Provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel

East Netherlands is ‘Smart & Healthy.’ A large number of education and research institutes as well as companies in our region are leaders in Europe when it comes to innovations in the sectors Agro-Food, Life Sciences & Health, High Tech Systems and Materials, Energy and Environmental Technology. But what truly sets East Netherlands apart from other comparable regions in Europe? The Innovation Profile East Netherlands gives us the answer.

The two flagships of East Netherlands

The Innovation Profile is organised under two ‘flagships,’ each with three separate focus areas. Companies and other organisations that choose to develop innovations under either one of these two headers can count on strong support and profiling in front of the EU. They will be the embodiment of the power of innovation in East Netherlands.

• CONCEPTS FOR A HEALTHY LIFE
• SMART AND SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRIES:

The strength of the manufacturing industry in East Netherlands is not to be underestimated. Industrial activities, especially in the areas of sustainability combined with cooperation up and down the value chain, make our region a strong leader for developing towards a true ‘Smart Industry.’ The business community, government institutions, institutes of research and higher education, as well as respective partners, all work together on executing the Action Agenda Smart Industry East Netherlands (BOOST). This cooperation has resulted in innovations that are clearly focused on common European topics, such as the ‘circular economy’ and ‘digital society.’

The three focus areas within Smart and Sustainable Industries are:

1 Smart Manufacturing and Materials: development and application of materials on a molecular and nano-scale;

2 Smart Food Production: producing healthy food without damaging the environment;

3 Bio-based Production: sustainable use of natural resources for manufacturing and energy production.

BOOST-programme

For the Manufacturing industry the regional governments and industry associations, together with industry and Oost NV have launched a specific regional programme under the heading of Smart Industry. This is the “Boost-programme”.  BOOST is part of the national smart industry initiative. The objective is to see to it that the SMEs in the region acquire smart industry competencies and remain in the forefront of European manufacturing industry. The Boost-programme consists of measures in fields such as:

1. New Business
   • Business model innovation
   • International business development
2. New Technology
   • Advanced Production Processes; o.a. design of complex systems, such as mechatronic-,industrial robotics- and cyber physical systems. 3D printing
   • Agile demand driven manufacturing; design and realization of highly customized products and services with a framework of adaptive and robust automation. Simulation, virtualisation and the use of augmented reality. Cyber security.
   • Embedded Intelligence; internet of things, cyber physical systems, data management
3. New Skills
• Workflow agility
• Developing future employee skills
• Human centred manufacturing

We drive the SME participation in the BOOST-programme. We know the top of the bill innovative SME companies. BOOST consists of 5 action lines:

• Improving smart Industry awareness
• New business development
• Appling new technologies
• Field labs for pilot lines and demonstration and experimentation of new products and processes
• New skills development

Supporting policies

Province Noord-Brabant; The Brainport Region/ The Netherlands