台灣與荷蘭皆為全球半導體產業鏈的重要夥伴，隨著人工智慧（AI）、高效能運算（HPC）、電動車、醫療科技及永續數位基礎設施對先進晶片的需求持續攀升，國際合作的重要性日益提升。透過深化對彼此優勢與未來需求的理解，雙方可共同因應技術複雜度提高、供應鏈重組及持續創新的挑戰。

此公私協力合作架構旨在強化荷蘭與台灣半導體產業的長期夥伴關係。台灣擁有全球領先的半導體製造實力與完整且高度整合的供應鏈生態系統；荷蘭則在半導體設備、高科技系統整合及公私協力創新方面具備世界級優勢。雙方可進一步推動知識交流、研發合作、人才培育、永續發展及供應鏈韌性，共同驅動下一世代半導體創新。

攜手推動半導體創新

Every four years, the Gay Games bring together thousands of athletes, artists and advocates from around the world to celebrate sport, culture and inclusion. More than a sporting event, the Games are an opportunity to build connections, celebrate diversity and promote equality through participation. This year, the Games take place in València, where the Netherlands will be represented by its largest delegation to date.

A platform to raise awareness

The Gay Games are far from new. First organised in 1982 in San Francisco, they were the brainchild of accomplished former Olympic athlete Dr Tom Waddell. With this historic event, he sought to create an inclusive space where LGBTQIA+ athletes could participate without prejudice, fostering a sense of community and breaking down social barriers.

The Netherlands has long been part of these visionary ideals, and even hosted the event in Amsterdam in 1998. Many years on and tens of thousands of participants later, the event touches down in València on 27 June 2026. This year, around 400 participants from the Netherlands will travel to Spain as part of Team Netherlands, making it the largest Dutch delegation to the Gay Games so far. It reflects the growing enthusiasm for inclusive sport and the collective efforts of organisations and volunteers to bring the delegation together.

The large number of athletes reflects the Netherlands’ commitment to diversity, inclusion, and respect. 'We consider the Gay Games a unique platform to raise awareness of the LGBTQIA+ community’s talent, resilience and contribution to sport and culture', according to Ambassador Roel Nieuwenkamp at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Madrid.

We don't just change the culture of sport, we change lives

Jan Pieter de Lugt - Chairman Pride and Sports

United through sport

Pride and Sports is the driving force behind Team Netherlands. The organisation is the leading platform in the Netherlands for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in sport and an official and key partner of the Federation of Gay Games (FGG). On 26 January 2026, the organisation proudly announced that they had assembled a unified team from local sports groups, clubs and individual athletes for the Gay Games in València, which also includes a powerful strategic partnership deal with Nike.

For the first time, they took Dutch participation from a loose cluster of individuals to a professional, cohesive movement. 'In València, we are not just building a sports team, we are building a visible international movement to give our community a significant boost', says Jan Pieter de Lugt, Chairman of Pride and Sports.

The organisation has been bringing together a wide range of sports and athletes since 2017. For example, through an extensive sports programme during Queer & Pride Amsterdam, featuring events such as Pride Run, Pedal for Pride and Urban Sports Jams. 

But Pride and Sports’ actions exceed sporting ambitions. They are also committed to breaking down financial barriers to participation in sport. The Queer Champions Fund plays an important role in this. The fund provides financial support for, amongst other things, contributions towards participation fees for national and international tournaments such as the EuroGames and the Gay Games. This helps ensure talented athletes can take part and inspire others, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics, cultural background or financial circumstances.

Furthermore, the organisation focuses on raising awareness across the sporting sector and beyond. The organisation has a wealth of (scientific) knowledge and personal accounts on LGBTQIA+ inclusivity and sport. They incorporate this in a wide range of online training courses featuring toolkits designed to encourage behavioural change to support the LGBTQIA+ community. Additionally, Pride and Sports applies its managerial expertise to make the wider sporting environment in the Netherlands safer and more inclusive for LGBTQIA+ athletes.

