This summer, millions of people are watching the World Cup. We root for a team whose players we don’t know personally. Yet we say: “We’re winning,” “We’re losing,” “We’re moving on.” Why is that, anyway?

Because people want to belong somewhere. Because we are loyal to something greater than ourselves.

That thought brings me to entrepreneurship. Because who are you actually rooting for?

For your own business, of course. That’s where your time, energy, and often even your sleep go. But does it stop there? Or do you also cheer on the entrepreneur next door in the business park? The supplier who’s always willing to think along with you? The shopkeeper around the corner? The region where you do business?

Loyalty is often seen as something you receive: a customer who stays, an employee who doesn’t leave, a partner who remains committed to working with you.

But true loyalty usually starts differently.

With giving.

By investing in relationships without immediately calculating what you’ll get out of them. By being generous with one another. By offering an introduction, a piece of advice, or a helping hand when no one has asked for it.

That might not seem efficient. Until things get tough. Because that’s when you discover what a relationship is truly worth. When a project doesn’t go as planned. When the market is under pressure. When someone makes a mistake. That’s when it becomes clear whether loyalty was a strategy or a conviction.

That’s precisely when you often see the best side of entrepreneurship: entrepreneurs helping one another, sharing knowledge, and working together—not because they have to, but because they understand that a strong network starts with strong relationships among themselves.

So if you’re watching a game this summer and catch yourself saying, “We’re in the lead,” ask yourself: Who is that “we” in your company? Because the quality of that answer may well determine the strength of your company.

This column appeared in the summer issue of Into Business. Be sure to read the previous column as well:

De regio als werkplaats en jouw bedrijf staat er middenin

During our event “Doing Business with the Ministry of Defense: ‘Strong, Smart, and Together,’” it became clear that the growing need for security and resilience is a challenge not only for the Ministry of Defense, but for society as a whole. For entrepreneurs, there are concrete opportunities: in technology, dual-use applications, supply chain, personnel, and innovation. At the same time, doing business with the Ministry of Defense requires focus, collaboration, and perseverance.

Don’t wait

The key message of the day: don’t wait around—actively seek out connections. The Ministry of Defense and the government are working on new ways to collaborate more quickly with the market and scale up innovation. For entrepreneurs, this means they must clearly translate their technology or expertise into concrete military capabilities: what problem are you solving, for whom, and how does your solution fit into the chain? Successful entrants invest early in relationships, timing, and ecosystems.

Funding and Scalability

Financing and scalability were also highlighted. Rabobank has demonstrated its role in strengthening the strategic autonomy and resilience of the Netherlands and Europe, particularly through suppliers in the defense supply chain. The example of Robin Radar showed that innovative high-tech companies can grow significantly when they respond to current needs in defense and security, but also that perseverance and dual-use applications are crucial.

Resilience

It also became clear that resilience begins with collaboration. Companies are stronger when they share knowledge with the government, industry partners, and other organizations. People also make a difference: reservists bring discipline, stress resilience, and resilience to organizations and can help companies better cope with uncertainty and pressure.

Correct route

For entrepreneurs looking to take the next steps: start by clarifying your relevance to the defense sector, identify the right path, and connect with existing networks. InnovationQuarter’s South Holland Defense Innovation Team can be reached at defensie@innovationquarter.nl. To contact MINDBase, please send an email to mindbase@mindef.nl. If you’d like to discuss reservist policy within your organization, AReS would be happy to assist you at AReS@mindef.nl.

New connections were made during the networking reception. We look forward to more great events to come! Stay up to date on new events and upcoming activities through our newsletter.

Newsletter

This event was organized in collaboration with VNO-NCW Rijnland and was made possible in part by Rabobank.

In its response to the adopted motions surrounding the Nota Ruimte, the government makes an important choice: the Nota Ruimte stipulates that there should be no net reduction of space for businesses on a national scale.

When business parks are transformed, space for activity must be compensated locally or regionally. This will more emphatically safeguard the importance of sufficient space for entrepreneurship, employment and economic development.

This is an important step.

Pressure on space in the Netherlands is increasing, and business parks are under pressure in many places from housing and other spatial claims. At the same time, #entrepreneurs need space to grow, become more sustainable, innovate and invest in tomorrow’s economy.

We are therefore proud that this principle is included in the Nota Ruimte.

Together with many partners in the Holland Rijnland region, we have in recent years called attention to the growing shortage of space for businesses and the importance of a strong spatial-economic agenda.

It is positive to see that this commitment is now being reflected in national spatial policy.

