Many challenges extend beyond the knowledge of a single company, research institute, or cluster. External expertise is needed to develop new products, concepts, and services. Collaboration pays off.
What could be easier than collaborating within your own environment? A look at Northern Netherlands reveals that the region houses high-level knowledge on multiple themes. Strong clusters of companies and research institutions are present in areas such as water technology, healthy ageing, HTSM/sensor technology, agrifood, and energy.
Within these clusters, companies and research institutions focus on research and innovation, often in close collaboration with other parties within the same cluster. Additionally, there are significant overlaps between clusters. In popular terms: crossovers. These open new doors for the development of knowledge and applications. A key part of the innovation strength of the North is precisely based on this interconnectedness.
This insight is not new. Practice has long shown the way. Many impactful, innovative projects have been realized in recent years through collaboration between companies, research institutions, and governments from different clusters. Take the Noorderhoek district in Leeuwarden, for example. The creation of 232 sustainable homes was made possible by combining water technology, sensor technology, and energy expertise. There are many more examples. New products for disease control in potato farming and dairy farming have been developed using knowledge from agrifood, water technology, and sensor technology. Parties from the healthy ageing and agrifood clusters are addressing the increasing demand for healthier food. Knowledge in water technology and healthy ageing is being used to prevent pharmaceutical residues in drinking water. The development of smart grids for decentralized energy supply is made possible by knowledge from the sensor technology and energy clusters.
These are just a few examples of impactful topics where innovations in Northern Netherlands emerge from collaboration between clusters. But even at a national level, such crossovers can be made through collaboration between parties. Curious about the possibilities for collaboration? Contact us to learn more.
The development of innovative crossovers is so promising that it requires additional support. This is why the cluster organizations have joined forces. Healthy Ageing Network Northern Netherlands, Water Alliance, Energy Valley, and the agricultural cluster Greenlincs (represented by NOM) are working hard on the development of research and innovation within their clusters. To better exploit the synergies between clusters, they are also working together. For example, they bring companies and research institutions from different clusters into contact with one another or provide targeted support for the development of promising crossovers. They also join forces in advocating for their interests in The Hague and Brussels. After all, for them too: collaboration pays off!
