Interview: Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands on Techleap's new mandate, privatisation, the Dutch deeptech, and what Europe must solve next
The Netherlands' Prince Constantijn has been a driving force behind the country's burgeoning technology ecosystem for nearly a decade. As Special Envoy of Techleap, the public-private partnership focused on scaling Dutch startups, he has helped elevate the profile of the Netherlands on the global innovation stage.
In an exclusive interview, Prince Constantijn discussed Techleap's expanded mandate, the potential privatisation of the organisation, the strengths of the Dutch deeptech sector, and the key challenges Europe must tackle to compete with tech powerhouses like the US and China.
Under Prince Constantijn's leadership, Techleap has grown into a pivotal platform that supports founders, strengthens technology commercialisation, and champions the Netherlands as a leading European tech hub. The organisation recently announced plans to broaden its scope beyond early-stage startups to also focus on scaling businesses and strengthening the overall innovation ecosystem.
"We've realised that it's not enough to just support founders - we need to look at the entire lifecycle, from ideation to global expansion," Prince Constantijn explained. "The new mandate will allow us to double down on areas like access to talent, capital, and markets, which are critical for Dutch tech companies to thrive."
The prince also addressed speculation around Techleap's potential privatisation, noting that the organisation is exploring various options to ensure its long-term sustainability and impact. "We're open to different models, including privatisation, as long as it allows us to stay nimble and focused on our mission," he said.
One area of particular strength for the Netherlands is deeptech - advanced technologies with significant intellectual property, such as quantum computing, robotics, and biotech. Prince Constantijn highlighted the country's robust research infrastructure and collaborative ecosystem as key drivers of deeptech innovation.
"The Netherlands punches above its weight in deeptech," he said. "We have world-class universities, a culture of open innovation, and a thriving network of corporates, startups, and research institutes working together. This positions us well to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing society."
Looking ahead, Prince Constantijn identified talent and access to capital as two critical issues Europe must address to compete with tech hubs like Silicon Valley. He called for greater investment in STEM education, as well as policies that attract and retain top global talent.
"Europe has the potential to be a tech powerhouse, but we need to do more to cultivate our own home-grown talent and ensure startups can access the growth capital they need," he said. "If we get this right, I believe the Netherlands and Europe can become true rivals to the US and China in the years to come."
The potential privatization of Techleap raises questions about the future direction and funding of the Netherlands' startup ecosystem. As a public-private partnership, Techleap has played a key role in elevating the profile of Dutch tech on the global stage. A shift to private ownership could impact the organization's mandate, resources, and ability to support early-stage companies. This debate highlights the delicate balance between public support and private sector involvement in fostering innovation.