More researchers, but no more Dutch spin-offs
A new report highlights a growing gap between scientific capacity and commercial application.
In 2023, the Netherlands had 28 per cent more researchers than in 2015, but the number of new companies emerging from knowledge institutions remained roughly unchanged, according to Techleap. The organisation describes this as a conversion problem between research and entrepreneurship.
The figures appear in an initial version of Techleap’s Dutch Spin-off Report 2026. According to the summary, the number of researchers grew by 28 per cent between 2015 and 2023, while around 65 spin-offs were created each year. A spin-off is a company arising from research or technology developed by a university, university medical centre or knowledge institute.
The figures do not mean that Dutch science has become less productive. Scientific research can create social value without producing a company. The report does, however, point to a structural question: how can promising technologies gain faster access to funding, testing facilities, staff and a first customer?
Last month, TNO described similar bottlenecks for Dutch technology companies. In an international comparison, 24 per cent of Dutch companies reach a subsequent funding round within 36 months, according to TNO, compared with 39 per cent in the United States. European companies take longer on average than American companies to reach that stage.
The obstacles do not lie with researchers alone. After a technical breakthrough, start-ups must also build up production, obtain permits, attract talent and convince investors. TNO also mentions access to electricity and suitable production space. A delay at any one of these points can cost a company months or years.
Techleap and TNO therefore advocate a broader approach than simply providing more research funding. They mention, among other things, more growth capital, better support for scientists who want to start a company, simpler regulation and a government that more often acts as a first customer. The Techleap report is not yet a peer-reviewed scientific study; the figures are primarily a policy analysis of the Dutch innovation ecosystem.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- According to Techleap, the number of researchers has grown significantly.
- The number of new spin-offs remained roughly unchanged.
- TNO identifies funding, talent, infrastructure and regulation as bottlenecks.
Left
Arguments Publicly funded research should primarily deliver social value, not solely commercial growth. Investment should therefore also go towards public knowledge, open research and applications without an immediate profit model.
Values Public accessibility, broad social value and protection against the commercialisation of knowledge.
Consequences A broad approach may produce social innovations, but potentially fewer companies that reach international scale quickly.
Centre
Arguments Research and entrepreneurship have different aims, but can reinforce each other. Universities, investors and government should support the transition voluntarily and professionally without turning researchers into entrepreneurs.
Values Scientific autonomy, efficiency and collaboration.
Consequences Better support may bring more technology into practice, while leaving room for fundamental research.
Right
Arguments The Netherlands invests in knowledge but makes insufficient use of it because regulation, infrastructure and funding hold back growth. More room for private investors and a government acting as a customer could bring innovation to market faster.
Values Entrepreneurship, competitiveness and economic growth.
Consequences A stronger commercial incentive could create jobs and companies, but might shift research towards areas with the greatest market potential.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The figures and bottlenecks can be found in Techleap and TNO. The text explicitly states that the Techleap report is preliminary and not peer-reviewed.
- confirmed The number of researchers grew by 28 per cent between 2015 and 2023. — This key finding appears in the Techleap report preview. source
- confirmed Around 65 spin-offs are created each year. — The report preview gives this as the annual scale of spin-off production. source
- confirmed 24 per cent of Dutch companies reach a subsequent funding round within 36 months. — TNO cites this percentage in the international comparison. source
- confirmed The Techleap report is not a peer-reviewed scientific study. — The source presents the publication as a preview, not as a scientific journal article. source
Editor's note
The main findings come from a preliminary report preview by Techleap and a separate analysis by TNO. This is policy and ecosystem research, not a peer-reviewed study; causal conclusions are therefore phrased cautiously.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „wetenschap onderzoekers”
- De Telegraaf — „wetenschap onderzoekers”
- AD — „wetenschap onderzoekers”