On May 11, we will open a new voucher round through Digitaliseringwerkt.nl. This scheme is specially designed to support SMEs in the municipalities of Katwijk, Leiden, Leiderdorp, Voorschoten and Zoeterwoude in their digitization efforts. Entrepreneurs can receive up to €5,000 back from their investment.

“In recent years, our program has been very successful in supporting entrepreneurs. Therefore, we are very happy to issue a good number of vouchers again in the coming years, with the first opportunity in 2026 on May 11,” said project leader Dwayne van der Klugt.

Requesting a voucher

What is the voucher scheme?

The voucher scheme is a financial incentive that helps companies digitize their operations. The voucher can be used for a wide range of digitization projects. Think of digital marketing, such as improving a website or webshop, but also cyber security. Depending on the size of the company, an entrepreneur can receive € 1,000, € 2,500 or € 5,000. This always requires the entrepreneur to contribute at least 25% of the costs himself.

How to Apply.

Companies registered in one of the participating municipalities and employing up to 50 FTEs can apply. Applications can be submitted starting May 11 at noon via the form on the website. Should there be more applications for vouchers in the first 48 hours after opening than there is budget, lots will be drawn. In principle, the assessment will take place within ten working days.

The application itself only takes a few minutes, but some preparation is necessary. Therefore, entrepreneurs are advised to act now and prepare their application. Three coaches are available to help with this. Scheduling an appointment can also be done through the website.

Workshops and coaching

Take a practical workshop and take immediate improvement steps within your company. Choose from:

• May 19: Findable with AI
• May 26: Creating content with AI and Canva
• June 9: Linkedin with AI for your business

In addition, there are opportunities for coaching. Choose what suits you:

• 1-on-1 Coaching: The 1-on-1 course is designed for entrepreneurs who are looking for depth and want to work specifically on their digitization issue. Together with an experienced digitization coach you will work on your specific situation.
• Coaching by students: In coaching by students, you get practical support from well-supervised students from the region. For example, they will help you develop, test or apply digital solutions within your company, such as improving online visibility, deploying tools or optimizing processes.
• Long-term coaching: Long-term coaching is designed for entrepreneurs who want to tackle digitization structurally. Instead of one loose conversation, you work with a regular digitization coach over a longer period of time.

Curious about where you are now with your company: fill out the Digi-scan. After 10 to 15 minutes you will know which profile fits your company and which next step you can take. With your personal score in your pocket, we would like to help you on your way with digitization!

Digi-scan

Curious about entrepreneurs who have gone before you: read their experiences.

Why this works.

🔹 We connect knowledge and innovation with SMEs, strengthening the entire regional economy.
🔹 We create jobs close to home, reduce travel time and increase livability.
🔹 Each government euro provides at least €3.50 in value.
🔹 We are committed to future-proof business parks, strong supply chains and an attractive business climate.

What we ask of local politicians

What it delivers

The symposium “Working together on broad prosperity in Key Region Leiden” focused on the opportunities and challenges of our growing knowledge region. In the opening speech, Hester Heringa (Platform Social Domain), Wietske Veltman (municipality of Leiden) and Christine Carabain (Knowledge Center Applied Broad Prosperity) emphasized that economic growth must go hand in hand with broad prosperity: a development in which not only economic progress is central, but also the well-being of residents and a fair distribution of opportunities within the region.

On June 18, VNO-NCW Rijnland, Key Region Leiden and Rabobank will organize a Defense Summit meeting with the theme Doing Business with Defense: ‘Strong, smart and together’. For innovative entrepreneurs and SMEs that can provide a product or service to these entrepreneurs and/or to Defense. The meeting will be held at Unmanned Valley in Katwijk. Mark the date in your agenda!

Purpose of the meeting

The changing geopolitical situation and a sharply increasing defense budget create great opportunities for entrepreneurs to contribute to security, resilience and economic growth with innovative solutions. Key Region Leiden has a strong starting position where innovation power and the growing importance of the defense and security industry come together. We want to exploit that potential!

