Selection of publications

This report presents the results of an in-depth investigation of the cleantech innovation ecosystems of Rotterdam/South-Holland and Flanders. The study, commissioned by the municipality of Rotterdam, was aimed at understanding the effectiveness of recently conducted European projects to stimulate cleantech innovation.

This research monitors the startups and scaleups within the innovation ecosystem of the Metropolitan Region Rotterdam The Hague (MRDH), with specific insight into the progress, gaps and opportunities of the innovation ecosystem.

The European ScaleUp Monitor 2020 studies the scaleup landscape in Europe. The report centralises expert knowledge around opportunities, challenges, best-practices and other notable elements of scaling-up and the emergence of scaleups in European countries as well as regional ecosystems. 

The ScaleUp Dashboard is one of our annual research publications around scaleups in the Netherlands. In this report, we analyse the latest developments of the Dutch scaleup ecosystem up to 2019. 

For AWTI, we investigated the critical factors that contribute to the development and growth of knowledge-intensive start-ups in the Netherlands. Specifically, the research is designed around policy implications. In other words, we first identified potential areas of improvement that could be affected by government intervention in the field of knowledge-intensive start-ups. Then, we studied the creation and enhancement of (university-centered) entrepreneurial ecosystems. Read here a summary of the main results about knowledge-intensive start-ups in the Netherlands.

Together with Panteia, we conducted a qualitative evaluation for the RVO on the participation and impact on high-tech start-ups from participating in EUREKA instruments. EUREKA is a publicly-funded, intergovernmental network established in 1985 and involving 45 countries. EUREKA’s aim is to enhance European competitiveness. They do this by fostering innovation-driven entrepreneurship in Europe, between small and large industry, research institutes and universities.

Every year, the Top250 Scaleups is published in collaboration with nlgroeit. This list is based on the ScaleUp Dashboard and gives insights into which companies truly belong to the top of scale-ups.

To gain more insight into the brands, models and / or patent applications of fast-growing companies in Netherlands, we conducted a research for the Netherlands Patent Office. This study provided insights into the IP applications (over the past 10 years) from scale-ups of our ScaleUp Dashboard. More specifically, we focusen on the Top250 scaleups (fast-growing companies) in our country.

On behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK), we researched the Dutch SME financing market. Together with research centre Dialogic and Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University we researched the extent to which the current financing instruments and Ministry’s policy still fits in with the current development and needs of the SME financing market.

The ScaleUp Dashboard is an annual research that answers various questions surrounding the phenomenon of scale-ups. How many scale-ups does the Netherlands have and what is the impact of these fast-growing organisations in terms of job creation and the Dutch economy? In collaboration with Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, we answer these questions and map the landscape of Dutch scale-ups.

On behalf of nlgroeit we conducted a research on the effectiveness of mentoring programmes in general and specifically how nlgroeit’s mentoring programme is experienced by the participating entrepreneurs. To answer these questions, we conducted a literature study into the effects of mentoring and analyzed more mentor conversations and interviews with mentors and companies / mentees.

On behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK) we evaluated multiple policy instruments for Dutch SMEs. In the evaluation we analysed in which extend those instruments where effective. Instruments we evaluated are the following:

• SEED Capital regulation: focuses on Techno startups who experience difficulties on raising investments.
• Groeifaciliteit helps companies to raise risk capital to stimulate innovative and sustainable entrepreneurship, they do this by offering guarantees on for example bank loans.
• Dutch Venture Initiative is a fund-of-funds initiative that aims at investing in fast growing and/or innovative companies.

The research ‘Business Angels in the Netherlands’ is an exploratory research in commission of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK). The goal of the research was to get insight in the nature and  size of the Dutch Business Angel market. With special attention on their role in the ecosystem of startups and Scale-ups in the Netherlands. A well-functioning capital market is vital for further stimulating and facilitating entrepreneurship in the Netherlands. Business angels, also known as wealthy (retired) entrepreneurs who not only invest in early stage companies but also use their network and experience to provide strategic guidance, make a significant contribution to the widening of the funding offer. This will reduce dependency on bank financing, improve access to capital and help startups make the next steps faster.