This is an important step towards a future-proof region, where space for living and working go hand in hand.

Also see our project page on:

• Business parks
• The Ruimtelijke Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij bedrijventerreinen (ROM-B).

FULL-BOOKED: The maximum number of participants has been reached.

The event is fully booked. It is no longer possible to register. Would you like to stay informed and receive the retrospective? Then sign up for our newsletter below this page or send an email to info@keyregionleiden.nl o.v.v. Business with Defense.

On June 18, VNO-NCW Rijnland, Key Region Leiden and Rabobank are jointly organizing the Defense Summit: Doing Business with Defense – Strong, Smart and Together. Led by chairman of the day Alex de Vries, crisis advisor and former journalist, we will explore the opportunities created by the rapidly changing geopolitical situation and the growth of the defense budget. These developments offer entrepreneurs new opportunities to contribute to security, resilience and economic growth with innovative solutions (dualuse).

Our region has a strong starting position here, where innovative strength meets the growing importance of the defense and security sector. During the meeting we will discuss how entrepreneurs can take advantage of these opportunities and how the cooperation between business, knowledge institutions and government can be further strengthened.

You will gain insight into Defense’s strategic priorities, discover how to apply innovations, and meet relevant network partners from the region.

Program

Notes on main program

Guest speakers: Hugo Leyte, Christine Foekens, Siete Hamminga, Rob Postma, Yorick Cramer.

Hugo Leyte, ODIN

Hugo will provide insight into how the Department of Defense is trying to strengthen collaboration with the market, thereby shortening innovation cycles now and in wartime. He himself was in the military for 8 years until an accident forced him to choose a different path. After several successes including setting up PROJAXION, which provides e-commerce solutions, he returned to Defense in 2019. Here he now leads the department that manages a public-private partnership in which at regional and national level Defense, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, ROMs, provinces and industry act together in the dual-use innovation domain.

Christine Foeke

Christine Foekens is program manager of the new National Defense Industry and Innovation Program. She will explain the operation and design of this program. She has worked at the Ministry of Defense for three years at the Policy Directorate of Industry and Innovation. Before that, she worked for the Province of South Holland for 8.5 years as team manager of Knowledge and Innovation Policy.

Siete Hamminga

Siete Hamminga is the CEO and founder of Robin Radar Systems, a technology leader in radars for small, short-range objects such as birds and drones. He received his Master of Science from the University of Twente and completed his studies in Silicon Valley. He then founded several high-tech companies, before corporatizing TNO’s radar technology into the commercial company Robin Radar in 2010.Under his leadership, Robin Radar’s focus shifted from preventing bird collisions at airports such as Schiphol Airport to protecting against drones within defense and security. A winner of several prestigious entrepreneurial awards, he won the Martin Schröder Entrepreneur Award on behalf of the Netherlands Air and Space Fund, Hamminga has grown the company to more than 250 employees and revenues of more than €100 million.Driven by the changing landscape of defense and security, he recently completed the Leadership in National Security (LNV) course. He is the author ofBeyond the Hype, a board member at the NIVD and a member of the Strategic Advisory Board of TNO Industry.

Rob Postma

Rob Postma is Managing Director of Airbus Netherlands BV, the largest aerospace company in the Netherlands. He leads the Leiden-based company with about 265 engineers in Leiden, Oegstgeest and Eindhoven. Airbus Netherlands develops solar panels, launch structures and technology for earth observation and optical communications, among other things, and is also active in sustainable aviation, safety, cybersecurity and helicopters.

Yorick Kramer

Due to geopolitical tensions, the urgency to make Europe more resilient is growing. This leads to a strong increase in defense spending, also in the Netherlands. This creates new opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs in industry. More and more companies are directly or indirectly involved in this development. What does this mean for your company? In my role as Sector Manager Industry & Defense at Rabobank, I share my knowledge and network with both clients and colleagues and share responsibility for Rabobank’s policy towards the defense industry. On behalf of Rabobank, I am active within Defport and the Expert Committee Defense of VNO-NCW. I also fulfil the role of chairman of the NVB Defense Working Group. During the session, I will take participants through my vision of the defense industry and discuss recent developments within Rabobank in this area. Topics covered:

• The strategic direction of Defense and what opportunities this presents for your business;
• How you as a company can benefit from growth in the defense sector;
• How Rabobank supports entrepreneurs working with Defense;
• Practical tips for entrepreneurs looking to start or scale up in this sector.

Break-out sessies

PLEASE NOTE: At the end of May, all participants will receive an email in which you can indicate a preference for one of the following breakout sessions.