Creating inclusive sporting environments

In the Netherlands, we advocate a safe and inclusive society. To us, openness and inclusion are not just ideals; they are part of everyday life and require continuous efforts from the community, from grassroots to the international stage. Our participation in international events such as the Gay Games and WorldPride Amsterdam reflects the Netherlands' longstanding commitment to openness, inclusion and equal opportunities. By supporting organisations such as Pride and Sports, we help create environments where everyone can participate and feel welcome, on and off the field. By empowering organisations, such as Pride and Sports, build initiatives such as Team Netherlands and share their expertise, we continue to support gender and LGBTQIA+ equality both at home and abroad. Sport should never, ever be a place of exclusion. De Lugt concludes: 'When we intentionally create environments where people feel safe and truly welcome, we don't just change the culture of sport, we change lives'.

What if the way we create could help restore the planet? At the Future Materials Lab in Maastricht, that question is not a provocation but a daily practice. It’s a place where artists and researchers rethink the very substances that shape our world; transforming waste streams, biological processes, and overlooked natural resources into new possibilities for living sustainably. From collagen discarded by the food industry re-imagined as sportswear, and algae pigments adorning interior spaces to experimental furnishings that scrub carbon dioxide from the air. These are just a few glimpses into the radical landscape of material futures being explored. More than 470 such projects now form the Future Materials Bank - an open-access archive created to accelerate materials research worldwide.

A platform where material imagination becomes practice

Founded in 2020 as an initiative by the Jan van Eyck Academie, an international art residency in Maastricht, Future Materials positions itself where art, design, science, and technology meet. It functions as a living ecosystem, a place where hands-on experimentation converges with critical thinking to reimagine how we source, make, use, and value materials in a world constrained by ecological boundaries. At the heart of the platform lies the Future Materials Bank, which gathers sustainable materials researched by artists and designers from more than 65 countries.

From bacteria-grown ceramic vessels to textiles cultivated from mycelium or human by-products such as hair or urine, the collection challenges entrenched assumptions about waste, resources, and circularity. By bringing these projects together in one accessible space, the platform prevents researchers from working in isolation; enabling them to build on one another’s discoveries rather than reinventing the same process in parallel. As its founders often say, ‘We want to facilitate connection’.

From solitary experiments to a worldwide network of material makers

Future Materials’ reach now extends far beyond the creative sector. With more than 60,000 online visitors and a rapidly growing international network, the platform has become a catalyst for cross-disciplinary collaboration. Its significance was recognised in October 2024, when it received the Marc Cornelissen Brightlands Award, an incentive prize dedicated to sustainability pioneers. Their digital presence is complemented by the physical Future Materials Lab at the Jan van Eyck Academie. Here, visitors, residents, and professionals engage directly with over 160 material samples, testing, examining, and reconsidering how materials behave and what they could become. This hands-on environment fosters a culture of exchange, curiosity, and experimentation across cultures and creative practices.

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Material research and experimentation.
 

The dialogue continues through the Future Materials Encounters, a workshop series that brings together makers, researchers, students, and the public to discuss material innovation from diverse perspectives. These sessions are recorded and shared globally, expanding access and democratising conversations around sustainable futures.

Beyond archiving and educating, Future Materials acts as a platform for innovation. Its Fellowship Programme supports start-ups and new initiatives that emerge from artistic research, helping bridge the gap between experimentation and industrial application. Its partnerships, like those with Brightlands, offer routes for material discoveries to evolve from the studio to real-world implementation, reflecting a Dutch landscape where creative inquiry and scientific innovation frequently intersect.

A Dutch ecosystem enabling global material transformation

The Netherlands provides fertile ground for such work. A culture of collaboration, a strong emphasis on design research, and a national commitment to circularity all support the platform’s ambitions. Knowledge flows outward: local experiments in the lab propagate into global networks through the Bank, where they can inspire new developments elsewhere. Ultimately, the long-term aim of Future Materials is to transform our relationship with the material world. It invites us to imagine a future in which waste becomes a resource, nature becomes a collaborator, and creativity becomes a force for ecological repair. By connecting artists, designers, and scientists, Future Materials demonstrates how shared knowledge and imaginative thinking can drive the circular transition, showing not just what materials could be, but what our future could become. That’s New Dutch!

Does #newdutch spark an interest or a golden idea with you? We love hearing from you! You can email us at newdutch@nlbranding.nl.
 

