Foreign Investments Europe Investment opportunities Life Sciences & Health/Medical technology

Life Sciences & Health/Medical technology

The Life Sciences & Health sector (including Medical technology), is developing at a rapid rate. It is with good reason that more than 20% of employment in the northern region is linked to the health care economy. Within the world-class knowledge infrastructure, a large number of Contract Research Organizations, excellent top-quality facilities and the availability of qualified personnel make a huge contribution to the better use of new technologies and the development of new applications.

In the coming years, the emphasis will be on Healthy Ageing. The Northern Netherlands has the ambition to develop into a world leader in the area of healthy and active ageing, and therefore the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Groningen University and the northern acdemia are building on the future of health in close cooperation with business and governments. Two examples include ERIBA and the LifeLines project.

ERIBA is a research institute where top scientists and their research groups carry out fundamental research into the ageing process and its corresponding diseases. At this moment 9 groups with top scientists focus on leading-edge research into the biology of ageing.

LifeLines, the long lasting research programme
People are living longer, but how can they stay healthy for a longer part of their life? Why does one person develop a chronic disorder in his thirties, while another becomes ninety without any problems? By monitoring 165,000 people within 3 generations over at least a 30 year period of time, LifeLines aims to provide answers to these questions. The more data that can be collected, the bigger the wealth of information producing new insights and solutions. This will offer great opportunities for the pharma industry as well as for the food industry.

Healthy Ageing Campus Netherlands
The Healthy Ageing Campus Netherlands is more than a physical location. It is built on knowledge, capital and enterprise. These elements are the foundation for fundamental breakthroughs and innovations in Food & eHealth, Biomedical Technology and Pharma. These elements will contribute to Healthy Ageing: helping people to look forward to a healthier old age and enabling them to continue playing an active part in society.

The mission of the Healthy Ageing Campus Netherlands is to realize innovations and business by stimulating and facilitating the interaction of enterprise and research, in order to optimize the life path and enable people to continue participating in society for longer. The critical success factors of the Healthy Ageing Campus Netherlands are: excellent fundamental knowledge, sound business propositions and excellent facilities.

Medical technology companies in the Northern Netherlands
PendraCare, IMDS,  Abott Medical Optics, Ophtec, Menicon, PRA International Early Development Services, QPS Netherlands, Syncom, BD Kiestra, PerkinElmer, Alvimedica, DSM Biologics, Astellas Pharma Europe.

Knowledge institutes/related institutes
UMCG, Groningen University, Hanzehogeschool Groningen, Noordelijke Hogeschool Leeuwarden, LIMIS, Healthy Ageing Network Northern Netherlands (HANN), European Research Institute on the Biology of Ageing (ERIBA).

Contact
For more information please contact Gerard Lenstra: lenstra@nom.nl  or  +31 (0)6 53 40 66 02.