Delft and Westland once again the strongest ecosystem for entrepreneurship

In the tenth edition of the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Index, Delft and Westland are once again at the top. The region thus retains the top position as the strongest ecosystem for entrepreneurship in the Netherlands, a position it has held since the index was launched.

Delft and Westland are followed – by a considerable margin – by the regions of South-East North Brabant and Greater Amsterdam. Our region owes its leading position primarily to the high level of involvement in innovation projects and the connectivity of businesses within knowledge networks. There also appears to be a strong correlation between the presence of start-ups and the quality of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The power of collaboration
The fact that Delft is once again at the top underlines the power of collaboration between knowledge institutions, start-ups, scale-ups, businesses, investors and public partners in the region, says Kenneth Heijns, director of the Innovation & Impact Centre at Delft University of Technology. “The fact that we are number one once again is great news and a recognition of everyone who contributes to this on a daily basis.”

Towards the top of Europe
Heijns: “It’s great to be among the best in the country, but we also measure ourselves against the best in Europe. And we still have some way to go there.” When it comes to value creation through spin-offs, for example, TU Delft ranks fifteenth in Europe. “To boost the future earning potential of the Netherlands and Europe, we must pull out all the stops, as Draghi and Wennink have also noted.”

Policy tool
The Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Index is compiled annually by Utrecht University and Birch. It compares entrepreneurial ecosystems in the Netherlands on the basis of a number of indicators. This provides an objective basis for measuring, comparing and monitoring ecosystems over time.