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Incoming visit from the United States | 16 – 19 June 2025

From 16 to 19 June, HLTH Europe took place in Amsterdam. With 5,000+ attendees from more than 50 countries, HLTH Europe was the perfect opportunity for Dutch health tech companies to expand their network and meet health providers, payers, investors, and government stakeholders from all over the world. The NL Pavilion – The Dutch Innovator Village – at HLTH Europe was a launchpad for Dutch startups and scaleups to showcase their innovations. During HLTH Europe, we hosted an incoming delegation with members from amongst others, Texas Medical Center (TMC) and Cedars-Sinai.  

The Hague, the Netherlands – USA Expert Session | 7 May 2025

The United States presents significant opportunities for research, innovation, and expansion for Dutch Life Sciences and Health companies. Collaboration between the Netherlands and the United States in LSH brings unmatched value, leveraging complementary strengths to drive innovation. Therefore, a USA Expert Session was organized on the 7th of May to provide valuable insights into emerging challenges and opportunities for the US market.   

Los Angeles, United States – Life Sciences & Health Mission | 3 – 7 February 2025

From 3 to 7 February, we were on a mission to Los Angeles to discover more about the trends, developments, and opportunities in the LSH sector happening there. During this visit, various stakeholders in Los Angeles were visited, among others private hospitals and important health networks. This mission was designed for Dutch LSH organizations that are actively engaged in digital health, MedTech, and telemedicine sectors and are committed to expanding their presence in the US market. 

Belgium and the Netherlands share strong economic ties and a common ambition to improve healthcare through innovation. As neighbouring countries with leading life sciences and health ecosystems, both have internationally recognised expertise in medical technologies. Our complementary strengths create opportunities to develop solutions that improve patient care and support more effective and sustainable healthcare.

We are bringing together Dutch companies and knowledge institutions active in MedTech, digital health and integrated care solutions. Together with Belgian partners, we want to exchange knowledge, explore new opportunities and build on the strong connections between our two countries.

Both healthcare systems face shared challenges, from ageing populations and workforce shortages to rising costs and increasing demand for care. Collaboration and innovation can help turn these challenges into opportunities, accelerating the development and adoption of technologies that bring care closer to patients and strengthen healthcare systems.

We look forward to connecting with Belgian companies, healthcare organisations, researchers and other partners. Join us to exchange ideas, discover new solutions and explore how we can advance MedTech innovation together.

Collaborating for tomorrow’s healthcare 

The Netherlands and Taiwan are key partners in the global semiconductor ecosystem. Building on their complementary strengths in innovation, manufacturing and high-tech systems, the Dutch mission to Semicon Taiwan 2026 aims to strengthen existing partnerships and create new opportunities for collaboration across the semiconductor value chain.

From 2 to 4 September 2026, Dutch companies will attend Semicon Taiwan to showcase cutting-edge technologies and connect with Taiwanese industry leaders, research organisations and potential business partners. The mission highlights the Netherlands’ expertise in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, advanced packaging, photonics, AI, metrology, quantum technologies and sustainable high-tech solutions.

Powering semiconductor innovation together

Participants

The Netherlands Pavilion proudly presents a curated lineup of 19 pioneering companies delivering cutting-edge technologies across the semiconductor value chain:

• Axelera AI－Metis™ AI platform: a complete hardware and software solution for AI inference at the edge.
• Boschman－Advanced packaging equipment and technology.
• Fastmicro－Particle defect inspection tools, including sample and fallout scanners.
• Fonontech－Equipment based on impulse printing technology.
• Hitec Power Protection－Dynamic UPS systems.
• HQ Pack－Packaging design, production, and refurbishment for returnable high-tech packages.
• ITEC－Advanced die attach equipment and semiconductor assembly solutions for IC packaging, LED, and RFID applications.
• Invest in Holland – Gateway to investment opportunities and business support in the Dutch high-tech ecosystem.
• Mecal High-Tech Systems－Development and integration of advanced mechatronic solutions.
• MicroAlign－High-precision fiber alignment and photonic packaging solutions for silicon photonics and optical interconnects. 
• NTS－Precision mechatronic systems, mechanical modules, and contract manufacturing solutions for the semiconductor and high-tech industries.
• OrangeQS－Wafer metrology and quality control solutions, specializing in automated wafer inspection, measurement, geometry analysis, and manufacturing process monitoring.
• Prodrive Technologies－High-performance components including cameras, motion controllers, embedded systems, and plasma control technologies; system integration services.
• Qualinx BV－Ultra-low-power GNSS chips and Digital RF technology for IoT positioning and edge devices. 
• Schunk Xycarb Technology－Tantalum-coated products for semiconductor manufacturing.
• SCIL Nanoimprint Solutions－FabSCIL for nanoscale patterning.
• SFC－Precision fluid handling, contamination control, and engineered solutions for semiconductor manufacturing processes.
• Tempress －Diffusion and deposition solutions
• Trymax－Semiconductor plasma-based equipment and process solutions.

