Workshop at Heineken: Specific Questions, Collaborative Solutions

Research, education, and innovation are thriving in our region. Yet these sectors do not always naturally find common ground. To change that, Key Region Leiden and Heineken organized their first joint workshop. The goal: to explore, based on concrete questions from real-world practice, how government, education, and entrepreneurs can better support one another.

The meeting focused on three main themes: unmanned systems, education and the skilled workforce of the future, and a joint research agenda. In various working sessions, participants identified existing initiatives, shared ambitions, and new opportunities for collaboration.

Technology only gains value when put into practice

The region has a wealth of expertise in areas such as digital twins, robotics, and autonomous systems. The challenge lies not so much in the technology itself, but in how companies can gain faster access to testing environments, expertise, and collaboration partners. The next step has already been taken: Heineken and Unmanned Valley are jointly exploring opportunities for further collaboration.

Lifelong learning as the key to the job market

The labor market was also discussed at length. The participants agreed that the solution to labor shortages goes beyond simply increasing the number of new hires. Organizations must evolve into places where employees can continue to develop their skills. In the coming period, mboRijnland and Heineken will further explore how educational programs and real-world needs can be better aligned and how to increase the number of people entering technical and innovative professions.

Working Together on Regional Challenges

The session also underscored the importance of a joint regional research agenda. By focusing on societal issues (such as health and overall well-being), businesses, educational institutions, and the government can better pool their knowledge and achieve an impact more quickly.

That is why Key Region Leiden will soon be organizing a follow-up meeting with, among others, Leiden University, Leiden University of Applied Sciences, mboRijnland, and regional companies. The goal: to jointly select a specific issue and get started on it right away.

The meeting at Heineken showed that the region has all the ingredients for a strong innovation ecosystem. With the next steps, we’ll turn this into concrete results. Want to stay informed? Subscribe to our newsletter.

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