Internationalisation

Focus on Healthy Ageing during US Mission

Headed by Ms. Edith Schippers, our Minister for Health, Welfare & Sport a Dutch, a delegation of Dutch Universities, Governmental officers and Entrepreneurs visited the United States of America from 31 May until 5 June for a business mission. The mission aimed successfully for partnerships across the ocean, focussed on shared challenges and smart solutions in the Agriculture and Food and Life Sciences & Health sector. Ernst van den Ende and Nico van Meeteren, respectively, acted as scientific mission leaders.

Important topics during the mission were ‘Healthy Ageing’ and ‘Feeding the City’. As both our populations are rapidly ageing and more people develop chronic illnesses, the challenge is to support people to maintain their activities within the society to preserve their vital functioning as long as possible. Technological and sociocultural innovations may help to realize an environment that supports independence and mobility. During the mission Minister Schippers stated that the creation of a healthy environment for elderly and chronically ill people not only improves their lives, but also the lives of their families and may also positively influence the society and the healthcare spending.


Among the many inspiring results of the mission, a formal partnership agreement between the Rehabilitation Institute Chicago and the Dutch IMDI “Neurocontrol” was signed and seven Dutch visiting professors were installed in the presence of our Royal Couple. At the end of the mission, the state of Massachusetts and the city of Boston agreed upon the exploration of deepening the mutual collaborations and, in line with these ambitions, a visit of the both of the Netherlands in 2016.

June the 18th and 19th the Dutch Embassy in Paris organised a bilateral seminar focussed on the role of serious gaming and simulations in the health and healthcare sector. Experts in the field of Creative Industry and Life Sciences and Health elaborated in presentations and workshops on the framework conditions in both countries regarding the development and use of serious gaming in healthcare. Next, more than 20 French and Dutch distinguished serious game developers presented the latest innovations in the field. During breaks and the excellent diner at the Residence of the Ambassador, the 18th, informal networking provided means for all to explore mutual interests for further cooperations. The Staff of the Embassy and the two Top Sectors will in the coming months explore means for further cooperations between France and the Netherlands on health and healthcare issues.

At the end of May, executive director Top Sector LSH Nico van Meeteren, visited Ireland in order to exchange inspiring ideas concerning health, healthcare and systems-reform in both countries, with a special focus on the acute care and hospital settings.

Firstly, reforms in the Netherlands were explained and debated during a lunch at the Dutch embassy in Dublin with representatives of the Irish healthcare, guided by the Dutch Ambassador Paul Schellekens. Thereafter, in the context of the National Health Conference, insight was given in the Dutch healthcare system by two presentations with in the audience amongst others the Irish Minister of State at the Department of Health, Ms. Kathleen Lynch. Late in the afternoon a round table discussion with CEOs and Chairs of the Irish Hospitals organised by Hildemarij Fortanier (Economic Affairs of the Embassy) and Thom Kluck (Deputy Ambassador) ended up in an agreement on further exploration of mutual cooperation between the Irish and Dutch life sciences and health sectors on (acute) healthcare reform. To that end an Irish delegation will be invited, probably by the Dutch Ministry of Health and the top sector LSH, to visit the Netherlands. The visit is planned for the first quarter of 2016.

Via this bimonthly update and via the Health~Holland website the sector will be informed and invited to participate in these activities.