• Digital Resilience & Cyber. Speakers: Harm Teunis, Cybersecurity Evangelist, ESET and Jamil Sosa, Lead Security Analyst, ESET
  This session will cover some of the public-private collaborations ESET contributes to, why we think these collaborations are so important, and what it has contributed to digital security in the Netherlands and far beyond. We will zoom in on a number of cases.
  

• Products & Services (dual use): Jos Maccabiani, senior business developer Innovation Quarter
  How do you take dual-use innovations from concept to an initial commercial application at Defense? In this session we will discuss which routes are realistic and how to accelerate as a company towards funding, pilots, orders and sales.

• Employees & The Reservist: Erwin Kwakkel and Martijn van Galen, advisors AReS (Reservist and Society)
  How can entrepreneurs contribute to a resilient Netherlands while investing in strong employees? During this session, AReS speakers Erwin Kwakkel and Martijn van Galen will show what role reservists play within Defense and what this means for employers in practice. We discuss the opportunities, arrangements and cooperation between business and Defense, supported by concrete examples from practice. An inspiring session for entrepreneurs and HR professionals who want to contribute to “strong, smart and together.”

Sign up

The event is fully booked! Would you like to stay informed and receive the retrospective? Then sign up for our newsletter below this page or send an email to info@keyregionleiden.nl o.v.v. Business with Defense.

Creating sensor-based impact

On June 18 we will be guests at Unmanned Valley in Valkenburg, municipality of Katwijk (next to the hangar of the musical Soldaat van Oranje). 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.

• Unmanned Valley, Marinevliegkampweg 356, 2236 ZZ Katwijk aan Zee

Update May 13: The voucher scheme is FULL. Applicants will receive response soon. A new voucher round with another 50 vouchers will start after the summer. Keep an eye on this website and the project website Digitaliseringwerkt.nl for updates.

Digitaliseringwerkt.nl

For whom is the voucher intended?

The voucher is intended for SME entrepreneurs from Katwijk, Leiden, Leiderdorp, Voorschoten or Zoeterwoude* who want to improve their business with digital solutions, for example in the area of:

• Digital strategy
• Digital marketing
• Automation
• Digital security
• Deployment of new technology such as AI.

You choose what you use the voucher for, as long as the effort demonstrably contributes long-term to the digitization of your company.

* Entrepreneurs located on the Ugstgeester portion of the LBSP may also apply for a voucher.

Practice

Height of voucher

The maximum amount of the voucher depends on the size of your business:

Companies with more than 50 employees cannot apply for a voucher. A limited number of voucher are available for self-employed individuals.

To illustrate:

• Company with 17 FTE received a voucher in 2025 and is now applying for a voucher. The total investment is € 5,000. They receive a voucher of € 2,500 (50%) and pay € 2,500 (50%) themselves.
• Company with 17 FTE has not yet received a voucher and is now applying for a voucher. The total investment is €3,333.33. They receive a voucher of €2,500 (75%) and pay €8,333.33 (25%) themselves.
• Company with 7 FTE received a voucher in 2025 and is now applying for a voucher. The total investment is €800. They receive a voucher of €400 (50%) and pay €400 (50%) themselves.
• Company with 7 FTE has never received a voucher before and is now applying for a voucher. The total investment is €800. They receive a voucher of €600 (75%) and pay €200 (25%) themselves.

Find more information on our project website Digitalization.co.uk.

Wider range

Take advantage of the offer of coaching, workshops and the Digi-scan. You can read more about it at the link below.

Welke mkb-workshop kies jij?

Colleges play a crucial but often underestimated role in the Dutch innovation system. This is again evident in a recent analysis by Birch Consultants, which mapped the cooperation between colleges and external parties. For regions like Key Region Leiden, this explains exactly why partnership with an institution like Hogeschool Leiden is so valuable. In this interview, Joeri van den Steenhoven, vice president of the Executive Board of Hogeschool Leiden, talks more about it.

99 percent are SMEs

“The analysis shows that colleges now collaborate with about 64,000 partners in practice-based research,” says Joeri van den Steenhoven. “What often leads to surprise is that 73 percent of these partners are companies. Even more striking is that 99 percent of them are from SMEs. Precisely these companies traditionally have difficulty connecting with universities and other knowledge institutions, while they do have concrete and urgent innovation questions.” According to Van den Steenhoven, this makes colleges act as an indispensable R&D partner for SMEs. “Practice-oriented research makes it possible to make knowledge directly applicable within existing companies. That is a substantially different form of innovation than focusing on start-ups alone.”

