Research into the cross-border start-up scene in the northern Netherlands and northwestern Germany has revealed many possibilities, opportunities and needs for cooperation across national borders. The project 'Start-up Eems-Dollard-region', which is being managed by Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, has received a grant in the amount of €980,000 to promote this international cooperation and economic growth. Read the whole article of the Hanze University on this great project below!
In recent years, start-ups have already made significant contributions to economic growth in various parts of the Eems-Dollard-region. Diederich Bakker, a professor at the International Business School of Hanze UAS: 'Some 2,000 start-ups and young businesses are responsible for over 11,000 jobs in Groningen alone.' According to Bakker, the driving force behind this success is the connection to knowledge institutions and the resulting access to talented individuals. Education with a focus on entrepreneurship and the establishment of so-called incubators and accelerators are additional examples of motors that act as a stimulus for new businesses.
Chances for job market growth
In his research, Diederich Bakker focused on the northern Netherlands and northwestern Germany. According to Bakker: 'A properly functioning ecosystem offers chances for job market growth. This is vitally important to regions along the border, both in Germany and the Netherlands, as these areas are experiencing the same negative effects of shrinkage. Cooperating also allows business owners in the Eems-Dollard-region to gain a unique perspective across national borders.'
Objective of the project
The project 'Start-up Eems-Dollard-region' aims at promoting cross-border cooperation between start-ups and young entrepreneurs in the region. For example, specific mentorship programmes and cross-border education and training are being developed to that end, and companies are sharing knowledge from their existing networks – digital and otherwise. The project supports the accumulation and transfer of regional knowledge, along with cross-border cooperation between young entrepreneurs. These efforts stimulate the innovative power of the Eems-Dollard-region while also creating local jobs.
Partners
The partners in the project come from all corners of the Eems-Dollard-region: Inqubator Leeuwarden, Growing Workplace in Emmen, the University of Oldenburg, IT Emsland, Emder GründerInnenZentrum and Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen.
A number of other associated partners, both Dutch and German, play an advisory or supporting role within the project. The INTERREG V A grant is provided by the European Fund for Regional Development (EFRO); the Dutch provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe; and the Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Bundes- und Europaangelegenheiten und Regionale Entwicklung.
Source article: hanze.nl
Picture: project partners on bridge near Start-up City on Zernike Campus Groningen. Copyright picture: Hanze University