Format of the meeting

Inform, inspire and provide entrepreneurs with concrete insight into:

• Defense’s strategic needs and “shopping list,” particularly in the areas of technological and operational innovation.
• The action perspective for entrepreneurs: how do I navigate the complex Defense organization and bring dual-use innovations and technologies from idea to application within Defense?
• The opportunities for collaboration with partners within innovation region Key Region Leiden where entrepreneurs, researchers, education and municipalities work together in the fields of bio science, space tech & data and autonomous tech at Leiden Bio Science Park, NL Space Campus and Unmanned Valley.

This is what you take home

At this meeting, you will be informed and inspired, gain insight into Defense’s strategic priorities, hear how to seize opportunities as an entrepreneur and supplier in the supply chain, and meet a relevant network.

Program

• 2:30 p.m. – Walk-in: meet the innovation ecosystem
• 3 p.m. – Opening ‘Doing Business with Defense: Strong, Smart and Together’
• 3:10 p.m. – Program: from need to business including partial sessions on cybersecurity, reservists, dual-use and chain collaboration
• 5:30 p.m. – Networking with Defense, VNO-NCW and Key Region Leiden
• 6:30 p.m. – End

Sign up

Registration for this meeting starts soon. Mark Thursday, June 18 in your calendar now. Subscribe to our newsletter to not miss a thing.

• Thursday, June 18, 2026
• 2:30 – 6:30 p.m.
• Unmanned Valley, Katwijk aan Zee

Creating sensor-based impact

On June 18, we will be guests at Unmanned Valley in Katwijk. This is the Netherlands’ largest field lab for drones and autonomous tech on former naval airbase Valkenburg. Here, high-tech applications are literally getting off the ground. https://unmannedvalley.nl/

The National Science Agenda (NWA) call, “Economic Structural Change in South Holland: Space for an economy that contributes to broad prosperity,” is open from March 9. With this call, NWO (the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research) aims to contribute to the development of insights and action perspectives to support economic structural change in South Holland. This call uses a Sandpit procedure.

About the call

In the province of South Holland, there is a great need for insight and frameworks for action to accommodate economic structural change. Although the province is one of Europe’s most innovative economies, growth in the region lags behind. Also, not everyone benefits from the (broad) prosperity and the distribution of scarce space in the province leads to complex trade-offs between economic, social and ecological interests. To work towards a sustainable, future-proof and competitive economy, South Holland faces the challenge of making sharp choices at the intersection of economy, space and broad prosperity. This call aims to approach the issues integrally and arrive at a broadly supported perspective on structural change.

Sandpit Workshop

To increase the chance of impact of research, collaboration between researchers, with researchers from other disciplines and with partners such as companies and civil society organizations is needed. NWO supports the formation of a consortium by organizing a Sandpit. The aim of the Sandpit is to establish collaboration in a new partnership, resulting in a single joint application. Read more about what a Sandpit workshop entails on NWO ‘s website.

To determine who can participate in the Sandpit workshop, this program has a round of selection based on Expressions of Interest submitted by individuals. A maximum of 30 participants can be selected to participate in the Sandpit.

Budget and deadlines

The grant ceiling for this call for proposals is 2.8 million euros for one research proposal. C orinancing is possible within this call for proposals, but not required. The deadline for submitting individual Expressions of Interest is April 9, 2026. The deadline for submitting the full application is Jan. 12, 2027.

Online information session

On Monday, March 16, 2026 NWO is hosting an online information meeting for this NWA call. Those interested in this Call for proposals are cordially invited to attend the meeting. NWO will explain the purpose and design of the call and provide practical information about the Sandpit procedure. Sign up here.

Are you an innovative entrepreneur? Then this is your chance! The SME subsidy of the province of South Holland for feasibility studies into innovations will soon reopen. This MIT subsidy (MKB Innovatiestimulering Topsectoren) is intended for medium and small companies to investigate whether new ideas and plans (innovations) are technically and economically feasible. This year’s budget is: €2.7 million!

