North Brabant continues to grow and is committed to social transition

North Brabant remains one of the strongest provinces in the Netherlands, according to the 2023 report of the Brabant Development Company (BOM). With an economic growth of 1% – the national average is 0.1% – and a focus on social transition, the province has managed to maintain its success; despite the challenging geopolitical situation and disruptions in global supply chains. The Netherlands also suffered from a tight labor market, lagging digitalization and problems with nitrogen and grid congestion. Southeast Brabant is good for a growth of 2.2%, which can mainly be attributed to ASML and its supply chain.

The themes that the BOM deals with include health, climate, nutrition and technology. “The themes… are more relevant than ever. Accelerating innovation and entrepreneurship is now the key to solutions for various challenges. This creates an impact, not only for Brabant, but also for the Netherlands and beyond,” says Brigit van Dijk – Van de Reijt, CEO of BOM.

More collaboration, more impact

BOM focuses on regional and national cooperation with governments, companies and knowledge institutions to achieve better results. The collaboration with Philips, DeepTechXL and Invest-NL in the HealthTechXL startup program is an example of this.

In 2023, the BOM celebrated its 40th anniversary. The organization initiated 26 new ecosystem projects, invested in 52 new and follow-on ventures and expanded its reach with 20 international offices. Six of the nine applications for the National Growth Fund in which the organization participated were approved. The BOM also played a crucial role in promoting Smart Energy Hubs, crucial for easing network congestion.

Furthermore, Dealroom.co recognized BOM as the most active investor in Dutch startups and scale-ups. This is partly due to successful exits such as the sale of Synaffix to Lonza. Internationally, the BOM led impactful delegations, such as the Medtech excursion to Minnesota and the high-tech mission to Vietnam and Malaysia. These efforts have led to new relationships and business opportunities for participating companies. In addition, the BOM’s ‘Brabant is Bright’ strategy has earned the prestigious fDi award from The Financial Times for stimulating growth in medium-sized regions.