The Tech Champions Manifesto has been launched!

On November 4th is the official presentation to Minister Beljaerts

About

We are 10 CEO/Founders of leading Dutch scale ups that mirror the 10 key technologies of the National Technology Strategy (NTS) that are essential for the future Dutch economy.

Scale-ups are crucial in the development of these technologies but find it difficult to grow to in The Netherlands to full commercial companies. We create a voice for Dutch scale-ups to provide a sounding board to government policy making with the aim to develop new sustainable industries to improve our economic competitiveness and secure our societal welfare.

10

Key Technologies

10

Leading Dutch Scale Ups

Launch of the Tech Champions Manifesto:

Collaborating for the Future of Dutch Technology

At the launch of the Tech Champions Manifesto, we hosted an inspiring event with a diverse and influential audience, including representatives from pension funds, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and Members of Parliament from VVD, CDA, SGP, Volt, and PVV. Led by Constantijn van Oranje, our plans were met with enthusiasm, featuring powerful contributions from Ingrid Thijssen and a panel discussion with Tjark Tjin-A-Tsoi (TNO), Onno van de Stolpe (Galapagos), and Gert-Jan Vaessen (Invest-NL). Journalists from outlets like FD, BNR, and MT/Sprout amplified the message, while various VCs, scale-up CEOs, and entrepreneurs joined to support our vision.

The manifesto calls for a national strategy that enables the growth of deeptech companies, safeguarding prosperity for future generations. With the official presentation to Minister Beljaerts on November 4th, we are taking a critical step together toward a sustainable innovation climate in the Netherlands.

“As a leading European technology company, we value a strong technology ecosystem in our region. We therefore warmly support a vibrant innovation network in the Netherlands where start-ups and scale-ups can grow to achieve their full potential. The focused approach of the National Technology Strategy can help to leverage this growth and nurture the potential of these technologies.”

“A thriving start-up and innovation ecosystem is key for the future success of our economy, and it’s also essential to address our societal challenges. The Dutch technology strategy identifies clear focus areas and it’s great to see that each of them are covered well by leading start-ups and scale-ups.

“Engineering based innovation is crucial to address our societal challenges, and to safeguard our earning power. Next to existing industry, the Netherlands needs to make sure that start-ups and scale-ups can thrive, supported by excellence in technical and applied sciences, a world class research and development infrastructure, and an investment climate supporting entrepreneurship. This is what the Netherlands Academy of Engineering stands for.”

Our Ambition:

Build at least one ASML-like company based in The Netherlands in each of the 10 key technologies by 2038 (height of Dutch aging population).

Our Agenda:

Scale-ups are different to SME’s and have the following specific needs to grow.

01 CONSISTENT POLICY

Scale-ups have a long growth journey that requires consistent policy to develop supportive ecosystems. 

It is imperative to embed the NTS in the Coalition Accord, give scale-ups a structural seat at the table of developing industry policy to secure long term policies that promote scale-up development.

02 SPEED

Scale-ups need to go fast to overcome the period of more cost than revenues. 

We need a ‘fast lane’ for governmental approvals and priority access to public infrastructure.

03 RISK

Scale-up take on a lot of risk that pay-out to society only much later. 

Government should share more in this risk by providing funding, stimulating scale-up products in public tenders and offering guarantees to allow scale-up to compete with corporates.

Our Commitment:

You can expect from us that we represent broad inclusive technology categories for current and future scale-up generations to create new Dutch based industries with positive societal impact.

Key Technology champions:

Optics and integrated photonics:

I strongly believe in the value of novel technologies in solving some of our major societal challenges. Young and rapidly growing scale-ups will play in critical role in realizing this vision.

We manufacture Photonics Chips that have the potential to revolutionize the world in the same way electronic chips have done. Photonic chips enable high-speed datacom with low power consumption, self-driving cars, personal healthcare and many other applications.”

www.smartphotonics.nl

Quantum:

It’s very important that quantum computing is in the hands of the good guys.

Quantum has the potential to impact everything—from drug development to the energy transition and (cyber)security. The Netherlands can maintain its leading position in this field, provided we don’t miss any opportunities.

www.quantware.com

Green chemical production processes:

Let’s take the energy transition as an opportunity to develop new sustainable industries in The Netherlands, just like the offshore industry for the Deltaworks.