For what purpose?

With this grant you can investigate whether your innovative idea really works, both technically and financially. Think of a new technology, a smart product or a better service that contributes to challenges such as sustainable energy, health or food safety. The Province of South Holland will contribute up to € 20,000 (or up to 35% of your costs).

Who can apply for it?

Are you an SME entrepreneur with a branch in South Holland? If so, you may be eligible. You can make one application per company per year.

When applying, think of innovations that contribute to:
🔋 𝗞𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁 & 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗲: less CO₂, more renewable energy, energy efficiency.
♻️ 𝗖𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗲: resource conservation, reuse, recycling, life extension.
🌾 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘄, 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 & 𝗩𝗼𝗲𝗱𝘀𝗲𝗹: biodiversity, sustainable cultivation, water management, food security and protein transition.
🏥 𝗚𝗲𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗱 & 𝗭𝗼𝗿𝗴: prevention, smart tools, home care, labor savings.
🛡️ 𝗩𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗱: cyber resilience, maritime innovations, aerospace, high-tech operations.
🔧 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝗲𝗻: such as AI, photonics, quantum, mechatronics, semiconductors and biotechnology.

In short: innovations that link technology to social issues.

As of April 7

Do you have ideas and could use a helping hand? Then prepare your application now. You can apply from April 7 at 9 a.m. until September 15, 2026. More information can be found on the website of the Province of South Holland. Also read the assessment framework.

Key Region Leiden has received a contribution of €100,000 from the Ministry of Economic Affairs to better support entrepreneurs in our region*. The allocation from the SME Services Action Agenda will be used to improve the connection between innovation campuses and entrepreneurs and to make the knowledge present in the region more available to SMEs.

*The municipalities involved are Katwijk, Leiden, Leiderdorp, Noordwijk, Oegstgeest, Voorschoten and Zoeterwoude.

Finding each other faster

The Leiden region has a lot of knowledge and innovation, but not all entrepreneurs know how to make use of it. At the same time, entrepreneurs have much to offer that the knowledge clusters can benefit from, but these worlds do not meet enough. “We are going to strengthen the interaction between our strong knowledge economy and the diverse SMEs in our region so that knowledge, innovation and market demands find each other better and faster,” said Leonie Hussaarts, director of Key Region Leiden.

Doing, learning and improving

The approach is concrete. “We want to land more procurement in the region, create more chain cooperation and ensure optimal interaction between supply and demand. The most important thing is that we are going to do, learn from it and improve ourselves,” Hussaarts adds. “In doing so, companies must also take a step forward themselves. With interested parties, I’m happy to engage in conversation.”

Get in touch

Broad prosperity

On behalf of the region, the Municipality of Leiderdorp was the lead agency for the application. Responsible Alderman Herman Romeijn: “We are happy to get to work for all those entrepreneurs who work hard every day in and on our local and regional economy. The stronger connections will have a positive effect on the earning capacity of the region and everyone benefits from that.”

• Luister ook naar het radio-item van Sleutelstad (duur: 18 min) in het programma Kennismakers.
• And the short radio interview (duration 5 min) with Central+.

Here’s what we’re going to do

• Demand activation: making entrepreneurs aware of their future questions and helping them translate them into concrete steps.
• Making connections: better access to knowledge institutions, innovative companies and regional networks.
• Pilots and collaboration: joint projects between SMEs, knowledge institutions and government to try out new ways of working.
• Learning and adjusting: continuously monitoring what works in our region and sharing these insights with other knowledge regions in the Netherlands.

Stay informed through the project page and our newsletter. Also, follow us on Linkedin.

Effective February 1, 2026, Els Frankhuijzen started in the combination position of Program Manager / Strategic Advisor Knowledge and Innovation at the Leiden Bio Science Park and Key Region Leiden. This strengthens both organizations’ clout at the intersection of strategy, program development and collaboration within the regional knowledge and innovation system. Her arrival ensures coherence, pace and realization power.

