Enterprise - Key Region Leiden

Strengthen entrepreneurship

As an entrepreneur, you have to deal with changes that are not always within your control. Key Region Leiden works together with entrepreneurs, knowledge institutions and governments to better anticipate this. Connecting parties creates new opportunities to grow, innovate and look ahead.

Practice

Wij stimuleren digitalisering bij het mkb met praktische workshops, persoonlijke coaching en vouchers voor digitalisering.
We strengthen entrepreneurial networks by facilitating meetings, collaborations and knowledge sharing so that companies find and strengthen each other faster.
We collaborate with knowledge institutions on lifelong development programs that match market demand. It is important that people continue to learn throughout their careers. This is necessary to remain sustainably employable in a rapidly and constantly changing labor market. Involves both formal forms of learning, such as training and certificates, and informal ways such as work experience, self-study and personal growth. Both government and companies are investing in this.
We link knowledge from research to business activity in the region. Think of knowledge and insights from the vocational schools, the lectrorates of the universities and research from the universities. In this way we bring initiatives around innovation even more in motion. This involves the renewal of products, services, technologies or processes that create value. Innovation is the driving force behind economic growth and competitiveness. There is a lot of innovative power in the SMEs in our region. We want to make the most of that.
We invest in human capital by improving the connection between education and the labor market. On the one hand, we do this qualitatively. It is about the extent to which the knowledge and skills that students learn during their education (MBO, HBO) match the professional practice. So that talented graduates are well prepared to start work immediately and know and can do what the professional field requires. And on the other hand, we do this quantitatively. This involves the extent to which vocational education trains students for the demand for skilled workers from companies (in numbers). It is important that young people receive good information about the job prospects of an education. Especially in this tight labor market.

This creates a vibrant economy in a vibrant environment for our 327,000 residents.

IMPACTFUL PROJECTS

Innovation and growth does not just happen on campuses or in large companies. In the Leiden region, growth occurs through collaboration between entrepreneurs, knowledge clusters and government. Key Region Leiden brings these worlds together in projects and meetings. This creates a strong regional network in which entrepreneurship can grow.

Ongoing

In practice

Kick-off phase

Startup & Scale-up

Ongoing

Digitization

Where knowledge and practice come together

Key Region Leiden has a well-organized network of business parks. This local economy needs space, well-trained professionals and access to innovation. The numbers show a powerful working field that we are future-proofing with our cooperation.

…. +

number of SMEs

Top 5

Number of self-employed workers

#..

Number of business parks

500+ mln

Earning power

37+ mln

economic
contribution

80.000

Employees working in SMEs

Where knowledge and practice come together

Key Region Leiden heeft een goed georganiseerd netwerk van bedrijventerreinen. Deze lokale economie heeft ruimte nodig, goed opgeleide vakmensen en toegang tot innovatie. Daar zetten wij ons voor in.

By startups we mean people who start their own business. Nationwide, a total of 253,823 startups registered with the Chamber of Commerce in 2024; 8% less than in 2023. This is the first time in a decade that the number of startups has declined.

By a self-employed person without staff (zzp’er) we mean an entrepreneur who works alone, without employees. In our region, this is a large group.

By small businesses we count companies up to 10 employees. This is by far the largest group of companies in our country: 83% (354,910) of the total.

Medium-sized companies include companies with 10 to 250 employees. In the Netherlands we are talking about 68,825 companies, most of which (56,675) employ 10 to 50 people.

42.365

On January 1, 2025, our region had 42,365 business establishments.

79%

In Leiden 79% of entrepreneurs are self-employed (national 80.2%). Figures other municipalities not yet known to us.

70 hectares

In the Leise region (excluding Noordwijk), there are 70 hectares of business parks.

10 years

The need for business parks over the next 10 years has been calculated at 47.2 to 63.5 hectares (excluding Noordwijk).

327.000

Our entrepreneurs provide a pleasant and vibrant living environment for 327,000 residents.

166.435

An estimate of the number of jobs (full-time, part-time and temporary) in our region comes to 166,435.