Battolyser Systems is a developer and manufacturer of an electrolyser with battery capacity: Battolyser®. The system is 100% flexible and able to follow the variability of renewable energy sources perfectly and even deliver power when there is a shortage. This way it can alleviate grid congestion and enable further solar and wind developments.

www.battolysersystems.com

Biotechnology focused on molecules and cells:

Never a pandemic again

Leyden Labs is developing nasal sprays with antibodies that target respiratory viruses in the nasal mucosa to stop initial infections and prevent transmission. These sprays aim to provide broad, universal protection against both existing and new viruses, regardless of immune history or comorbidities.

www.Leydenlabs.com

Imaging technology:

I am deeply concerned about the impending crisis of skyrocketing healthcare expenses and staff shortages.

40% of patients miss out on critical care when they need it most, leading to devastating situations for patients and family when treatment comes too late. This not only devastates families but also burdens society with massive economic costs. Our mission is to turn the tide! We provide healthcare professionals with quick, reliable access to vital information when they need it most. With our technology patients are 1.8 times more likely to live independently after a stroke, cutting societal costs by over €40,000 in just two years for each person. It can be the difference between walking out of the hospital and being wheelchair-bound. We’re here to make that difference.

www.nicolab.com

⁠(opto)Mechatronics (industrial systems/machines and equipment):

To be sustainably competitive we have to be competitively sustainable.

The semiconductor industry focuses on enabling more powerful and energy efficient computing driving the manufacturers towards smaller nodes and structures. NFI plays a key role in this transition as our M&I equipment makes the production process more controllable for smaller nodes, significantly reducing time-to-yield as well as yield loss during high volume production. 

1% fab yield improvement saves 450 tons of waste and 22.5 kWh electricity.  NFI’s M&I methods are non-destructive, eliminating the need to scrap wafers during production. Eliminating these 5%-10% scrapped (sacrifical M&I) wafers saves one 3 nm fab 60.000 tons CO2 emission.

www.nearfieldinstruments.com

Artificial intelligence (AI) and data:

With the smart algorithms of the Cradle software platform, biologists can design better proteins in less time. This ranges from effective vaccines that can be shipped without refrigeration to cleaner production of important chemicals.

Proteins are found in many of the products that we rely on, from advanced medicines like antibodies and vaccines to the laundry detergents we use in our homes. But the process of engineering these proteins in a laboratory is expensive and time-consuming.

Cradle’s software platform helps biologists to design better proteins using generative Machine Learning. This will reduce the cost of bringing new medicines, sustainable chemicals and enzymes to market.

www.cradle.bio

Energy materials:

There is a role for us, scale up entrepreneurs, to envision an optimistic future in the Netherlands, and to lead in getting shitdone to get there.

We energize batteries for progress, enabling both new product categories and reduced carbon footprint.

www.leyden-jar.com

⁠Semiconductors:

Imagine early detection of diseases like cancer, by getting an accurate scan at your family doctor, improving the patient outcomes.

Or monitoring crops for pests in real time, cutting pesticide usage and increasing yields, to  feed the global growing population.

At Axelera AI we want to make this come true by designing high performance, efficient and cost-effective chips and systems to power the artificial intelligence revolution, giving access to our technology to anyone who wants to help advancing humanity.

“I believe that democratizing the access to Artificial Intelligence will make our world a better place, improving lives of billion people and reducing inequality. I want Axelera AI to lead this AI revolution, starting from our home, the Netherlands, and making a global impact”.

www.axelera.ai

Cyber security:

I am committed to making the symbiosis between humans and machines/AI safer and more humane.

Joep Gommers is the Founder of EclecticIQ, a global provider of threat intelligence technology and services protecting the most targeted organizations against cyber threats. He can be found at the edge of cybersecurity and technology, currently researching the attack surface introduced to generative AI. 

Prior to EclecticIQ, Joep served as Head of Global Collection and Global Intelligence Operations at threat intelligence market leader iSIGHT Partners (acquired by FireEye). Having worked around the world for over 25 years, Joep has acquired a depth and breadth understanding of market demands and the Cyber Security industry. His vision of security products is informed by his experience on the front-line of cybersecurity and an ambition to re-imagine how the industry detects and responds to cyber threats.

www.eclecticiq.com

We must recognize these scale-ups as an important new voice. The new technologies they bring are key to solving current challenges.

Eline founded the TUDelft spin-off NightBalance in 2009, which Philips acquired in 2018. She is now CEO of Hybridize Therapeutics, developing RNA-based kidney disease therapies. Additionally, she is a Venture Partner at Thuja Capital, Treasurer for the Netherlands Academy of Engineering, and a member of investment committees for the Deep Tech Fund, Graduate Entrepreneur Pre Seed Fund, and the Supervisory Board of Livassured.

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