Thank you, aldermen!

During our Summer Event, held in honor of Key Region Leiden’s first anniversary, we bid farewell to several dedicated aldermen. With a heartfelt “thank you,” they received a flourishing ecosystem from Director Leonie Hussaarts, symbolizing the network they have helped build so effectively.

We would like to thank each and every one of them for their vision, courage, and enthusiasm.

• For no less than 8 years, Jacco Knape was closely involved, on behalf of the municipality of Katwijk, in economic cooperation in the region, and he gave a tremendous boost to the development of Key Region Leiden!

• Paul Olthof: coming from a small community, he’s good at thinking big, always keeping the importance of entrepreneurship firmly in mind.

• Herman Romeijn; a connector and dedicated leader, particularly in the area of digital transformation for small and medium-sized businesses.

• Pieter Varekamp; passionately committed to fostering innovation in the region to improve our earning power.

We look forward to working (again) with the new aldermen: Wouter Jan Vroegindeweij of the municipality of Katwijk, Freddy Blommers of the municipality of Leiderdorp, Elfred Bus of the municipality of Oegstgeest, Angelique Beekhuizen of the municipality of Zoeterwoude, Esther Mieremet from the municipality of Voorschoten, and Pim van Strien from the municipality of Noordwijk.

We wrapped up the afternoon on the rooftop terrace at PLNT Leiden, our new office at Langegracht 70 in Leiden, where we recently moved. Want to stay updated? Sign up for our newsletter.

Economic Growth and Broad Prosperity

During the afternoon, partners and stakeholders also attended an informative presentation by Otto Raspe, chief economist at RaboResearch, on economic growth and overall well-being in the Leiden region and the Duin- en Bollenstreek.

The message was clear: every region has its own dynamics. Regional cooperation is essential for capitalizing on opportunities.

Sterk in brede welvaart, zoekend naar groei: inzichten van Otto Raspe voor Key Region Leiden

The presentation thus once again made it clear that Key Region Leiden can fulfill precisely that connecting role. The collaboration between entrepreneurs, educational institutions, and government agencies is now firmly established.

With the following program areas:

• Strengthening the Innovation Region,
• Future-Proof Entrepreneurship and
• Space & Preconditions

Our agenda aligns well with the recommendations from the study. The foundation has been laid; now it’s time to further translate our shared ambitions into action.

The Key Region Leiden Foundation strengthens the regional knowledge and innovation ecosystem, thereby contributing to broad-based prosperity. As an independent catalyst, we create the right conditions, support both the broader SME sector and knowledge clusters through targeted programs, and accelerate innovation through smart crossovers and collaborations. We represent the region at relevant forums and serve as a dialogue partner with a mandate to engage with governments and businesses.