South Holland Innovative Companies Gain Access to Defence Through Regional Cooperation

The Province of South Holland, InnovationQuarter, the Economic Board South Holland, and the Ministries of Defence and Economic Affairs signed a declaration of intent today to begin a new, long-term partnership. The goal of this collaboration is to better link innovations and businesses in South Holland with the security and military issues of today.

Defense's MINDbases are strengthening regional collaboration. The RDM Campus at the Port of Rotterdam is home to the first in South Holland. YES!Delft at the TU Delft Campus is adding a second location today. These MINDbases act as hubs for connecting Defence with entrepreneurs and SMEs that have creative solutions. This makes it possible to link South Holland's innovations with actual defence requirements, facilitating quick product testing, development, and deployment.

South Holland’s Knowledge and Innovations Contribute to Dutch and European Security

The Ministry of Defence must have access to the greatest expertise and technology available in the Netherlands in order to protect the security and strategic independence of both the Netherlands and Europe. There are many creative SMEs, startups, scale-ups, international corporations and research institutes in South Holland's thriving knowledge economy. Many organisations with pertinent ideas, nonetheless, have not yet made their way to the defence sector. The South Holland collaboration seeks to address this issue.

Through the construction of new test facilities and other support for campuses and testing grounds, the province of South Holland is bolstering regional innovation clusters. The Ministry of Defence works closely with InnovationQuarter, the regional development agency, at the MINDbases in South Holland. In addition to facilitating matchmaking and investing in startups and scale-ups, InnovationQuarter also promotes the growth of innovation projects. Additionally, it aids businesses in entering global markets. By connecting enterprises, educational institutions, and government agencies throughout the region, the Economic Board South Holland strengthens collaboration.

Strong sectors

South Holland is a logical partner for the Ministry of Defence, as it is home to a quarter of the Netherlands’ traditional defence industry. More broadly, the region boasts the highest concentration of innovative companies and knowledge institutions. This is evident in areas such as the Port of Rotterdam – Europe’s largest port – the European Space Agency (ESA) in Noordwijk, and leading developments from universities and universities of applied sciences. The collaboration focuses on five key technological areas relevant to Defence: the maritime industry, space technology, cyber and quantum technology, sensor and radar systems, and unmanned systems including artificial intelligence.

Meindert Stolk, Deputy for Economy & Innovation of the Province of South Holland: "In South Holland, we have a great deal to offer Defence. That is why we are working together within the five focus areas to better position our companies and knowledge institutions and strengthen our innovation clusters. We are convinced that the additional investments in our region will not only allow us to further develop technologies and bring innovations to market more quickly, but also to contribute to the security and autonomy of the Netherlands and Europe."

Dual-use Innovations

Some innovations are used for purposes other than those for which they were designed. "Dual-use" describes goods and services that are useful for both defence and civilian applications. Technologies for safe international communication, underwater cable inspections, and quick mapping of dangerous terrain are a few examples. The South Holland partnership helps businesses identify this potential and collaborate with the Defence Department to turn it into workable solutions.

A Delft-based business called Lobster Robotics specialised in autonomous underwater drones for surveillance and inspection is a good example. Their technique is applied to offshore wind farm building and environmental conservation. But it's also very useful for learning about hazards to critical underwater infrastructure, like electricity and internet cables and pipelines.

Innovative businesses in South Holland can get in touch with the MINDbases in Rotterdam and Delft to discuss how their technology can be used to solve defense-related issues. In Eindhoven, Groningen, Enschede, and Geleen, comparable MINDbases are also operational.