UnicornQuest Stakeholder Group Meeting in Leeuwarden

On June 27, 2024, the UnicornQuest project convened a vital stakeholder meeting in Leeuwarden, hosted at MICA.

This gathering, part of a broader initiative to foster collaboration and innovation in the northern Netherlands, brought together 14 stakeholders representing various regional organizations and initiatives.

The discussion aimed to advance the UnicornQuest project, focusing on ecosystem development and strategic partnerships.

The meeting included representatives from prominent organizations, such as the Province of Friesland, Gemeente Leeuwarden, Innovatie Pact Fryslan, and others, alongside innovation accelerators like BeStart and e-Health accelerator. These participants, deeply embedded in the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem, were pivotal in driving discussions on regional innovation challenges and opportunities.

The agenda covered updates on the UnicornQuest project, discussions on regional policy improvements, insights from the recent Bratislava meeting, and the "Forrest Assessment" of the region’s entrepreneurial landscape.

The Forrest Assessment revealed that the northern Netherlands boasts a solid ecosystem for innovation, yet struggles with consistent investment attraction and establishing robust connections. The discussion emphasized leveraging the existing network, which has grown cohesive through such stakeholder gatherings.

A noteworthy point was Mr. Lennard Drogendijk’s mention of Udaras, an Irish initiative functioning as a "one-stop shop" for startups. This sparked interest among attendees, who suggested exploring this model to potentially adopt best practices in the region.

The Bratislava meeting of the UnicornQuest consortium held in March and attended by stakeholders Lennard Drogendijk and Jornt de Boer, was described as inspiring. The diverse entrepreneurial profiles of potential unicorn founders encountered there resonated with the varied entrepreneurial landscape in the northern Netherlands.

As next step several actions were outlined to maintain momentum:

• Organizing a meeting to delve deeper into the Udaras model and assess its applicability.
• Further analysis and discussion of the Forrest Assessment outcomes.
• Facilitating collaboration among partners involved in the Founded project.