the future. Therefore, hook up. Follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know about all developments.

From drawing board to practice

Innovation is not only important for large companies or top SMEs. The presence of innovation also has positive effects on broader SMEs, the nurturing economy. They often act as a schanierpunt, because many SMEs are the link between knowledge and the market. How that works. Large companies and knowledge institutions often develop new technologies, but SMEs provide application, production, service and distribution. In short: without SMEs, innovations often don’t get from the drawing board to practice.

Key Region Leiden is unique because of its various knowledge clusters and cooperation with education and entrepreneurs; innovation is key here! One of our three knowledge clusters is Unmanned Valley (UMV), in addition to the NL Space Campus in Noordwijk and the Leiden Bio Science Park in Leiden, Oegstgeest and, in the near future, Katwijk.

In and outdoor testing

Unmanned Valley (UMV) is located on the former naval airbase Valkenburg in Katwijk. The infrastructure of airstrips and large hangars without pillars is ideal for indoor and outdoor testing of drones and autonomous vehicles. With the knowledge, training and activity present, UMV forms the heart of Dutch drone and aviation innovation. The cluster is a good example of how working together, driving and integrating contributes greatly to society and thus the region.

Sustainable cultivation thanks to drone and satellite data

Practical applications make autonomous tech highly relevant. For example, smart use of drones in growing flowers and crops makes it possible to investigate whether plant diseases are present. Unmanned Valley has set up exactly this project in the region. By taking drone images and analyzing them by AI, it can be determined exactly which crop is affected and needs attention from the grower. This method makes early intervention very precise and effective. Since January 2025, this Remote Sensing for Floraculture project has been running at Landgoed Tespelduyn in Noordwijkerhout in cooperation with the Economic Board Duin- en Bollenstreek, Greenport, NL Space Campus, software companies and growers.

The involvement of the Spacecluster and the NL Space Campus focuses on the collection and analysis of downstream data that will enable even better predictions. This is a great example of a cross-over between both knowledge clusters where AI and/or software development and space and drone technology manage to find each other for a concrete a valuable application.

Drones and beach safety

Another application is carried out by the Katwijk and Noordwijk rescue teams. Together with UMV, they are deploying drones as a coast guard. With the knowledge of Unmanned Valley, the rescue teams are now being trained so that they can start next summer season. The drones are used for monitoring mussels and swimmers where there is also a link to communication via loudspeakers. A great example of Science for life!

Unique test facility for autonomous flights

National security also benefits from a facility for testing autonomous flights over the North Sea. Unmanned Valley has been chosen as the takeoff and landing site for this purpose. This knowledge cluster is now the only location in the Netherlands designated as a test area for BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) flights. These flights will take place on the North Sea in the area between Katwijk and Rotterdam. This test area serves as a pilot for strengthening the safety of the Dutch coast. It will be used for monitoring, military applications, but also in inspecting offshore wind farms. A great example of dual-use.

New applications

Through the driving role of Unmanned Valley, many social applications have already been found for the use of autonomous tech that help with safety, recreation and agriculture. Through collaboration within Key Region Leiden, together with UMV, we can link autonomous tech innovations even better to the life science and space tech sectors. Think of cross-overs applications such as transporting organs faster via drones or analyzing crops in combination with satellite data.

Do you see a contribution or application for your company, industry or network? Then contact us using the button below. Subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on LinkedIn to not miss any news.

Angela Beresford (pictured wearing Phoebeees T-shirt) started Phoebeees as a creative business at the kitchen table, with a passion for workshops and children’s parties. But like many small business owners, she found that online visibility and attracting customers was a challenge. The webshop was up and running, but how do you make sure people find you and keep coming back? For this she used a voucher of Key Region Leiden, which was presented to her by alderman Romeijn.

With a voucher to digital growth

With the help of a voucher from this program from Key Region Leiden, Angela was able to bring in expertise. Together with marketing agency Danielle Social Marketing from Leiderdorp, she worked on her goals to improve her web shop, use social media strategically and attract more customers in order to increase sales and increase her brand awareness.

That approach quickly paid off: the Phoebeees.com webshop is now visited much more frequently, her social media channels are attracting more followers and interaction, and she is being asked more often for workshops and children’s parties.

Angela says: “Because of the advice, I started tinkering with my webshop and socials more professionally. I have become more visible and especially better known in the area. Right now I’m even working on putting my YouTube channel live – something that was really out of my comfort zone. “

Growth enterprise and local economy

Alderman Herman Romeijn emphasizes that digitization is an important growth opportunity for local entrepreneurs: “By making smart use of digital resources, small businesses can expand their reach and grow their sales. This strengthens not only the entrepreneur himself, but also the local economy. Phoebeees is a great example of how digitization and social media can make a business more well-known regionally. With the right guidance and use of digital tools, the step to growth is closer than ever.”

