Netherlands Outlines 2040 Biotech Vision, Emphasizing Tools, Commercialization, and Regulatory Reform

The Dutch government has released a national strategy to position the Netherlands as a global leader in biotechnology by 2040. The policy—backed by seven ministries—aims to accelerate innovation in health, agriculture, and the circular economy through targeted infrastructure investments, support for commercialization, and regulatory flexibility.

A central concern in the policy is the current fragmentation that hinders innovation. As highlighted by industry association HollandBio, biotech breakthroughs in the Netherlands often stall due to burdensome permitting processes and inconsistent regulations across ministries, while scientific talent and commercial outcomes increasingly migrate abroad. The government’s new vision acknowledges this and calls for an integrated, cross-departmental strategy to remove such structural bottlenecks.

Dutch parliament in The Hague early in the morning. Netherlands; Source: pidjoe, iStock

Rather than focusing solely on basic research, the vision highlights a tools-first approach: investing in infrastructure, data platforms, and research environments that enable scientific productivity. 

Regulatory “sandboxes” are proposed to allow safe but flexible experimentation with new technologies, a move designed to speed up translation from lab to market. Nearly €1.3 billion in biotech-related funding is already earmarked through the National Growth Fund.

The strategy targets high-growth application areas such as advanced therapeutics and alternative proteins, with an explicit focus on removing structural barriers that have historically slowed Europe’s biotech ambitions. The Dutch government also advocates for harmonized EU regulation grounded in up-to-date science, aligning with broader efforts like the proposed EU Biotech Act—an initiative announced in 2024 and led by the European Commission to boost Europe’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy in biotechnology and biomanufacturing.

Topics: Bioeconomy & Society