As one of the world’s leading semiconductor ecosystems, the Netherlands combines deep-tech expertise with close collaboration among industry, startups, and research institutions to turn breakthrough ideas into real-world solutions. Sustainability is equally central to this vision, with Dutch companies advancing ESG through energy-efficient manufacturing, circular economy practices, and clean energy innovations that help reduce the industry’s environmental footprint.

Together, the Netherlands and Taiwan are driving innovation roadmaps that strengthen supply chain resilience, and build a smarter, more sustainable semiconductor future.

Come meet the team behind the technologies driving the next era of semiconductors.

荷蘭與臺灣是全球半導體產業生態系的重要合作夥伴。憑藉雙方在創新、製造及高科技系統領域的互補優勢，荷蘭SEMICON Taiwan 2026 經貿代表團旨在深化既有合作關係，並在半導體價值鏈各環節開創更多合作機會。

2026 年 9 月 2 日至 4 日，荷蘭企業將參與 SEMICON Taiwan，展示最先進的技術，並與臺灣產業領袖、研究機構及潛在商業夥伴建立交流與合作。此次代表團將展現荷蘭在半導體製造設備、先進封裝、光子技術、人工智慧（AI）、量測技術、量子科技及永續高科技解決方案等領域。

攜手推動半導體創新

參展單位

荷蘭館精選 19 家創新企業，展示最新半導體創新技術：

• Axelera AI－Metis™ AI 平台：整合硬體與軟體的 AI 邊緣推論完整方案
• Boschman－先進封裝與設備技術
• Fastmicro－粒子瑕疵檢測系統，包括樣本掃描與掉落測試儀
• Fonontech －以脈衝式印刷（Impulse Printing）技術為核心的設備方案
• Hitec Power Protection －穩壓潔淨電力的動態不斷電UPS系統
• HQ Pack－高科技可回收包裝設計、製造與翻新服務
• ITEC－提供 IC 封裝、LED 與 RFID 應用的先進固晶（Die Attach）設備及半導體組裝解決方案
• Invest in Holland－協助企業掌握荷蘭高科技產業投資機會與商務拓展資源
• Mecal High-Tech Systems－精密機電系統的開發與整合
• MicroAlign－矽光子與光學互連應用的高精度光纖對準及矽光子封裝技術
• NTS－提供精密機電系統、機械模組及半導體與高科技產業的委託製造服務
• OrangeQS－專注於晶圓量測與品質控制解決方案，提供自動化晶圓檢測分析及製程監控技術
• Prodrive Technologies－高性能攝影機、運動控制器、嵌入式系統、電漿控制設備與整合式解決方案
• Qualinx BV－超低功耗 GNSS 晶片與 Digital RF 技術，應用於物聯網定位及邊緣裝置
• Schunk Xycarb Technology－半導體製程中的鉭鍍層關鍵零組件
• SCIL Nanoimprint Solutions－FabSCIL 奈米壓印微影技術解決方案
• SFC－半導體製程所需的精密流體控制、污染防治與工程化解決方案
• Tempress－擴散與薄膜沉積設備
• Trymax －以電漿技術為核心的半導體設備與製程解決方案

作為全球領先的半導體生態系之一，荷蘭結合深科技（Deep Tech）實力，以及產業、新創企業與研究機構之間緊密的合作模式，將突破性的創新構想轉化為實際應用。永續發展同樣是荷蘭的重要核心價值，荷蘭企業透過節能製造、循環經濟及潔淨能源創新，積極推動 ESG，協助降低半導體產業對環境的影響。荷蘭與臺灣正攜手推動半導體創新藍圖，提升供應鏈韌性，共同打造更智慧、更永續的半導體未來。歡迎蒞臨荷蘭館，與推動下一世代半導體技術的創新團隊面對面交流。