The Northern Netherlands comprises the three northern provinces of Groningen, Drenthe and Friesland.  The overriding aim of this region is to strengthen the economy of the North. The four large cities in the region – Groningen, Leeuwarden, Emmen and Assen – play an important part in this process.

The economy of the Northern Netherlands depends on innovation. Or, to use the language of the Europe 2020 strategy, smart growth, sustainable growth and
inclusive growth. In other words, the development of knowledge and innovation must be combined with responsible use of natural resources, job creation and improvement of quality of life.

We actively promote cooperation between the government, research institutes and business, also known as the ‘Golden Triangle’ model. The three Northern Provinces have formed clusters in five important areas of knowledge - water technology, energy, sensor technology, agribusiness (bio-based economy) and Healthy Ageing (life sciences). The government, research institutes and business are now actively cooperating in these clusters.

Each cluster consists of a group of businesses and knowledge institutions that operate within a certain area of expertise in a certain region. The knowledge clusters in the Northern Netherlands are among the most important knowledge clusters in Europe. They possess tremendous knowledge and innovation potential and make an important contribution to the solution of challenges now facing the Netherlands and Europe.

They are able to do this partly because short lines of communication and interconnections allow the clusters to strengthen each other. Therefore the distinct advantages of the Northern Netherlands include the fact that it adopts a holistic approach. For example, the Healthy Ageing cluster is not simply concerned with drugs, it also promotes a healthy lifestyle and helps to create innovative healthcare systems. Similarly, water technology is linked to energy and sensor technology.

Our goal is stimulating and facilitating cooperation between the clusters in order to ensure that, for example, top researchers collaborate with universities of applied sciences and the corporate sector to develop new products with market potential that will create jobs in the Northern Netherlands.
 

Main activities

The three Northern Provinces have formed clusters in five important areas of knowledge - water technology, energy, sensor technology, agribusiness (bio-based economy) and Healthy Ageing (life sciences). The government, research institutes and business are now actively cooperating in these clusters. The four large cities are coordinating and facilitating concrete projects related to these themes.