Knowledge-intensive environments

Her natural science background (Environmental Health and Toxicology, Wageningen University), complemented by an education in Business Administration (Haagse Hogeschool), together with extensive experience in various sectors (including Life Sciences, Engineering, Chemical Industry, and Oil & Gas) forms a strong basis for building and directing complex projects and programs. As a natural connector, she established successful partnerships between companies, knowledge institutions and governments, focused on common goals and innovation.

Efficiency, synergy and continuous innovation run as a thread through her career. In thirty years, she moved smoothly between strategy, tactics and execution. In doing so, she frequently worked in and with knowledge-intensive environments including Leiden Bio Science Park itself.

Momentum for growth and development

Els’ start coincides with an important momentum for the Leiden Bio Science Park and Key Region Leiden. Both are explicitly mentioned in Peter Wennink’s advisory report The Route to Future Prosperity (December 2025). The report emphasizes that the Netherlands must strengthen its future earning power in a number of high-tech fields. Life Sciences & Biotechnology is among the four strategic key areas essential for broad prosperity, international competitiveness and geopolitical relevance.

The Key Region Leiden plays an important role in this, with a strong and internationally recognized ecosystem in terms of knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Powerful ecosystem

“The recognition of the Leiden Bio Science Park and Key Region Leiden in report Wennink underlines the strength of this ecosystem. In this position I can turn this into concrete impact for the innovation campuses, for education and business,” Els says enthusiastically. “Very nice also that I can now contribute to the region where I have lived for thirty years.”

Business development

“With her experience, connecting ability and strategic outlook, I am very pleased that Els is starting with us. She quickly recognizes opportunities in the Leiden Bio Science Park and translates them into concrete plans and programs in the field of knowledge and innovation. By bringing the ecosystem together in a focused way, she stimulates new collaborations from which companies in the park directly benefit. In addition to business development, it is about seizing opportunities in regional and (inter)national networks, so that funding lands in our region,” says Esther Peters (director Leiden Bio Science Park).

Everyone benefits

“There is a lot of work ahead that requires a concrete approach, precisely at the scale of the region. That is why we are looking forward enormously to working with Els. She helps our innovation region move forward by connecting the knowledge-intensive and local economy. In this way, as a triple helix cooperation, we are building a strong, future-proof region from which everyone benefits,” adds Leonie Hussaarts (director Key Region Leiden).

Want to meet or collaborate? Feel free to connect with Els on LinkedIn.

With the report The route to future prosperity former ASML top executive Peter Wennink sounded the alarm about Dutch earning capacity. According to Wennink, it is “two minutes to midnight”: without large-scale investments and better framework conditions, the Netherlands is at risk of losing its economic and technological lead. The report received wide attention in national media and serves as a reference point in the debate about innovation, investment climate and strategic sectors. Leiden, and in particular the Life Sciences and Biotech sector in our region, receives due attention. Important task for the new cabinet. We list it again.

Biotech Nexus

Both Wennink himself and various opinion makers and industry organizations point to Leiden as a core cluster within the national biotech strategy, including through the Biotech Nexus program. This emphatically puts the Leiden ecosystem in the picture as a potential growth engine for the economy, healthcare and innovation and as a region where national ambitions and local preconditions converge.

Investment and preconditions

Biotech and Life Sciences are crucial to the affordability of healthcare and food security, according to Wennink. The investment potential is €37.9 billion. According to top advisor Wennink, a future cabinet should focus on four lines of investment, including life sciences and biotechnology.

The report lists needed investments of 151 to 187 billion, which must come mainly from the private sector. In addition, the government must provide the right framework conditions within five years. Consider:

• simplified rules and faster permits
• sufficient talent,
• affordable and reliable energy
• strong physical infrastructure.

Biotech Nexus as multiplier

Leiden Bio Science Park took a leading role for the entire red biotech sector in the Netherlands with Biotech Nexus. This sector can become a cornerstone of the Dutch economy if its recommendations are adopted. The project proposes a boost to the entire development chain of medical biotech which could provide a GDP boost of 1.2 percentage points with 20,000 new jobs. This should ultimately ensure faster access to innovations for patients. A lot of investment is needed, but this will also pay off. Indeed, the Leiden Bio Science Park states that, on average, each public euro of investment leads to 2.5 euros of private investment and almost 2 euros of additional economic contribution.

Other proposals of the Biotech Nexus plan include a nationwide system of regional command centers, aiming at better coordination and data sharing in the healthcare sector, bio- and process technology for new ingredients, and a new generation of image-guided therapies.

Young companies

Wennink mentioned Biotech Nexus by name during his presentation. In addition, Annemiek Verkamman, managing director of Hollandbio, mentioned that Biotech Nexus drives the growth of young companies. These include:

• Improving access to growth capital,
• strengthening the utilization of scientific knowledge,
• Support of young companies by experienced entrepreneurs and investors.

Demo plants

Wennink’s opinion also emphasizes the role of biotech in the success of the agri-food and biobased sector. Among other things, he argues for:

• investments in scale-up facilities and so-called First Of A Kind (FOAK) demo plants for new ingredients,
• investment in new breeding techniques,
• investeringen in kunstmatige intelligentie en
• the further development and valorization of knowledge.

Capitalizing on opportunities

To further develop the opportunities for our innovation region, Els Frankhuijzen has started in the combination position of Program Manager / Strategic Advisor Knowledge and Innovation at Leiden Bio Science Park and Key Region Leiden. Keep following us to stay informed about her approach.

Read also: Minister Bruijn accepts Biotech Nexus report.

We would like to bring to your attention an important development in Katwijk with a major impact on living, working and business. On the site of the old airbase Valkenburg, the new residential area Valkenhorst is being built. This new residential area will have 5,600 homes and commercial and social facilities.

Living

The neighborhood will have a village character with space for greenery, play and relaxation. There will be social rental housing, free sector rental housing, affordable and more expensive homes for sale. It is not yet possible to register for a rental or owner-occupied house in Valkenhorst.

Enterprise

Valkenhorst will have its own stores, schools, restaurants and other commercial and community facilities. Are you an entrepreneur and would you like to locate in Valkenhorst? Then submit your initiative to the Rijksvastgoedbedrijf.

In the middle of the area of former Naval Air Station Valkenburg is a collection of buildings and hangars. The buildings with spaces ranging from 100 to 1000 m2 have been sustainably renovated where several drone companies and companies with sensor-related technologies have found a place. There is a test field and indoor test hall for drones, also reservable for outside professionals.

Establishment and sales

If you would like to locate your practice, business or franchise business in the new Valkenhorst residential area, the Rijksvastgoedbedrijf would like to hear what ideas you have in terms of (temporary) facilities and commercial activities. Also, if you are interested in buying land from the Rijksvastgoedbedrijf, please contact them. For further information on the sale of properties, please visit biedboek.nl.

Eli Lilly investeert €2,6 miljard in productiefaciliteit in Katwijk

Water and greenery

In Valkenhorst, water and greenery are given an important role. Creeks and bicycle and walking paths connect the neighborhood with the various natural areas nearby, such as the Valkenburg Lake, the Mient Kooltuin and National Park Hollandse Duinen.

Sustainability

Valkenhorst is becoming a sustainable neighborhood. Attention will be paid to the climate, green energy and sustainable forms of transportation. The ambition is to develop Valkenhorst into an energy-neutral area. In this way, the neighborhood itself generates the energy it consumes.

The process

The Council of State declared the zoning plan irrevocable in January 2026. This means that the legal procedure has been completed and the Municipality of Katwijk can start construction. More information with questions and answers can be found on the website of the Municipality of Katwijk.