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/

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.

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.

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.

The successful program for stimulating digitization in small and medium-sized businesses in the Leiden and Katwijk region is getting a sequel. Key Region Leiden, in cooperation with the province of South Holland, the participating regional municipalities and the regional entrepreneurs’ associations, will again offer the project under the name Digitaliseringwerkt.nl. Entrepreneurs can count on practical support, inspiration and concrete help over the next three years to make their business digitally future-proof. From first steps in online visibility and cyber resilience to applying data, online working and artificial intelligence (AI).

Concrete steps

Since 2021, more than 1,800 entrepreneurs have already been helped with workshops, vouchers and customized advice. Demand continues to grow; meetings are often full and vouchers are quickly sold out. In the next phase, the offering will be expanded to include additional focus on digital marketing, strategy and security as well as in-depth sessions for entrepreneurs who want to get started with advanced technology.

‘Entrepreneurs do not want thick reports but concrete steps that have an effect tomorrow,’ says Willem-Jan Zirkzee, board member of Key Region Leiden and chairman of Ondernemend Leiden. ‘With this offer we really make digitization work for SMEs. The previous project period proved that.’

In de praktijk

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!