About Making digitization work for you

Let Digitization Work for You offers entrepreneurs in the region support in cashing in on the opportunities offered by digitization. Entrepreneurs can participate in free workshops, take advantage of free coaching or vouchers of up to €5,000 for projects such as website improvement, cybersecurity and digital customer interaction.

 

On December 15, together with the Province of South Holland, the Economic Board South Holland and more than 90 partners, we launched the Acceleration Program South Holland. In doing so, we are working to put the preconditions in place to unleash investment in the province of South Holland. Accelerate, Simplify and Connect is the advice.

Beneficial effects

The Acceleration Program helps to accelerate the expansion of energy infrastructure, organize space for sustainable and innovative business activity, attract and train talent, improve permitting and enable strategic investments. By accelerating together, projects can get off the ground sooner and we strengthen the economy, strategic autonomy and broad prosperity of Zuid-Holland.

Building bridges

Key Region Leiden is driving and building bridges between the knowledge economy and the region’s broad-based SMEs, the engine of our broad-based prosperity. We embrace the acceleration program because we see the importance of making targeted choices so that all the right preconditions are in place for innovation and entrepreneurship in Key Region Leiden. Together we are making South Holland ready for the future!

Joint approach

The Acceleration Program Growth Agenda South Holland is the joint approach of the province of South Holland, the Economic Board South Holland, governments, businesses and knowledge institutions to get the preconditions in place so that investments in our beautiful province will be released again. By working together faster on energy infrastructure, space, talent and strong investment proposals, among other things, we are ensuring that important projects actually get off the ground. In this way, South Holland makes a large and concrete contribution to the national goals for climate, housing, productivity and strategic economic growth.

Digitalization offers entrepreneurs in Voorschoten enormous opportunities to work smarter and more efficiently. An inspiring example is Firma Freek van Os, an installation company that took an innovative step with the help of a digitization voucher, presented by Alderman Paul de Bruijn.

Innovation in the installation world

Freek van Os specializes in water, gas, roofs, sewers, ventilation and sustainable measures. The company works with InSmart, an advanced monitoring system that remotely reads relevant values from central heating boilers via a module near the boiler. This system provides maintenance, warning, fault and advisory notifications, allowing maintenance to be scheduled more efficiently and preventing boiler failure.

The power of coupling: InSmart and ERP

With the help of the voucher, Firma Freek van Os has taken an important step: a link between InSmart and its own ERP system. Thanks to this link, the company automatically receives notifications about boilers and heat pumps that need maintenance in the near future. Normally, maintenance is carried out every 20 months, unless InSmart signals earlier. The ERP system then automatically generates a work order, which can be scheduled immediately.

Harm van Os says: “Maintenance is planned more efficiently, boiler failures are prevented and customers receive targeted energy advice. That delivers a huge efficiency gain for us as a company.”

Why is this important?

This digitization not only saves time and money, but also increases customer satisfaction. By preventing breakdowns and providing proactive advice, Firma Freek van Os contributes to more sustainable and reliable energy management.

Support from the municipality

The municipality of Voorschoten welcomes such initiatives. Alderman Paul de Bruijn emphasizes, “Digitization is an important driver for innovation and sustainability. Companies like Firma Freek van Os show how technology can contribute to better service and future-proof business operations.”

With this approach, Firma Freek van Os is an inspiring example for other entrepreneurs in Voorschoten: digitization works!

A company website is the company’s online business card. Therefore, it is crucial to keep it up-to-date so that potential customers can immediately see what the company stands for. Using a digitization voucher from Key Region Leiden, Wouter van den Aarsen of Palfinger invested in a new website that not only increases visibility, but also improves security levels and is ready for AI integration.

Increased online visibility and ease of use

“Our new website is a big step forward,” says Van den Aarsen. “We operate in an innovative and technical sector, and our old website did not do justice to that. Thanks to the voucher, we now have a modern, user-friendly site that reflects our identity much better and is also ready for future digital applications such as AI.”

Municipality supports digital growth

The voucher was presented to Palfinger by Alderman Paul Olthof of the municipality of Zoeterwoude. “It is great to see that Palfinger is investing in digital visibility and security. The new website is therefore a valuable step towards a future-proof company,” Olthof said.

Digitization offers opportunities

“Investing in digitalization is essential for the success of entrepreneurs,” Olthof says. “As a region, we are happy to contribute to this. With initiatives such as the digitization voucher, we make companies and our municipality stronger and future-oriented.”

Entrepreneurs who want to work on digitizing their business can apply for a voucher or participate in workshops organized together with business associations. These associations, like the municipality of Zoeterwoude, are project partners in this initiative.

Apply for a voucher yourself?

Do you also want to work on digitizing your business? Apply for a voucher from Let digitalization work for you, an initiative of Key Region Leiden. “In October, the new voucher round will open. Schedule a coaching session now via the website to prepare your application,” says project leader Dwayne van der Klugt. “And be quick in October, because gone is gone!”