Do you need financing? Could you use some assistance in finding a perfect business location? Do you need support in making your idea or business plan ready for investors? Or are you looking for other entrepreneurs to collaborate with in innovative groups? Then you’ve come to the right place. We know the region, we know the business and we have a valuable network. You are welcome to take advantage of our expertise!
About the NOM and TopDutch
The NOM is the Investment and Development Agency for the Northern Netherlands and comprises the three Northernmost provinces – Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe – which together form the economic region TopDutch. In the TopDutch region we provide green and digital solutions for global challenges and encourage talent to be great.
The NOM is one of eight Regional Development agencies in the Netherlands. Our objective is to stimulate the economy and employment in the Northern Netherlands by investing in promising companies, attracting new companies, sharing knowledge and experience with entrepreneurs and by making our large network available to anyone who can benefit from it.
NOM provides venture capital to companies in the Northern Netherlands which have a lot of potential, whether they are a start-up or an established company. NOM also invests in management buy-ins, management buyouts and acquisitions. NOM’s financing ranges from € 50,000 to € 2,500,000 and can include subordinated loans or share capital. NOM also helps companies become investor ready. How? By fine-tuning the business plan, helping preparing a good pitch and finding the right type of financing. In addition, we help pave the way for innovation by linking entrepreneurs with other entrepreneurs, so that good ideas are developed faster and more efficiently.
Together with our partners, we strengthen ecosystems with business development programs focused on innovation. The NOM brings companies, public organisations and knowledge institutions with the right competences together to build innovative ecosystems, finds funding for innovative projects and plays an important role in converting ideas and plans into an innovative product or service.
The NOM’s dedicated Foreign Direct Investment team is focused on attracting international companies to establish in the Northern Netherlands. We assist you during every stage of the process in (re)locating your business. We will provide you with all the information and services your business needs to make the most of our advantageous location. Once you are settled, our Investor Relations program ensures that we keep supporting you and help you flourish in the region.
Focus sectors
The Northern Netherlands has an abundance of natural resources, which has resulted in the development of a number of key industries. But as the global economy is under a large-scale transition, the Northern Netherlands is also transforming its key industries: making them smarter, healthier and more sustainable. How? By collaborating, whether that be cluster-collaboration, cross-provincial collaboration or even cross-border collaboration.
Green Chemistry
The Northern Netherlands’ most complete and ambitious Green Chemistry ecosystem, Chemport Europe, will be the first chemical cluster in the world to be fossil-free, co2 negative and circular by sharing raw materials, sharing technologies and sharing investments.
Energy
The Northern Netherlands is investing in infrastructure, education, and innovation for green energy and is particularly focusing on becoming the Hydrogen Capital of Europe, so billions of euros are being invested into building the number one ecosystem for green hydrogen in Europe. For example, HYZON motors set-up Europe’s first hydrogen truck plant in the region.
WaterTech
The Northern Netherlands is considered the WaterTech Capital of Europe. The Water Campus in Leeuwarden is an innovation leader for sustainable water technology. A complete chain of innovation is offered from the Water Campus: from science, to applied research and business, all from one location.
Life Sciences and Health
The TopDutch region has a healthy life science ecosystem. More scientific and applied research for healthy ageing genetic and lifestyle innervations is performed here than in any other region in the Netherlands, with some very exciting projects, such as the world’s largest multigenerational cohort study from Lifelines biobank. The Life Science ecosystem collaborates extensively with our other key industries, such as the AgriFood ecosystem or high-tech MedTech factories, such as SHINE medical, which will make medical isotopes in the region without using a nuclear reactor.
HTSM
Dubbed the Region of Smart Factories, TopDutch invests and educates for Industry 4.0 across all ecosystems. Technologies Added is a shared smart factory that’s attracted some of the hottest young start-ups from across Europe. Smart Industry Hub Noord assists companies in the region in becoming smarter.
ICT
Leading in education, research and development for digital innovation, the TopDutch region is quickly becoming one of the smartest regions in the world. They collect and process astronomical amounts of data daily, not least in ASTRON – a global hub of expertise in radio astronomy. The top-100 University of Groningen united with Hanze and NHL Stenden universities of applied sciences as the University of the North, is world-renowned for their research centres focusing on Big Data, High Performance Computing and Deep Learning.
AgriFood (Smart faming, transition to plant proteins)
From within its agricultural hinterland, the TopDutch region plays an important role in solving social problems. From multinational to farmer, from scientist to start-up – in the Northern Netherlands they all work together on solutions to the global food problem and the transition to a sustainable society. We’re feeding the demand for plant-based proteins by extracting valuable nutrition from everything from potatoes to grass. We also enhance industry performance through smart farming by designing and implementing the sensors and IoT processes to optimise performance at the earliest opportunity.
What can the NOM do for you?
The Northern Netherlands is leading in developing green and digital solutions for global challenges. Our dynamic and talented region is actively looking for (international) partners and investments to add fuel to its ambitions. Could you see your business growing in the TopDutch region? If so, the NOMs professionals in finance, location, business development and networking are here to give businesses from around the world a helping hand. We’re looking forward to hearing from you and making our shared green and digital future one step closer.
