The Netherlands’ biotech scene: The country sets its sights on becoming a global leader by 2040

With one of the most densely concentrated life sciences and biotech ecosystems in Europe, the Netherlands is home to numerous biotech and pharmaceutical companies, and also happens to be the headquarters of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which is now based in Amsterdam after it had to move out of London when the U.K. voted to leave the European Union (EU). As the Netherlands now sets its sights on becoming a global biotech leader by 2040, we take a deeper look at the country’s biotech scene.

The Netherlands: Already a well-established biotech hub

Overall, the biotech sector in the Netherlands is internationally oriented, with a strong base in early-stage research, academic excellence, and public-private partnerships.

According to Annemiek Verkamman, managing director of hollandbio, a biotech industry association, the Netherlands has been building its biotech sector for decades, meaning that it is now a well-established life sciences and biotech hub. “We have world-renowned crop breeding companies, Leiden and Oss are leading biopharmaceutical hub spots, and there is a historical presence of industrial biotech knowledge institutions and companies such as DSM-Firmenich and Corbion.”

Thanks to this, the country is now considered to be one of the leading European biotech hubs, along with the likes of Switzerland, France, and the U.K. It is currently home to around 1,979 life sciences companies, including several well-known biotech companies, such as Amsterdam-based uniQure, which developed the first approved gene therapy for hemophilia B.

Furthermore, over the past couple of years – particularly since the arrival of the EMA in Amsterdam – the Netherlands has managed to attract a significant number of foreign life sciences companies, whether that be big pharma companies or up-and-coming biotechs. In fact, several large drugmakers, including AstraZeneca, Novartis, and Roche, currently have bases in the country. There has also been a string of investments in recent years by Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), Johnson & Johnson (J&J), and Gilead to set up large manufacturing facilities in the Netherlands.

“The Netherlands is an attractive destination for foreign companies due to multiple factors: our connectedness, both in terms of infrastructure, connectedness, and density of knowledge institutes, university medical centers, startups, and established companies, but also the quality of life in the Netherlands and our innovation-mindedness,” expressed Verkamman.

Additionally, Leiden Bio Science Park, the largest life sciences cluster in the Netherlands, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, plays a leading role in the country’s life sciences and biotech ecosystem, as it ranks among the top five most successful science parks in Europe.

Esther Peters, director of Leiden Bio Science Park, also noted that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine production further raised the country’s visibility. “Notably, Halix in Leiden produced components for the AstraZeneca vaccine, and Batavia Biosciences contributed to global manufacturing and development capacity.”

Although Peters expressed that the Netherlands is less competitive in attracting global headquarters, especially compared to hubs like Switzerland, Ireland, and Belgium, which offer more favorable tax environments and large-scale production incentives, she stressed that “what sets the Netherlands apart is its agility, connectivity, and innovation ecosystem – combining top-tier research institutes, SMEs [small to medium sized enterprises], multinationals, and public stakeholders in a highly collaborative environment.”

Dutch biotech venture funding continued to grow last year after signs of recovery in 2023

The current state of biotech venture funding in the Netherlands is also mostly positive news for the country’s industry. 

A recent report from hollandbio showed that, after signs of recovery in 2023, Dutch biotech venture financing continued to grow last year, demonstrating a 10% increase compared to the previous year, as several companies, including Citryll, iOnctura, Cradle.bio, and VICO Therapeutics, secured substantial investments, each exceeding $50 million.

However, according to hollandbio, the growth in funding originates from fewer companies that raise similar or even higher amounts, which reinforces the idea that capital is increasingly concentrated among a small group of winners. This “winner-takes-all” effect is not only occurring in early-stage rounds, as hollandbio previously showed – it is now happening across the broader funding landscape. 

Furthermore, despite the financial growth seen over the last couple of years, the number of newly founded biotech companies has been declining, going from 48 in 2018 to just 12 in 2024. However, this downward trend is not something that is unique to the Netherlands; it is a reflection of a global pattern, likely caused by the challenging economic conditions seen in recent times. 

Nevertheless, Verkamman noted that, on a European level, when looking at the number of companies, the number of biotech patents, and the amount of funding raised on a per capita level, the Netherlands’ biotech industry is performing well in relation to other countries. 

Dutch government commits €1.3 billion to further propel biotech in the Netherlands 

When it comes to public support and investment in the Netherlands’ biotech industry, the government is also playing a significant role, having recently devised a national biotech strategy that aims to harness biotechnology to achieve progress in public health, the circular economy, and food security. 

Just last month, the Dutch government announced that it is committing €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) to support biotech with the ambitious goal of making the Netherlands a global leader in the sector by 2040. As well as supporting research projects, this money will go toward improving biotech infrastructure, research facilities, and data platforms.

The Dutch government also said that it is looking at removing national regulatory overreach, and, on a broader scale, it plans to advocate for better coordinated regulations between EU member states. It is also considering new financial incentives that could help boost the biotech sector over the long term.

The national vision states: “In a changing world, the Netherlands aims to be among the global frontrunners in the research, development, and application of biotechnology. Biotechnology contributes to our societal goals in the areas of health, the circular economy, and food production. We are aligning our government instruments for innovation and valorization more strategically with these goals, and we are advocating – both in the Netherlands and within Europe – for a forward-looking and resilient regulatory framework.”

Added to this, Verkamman said that the government has a well-functioning tax incentive to stimulate private research and development (R&D) investments, which is seeing record numbers of biotech companies making use of it.

Meanwhile, Peters expressed that one of the key strengths of the Netherlands’ biotech ecosystem is its compact scale combined with a high level of coordination. “The triple helix model – tight collaboration between academia, industry, and government – accelerates innovation and leads to practical implementation.

“Leiden Bio Science Park plays a central role in this, contributing to national initiatives like Biotech Booster, RegMedXB, and Oncode. Despite a small domestic market, the Netherlands has a strong export position. Hubs like Leiden, Utrecht, and Amsterdam are well-connected and reinforce one another.”

Verkamman noted that these developments show that, while the Netherlands has been a popular biotech hub for some time now, the pace of growth has very much been accelerating in recent years.

A bright future for biotech in the Netherlands 

All of this points toward a bright future for the biotech industry in the Netherlands.

Of course, some barriers do remain, but as Verkamman pointed out, most of these challenges are those that are shared with other leading European biotech hubs, such as access to adequate amounts of financing with the right conditions, the need for faster and better regulatory approval pathways that at least match those of global competitors, and finding ways to come to optimal use in practice and society of all the biotech innovations that are developed by the country so that everyone can reap the benefits.

Peters shared a similar sentiment, saying that future growth depends on regulatory alignment and access to funding. “The biotech sector has a lot of momentum, but will need structural support to maintain its international competitiveness.”

But, overall, she said the outlook is positive. “Growth is expected in advanced therapies, supported by strong players like Galapagos, uniQure, BMS, Kite, and institutions in Leiden, Amsterdam, and Utrecht. Amsterdam in particular is a powerful brand internationally, with strong academic medicine and industrial players.”

“The Netherlands and its biotech sector have all the ingredients to turn excellent science into true innovation and impact,” agreed Verkamman. “A lot of positive developments took place in recent years, and we look forward to continue working with companies, investors, policy makers, and others to fully realize the potential of the Dutch biotech sector.”