From the 23rd to 28th of October, a group of 20 knowledge institutes, companies and organisations, all dedicated to themes related to elderly care, vitality & mobility, travelled to China. The business delegation was headed by State Secretary Martin van Rijn (VWS) and accompanied by Director General of Long term care Kees van der Burg. The Business programme was organised by Task Force Health Care together with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Beijing, as well as the consulates of Shanghai and Guangzhou. Len de Jong, the newly appointed chairman of TFHC and member of Top Team of Top Sector LSH, headed the Business delegation.

During the mission, the State Secretary signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on elderly care with his Chinese counterpart. Besides more cooperation on policymaking, the MoU you offers a platform for Dutch and Chinese parties in the elderly care sector to exchange expertise, innovation and technology in the field. The participating parties met with Chinese counterparts during Matchmaking, trade dinners & networking receptions and three Sino Dutch seminars on elderly care attracting around 200 Chinese participants. Some met with existing business partners and signed bilateral MoU’s within official government presence. Others benefited the large Dutch presence to meet high-level Chinese parties and discuss future collaborations. The mission, described by all participants as highly successful, was concluded with a barbecue on the 15th floor balcony hosted by the Consul General of the Netherlands in Shanghai, overlooking the Huangpu Jiang river.​

The Task Force Health Care and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (team International Research and Innovation) organised, together with Holland Innovation Network and the Brightlands China Center in Maastricht, a mission on international medical technology cooperation to China, Hong Kong & Shenzhen (26 – 31 October). Innovative Dutch medical device companies looked for opportunities to attract international investment or form international research and development partnerships. In total eight healthcare related organisations joined the mission.

Collective visits were realised to innovative and advanced medical technology institutes, companies, and research institutes in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. On the first day the Dutch delegation was welcomed by the Hong Kong Medical and Health Device Industry Association (HKMHDIA). The welcome was followed by a seminar at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the day ended with a networking reception at the consul’s residence hosted by Consul General Annemieke Ruigrok.

On the second morning a collective visit to the Hong Kong Science Park was organised to eventually continue the mission towards China. On arrival in Shenzhen a seminar with a focus on Chinese research programme at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) was the first item on the programme. To complete the mission the Dutch delegation visited the National Gene Bank and the China Medical Equipment Fair (CMEF).​