Explosive growth

Another striking result from the Birch report is the tremendous growth of the collaborative network. “Between 2015 and 2024, the number of college partners grew by a factor of ten,” Van den Steenhoven said. “That’s really explosive.” That growth contrasts sharply with the funding available for practice-based research. “Funding has only increased by a factor of three during that same period,” Van den Steenhoven said. “This means that colleges are realizing greater social and economic impact with limited resources.” This lopsided growth suggests that practice-based research deserves more attention because of its high social return. Precisely because it takes place in close cooperation with companies, healthcare institutions, governments and civil society organizations.

Knowledge transfer for earning power

According to Van den Steenhoven, the analysis shows that innovation should be understood much more broadly than is often the case. “These figures underline that valorization is not only about spin-offs and start-ups,” he says. “It is also, and perhaps especially, about knowledge transfer to existing organizations.” Precisely therein, he says, lies an important foundation for the earning power of the Netherlands. “We have almost forgotten how important it is to help existing companies innovate. While therein lies a huge part of our economy.”

Solid knowledge partner

What strikes Van den Steenhoven personally are the reactions from the field. “What I often hear is mild surprise,” he says. “Many external stakeholders had simply not realized how big a role practice-based research now plays in the Dutch innovation system.” That surprise, he says, touches on a broader perception issue. “People still too often see universities of applied sciences primarily as educational institutions,” Van den Steenhoven said. “While in the meantime they have grown into solid knowledge partners for region and business.” This underlines why collaborations like the one between Hogeschool Leiden and Key Region Leiden are so strategic: they link knowledge development and talent directly to regional (SME) issues.

From awareness to utilization

“This analysis shows how crucial practice-based research is for economic and social innovation,” Van den Steenhoven concludes. “And that awareness may still land much wider and be better utilized.”

To research report

Within our partnership, we are investigating whether a Spatial Development Company for Business Parks (ROM-B) can contribute to the improvement and sustainability of business parks or newly developed sites. The decision on this is deliberately left to the new colleges and city councils that are currently being formed.

Development of business cases

In order to be able to make a well-founded decision later on, several concrete business cases will be developed in the coming period. These will provide insight into what a ROM-B can mean, what costs are involved and what risks there are. The approach for working out these business cases has now been laid down in a cooperation agreement between the municipalities of Katwijk, Leiden, Voorschoten and Zoeterwoude. This was decided by the colleges of these municipalities on April 21. Oegstgeest is not participating in this agreement, because there are no areas within that municipality that the business cases relate to. However, Oegstgeest will remain involved in the further exploration of a ROM-B. The municipality of Leiderdorp previously decided not to participate in the ROM-B for the time being.

Complete picture

The business cases focus on existing and new locations of business parks where the market is not moving sufficiently, but which are important for the future of these areas. Think more jobs, greening and sustainability and better utilization of the sites. With the joint elaboration, the new colleges and city councils will soon have a clear and complete picture of the feasibility of the business cases so that they can make a well-informed decision about the ROM-B.

More information can be found on the ROM-B project page.

Take part in a practical workshop on digitization and take concrete steps for immediate improvement within your company. You can also make use of personal coaching and a Digi-scan: an initial online check that provides insight into where your company currently stands on the digital front. The workshops are specifically intended for SME entrepreneurs from Katwijk, Leiden, Leiderdorp, Voorschoten and Zoeterwoude who want to get started hands-on with digitization.

You can find the offer on our separate project website digitaliseringwerkt.nl.

May 19 | 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Findability of your company using AI
How do you make sure that customers find you better online, and what role can AI play in this? In this workshop you will learn how search behavior is changing, how AI can help you with findability and what concrete steps you can take tomorrow. Sign up.

May 26 | 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Creating Content in Canva with AI
Creating good content takes time. AI can help, provided you use it smartly. In this workshop you’ll get started creating relevant content for your website, newsletters and social media, with practical examples and clear do’s and don’ts. Sign up.

June 9 | 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Powerful business presence on LinkedIn with AI
Whether you’re just getting started with LinkedIn or want to improve your profile and posts, this workshop combines the basics with depth. You will learn how to use LinkedIn effectively for visibility, networking and leads, without taking a lot of time. Sign up.

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.

On May 11, noon, we will open a new voucher round via Digitaliseringwerkt.nl (our project website). 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. Please note: you will need a quote from your supplier when applying.

“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.

Website voucher application

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

View the workshops

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.

Make an appointment

Complete the Digi-scan

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!

Gan to Digi-scan

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