During this Visionary Circle, Erwin Nijsse, Director-General for Business and Innovation at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Focco Vijselaar, Managing Director of VNO-NCW, will discuss with you the strategic sectors and companies that are crucial for the Netherlands, and how government and industry can jointly invest to strengthen future earning capacity. We warmly invite you to participate in this dialogue.
Chief Executive Officers and Board Members
5:30 PM | Program starts (including presentation, discussion, and 3-course dinner)
8:30 PM | End of formal program, opportunity for informal networking
Language: English
Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin, Noordwijk
Director-General for Business Policy and Innovation
Erwin Nijsse is Director-General for Business & Innovation at the Ministry of Economic Affairs. He worked for 25 years at Shell, both in the Netherlands and internationally, and was involved in complex projects such as the Sakhalin II project in Russia and the earthquake dossier of NAM. In 2020, he consciously transitioned to the public sector through the National Growth Fund. Since then, he has been committed to promoting innovation, simplifying policies for entrepreneurs, and strengthening international collaborations in science and technology. Erwin combines extensive experience in finance and corporate strategy with a strong focus on sustainable growth and societal impact.
Managing Director
Drs. F.W. (Focco) Vijselaar has been the director of VNO-NCW and general director of the operational organization of VNO-NCW and MKB-Nederland since April 1, 2023. Prior to his appointment, Focco Vijselaar served as Director-General for Business and Innovation at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy since 2018. Before that, he was Director of General Economic Policy/Chief Economist at the same ministry and Director of Foreign Financial Relations at the Ministry of Finance. Focco studied General Economics at the University of Groningen. He is also a member of the executive board of the Social and Economic Council (SER) and the Labour Foundation.
The government faces urgent strategic choices that will determine the future of our business and investment climate. The key question is how Dutch companies can become more innovative and future-proof through targeted decisions and joint investments.
The Netherlands possesses a world-class knowledge and innovation ecosystem, yet this strength is not yet fully translated into scale and sustainable economic impact. Significant opportunities remain untapped, particularly in leading clusters such as Wageningen and Delft. On a European level, further collaboration is also necessary to increase strategic leverage. At the same time, societal developments, such as an aging population, the energy transition, geopolitical dependencies and pressure on public services, demand clear priorities and shared responsibility.
The Wennink Report emphasizes that structural economic growth is essential to maintain our prosperity. This requires targeted investments in strategic, high-tech domains, from digitalization and artificial intelligence to energy and climate innovation, from security and resilience to life sciences and biotechnology. It is precisely in these sectors that the Netherlands can strengthen its international relevance and contribute to the major transitions of this century.
Public-private collaboration is crucial in this context. Preconditions such as a reliable energy supply, minimal necessary regulatory burden, talent development, and future-proof infrastructure are widely recognized, but the challenge now lies in translating these preconditions into concrete investments, clear priorities, and long-term commitment.
During this Visionary Circle, Erwin Nijsse, Director-General for Business and Innovation at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Focco Vijselaar, Managing Director of VNO-NCW, will discuss with you the strategic sectors and companies that are crucial for the Netherlands, and how government and industry can jointly invest to strengthen future earning capacity. We warmly invite you to participate in this dialogue.
