1. The Northern Netherlands co-operation between three provinces
Luc Hulsman
Programme manager
The Northern Netherlands Provinces

2. The Northern Netherlands:
3 provinces;
relatively sparsely populated;
25% area; 10% population of NLs
attractive countryside
Economics:
traditionally lagging behind;
8% contribution to GDP of NLs
but, making up for the differences

3. Co-operation: historically strong ties between provinces;
1992 formalized:
legal base for partnership;
formation of a small administrative organization;
aim: coordinated regional spatial-economic policies

4. Regional economic policy
Strategic Agenda
Three track policy:
towards innovation and a knowledge economy
a competitive establishment climate in urban areas
retaining and strengthening an attractive countryside
Underlying principle: focus on what each province is best at

5. Regional economic policy
Major instruments:
Operational Programme , objective ‘Regional competitiveness and employment’
National ‘Peaks in the Delta’- programme
Programmes ‘dovetailed’ together → avoiding dispersion of efforts

6. Focusing on what you’re best at:

7. Interaction between the clusters:
Blue Energy
Lofar Geofysics
Watersense

8. ‘Outside’ connections:
Lofar, Wetsus & Energy Valley: consortia of knowledge institutes, universities and industrial partners, in the Netherlands and abroad
E.g.
Lofar: Universities of Groningen, Amsterdam, Leiden, Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie (Bonn, Germany)
Wetsus: Wageningen University and Research Centre
Energy Valley: University of Groningen, Gasunie, Gazprom (Energy Delta Institute)

9. Lofar- search for business partners
Presentations for industry
open and non-committal way to make contacts
R&D-collaboration agreements
pre-competitive phase;
in compliance with EU-rules;
transfer of knowledge;
relatively small investment by companies
Public procurement procedure

10. Conclusion Fostering innovation in the Northern
Netherlands provinces: the method works
(for us)
but, difficulties remain:
e.g. linking with
7th Framework Programme
ESF
centralized in the Netherlands
focus on lower and middle levels of professional education

11. Thank you for your attention
more information at:
mail: