Establishing the Netherlands as a hub for life sciences & health

Brief

The Invest in Holland Network is a collaborative team encompassing the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA), regional economic development agencies, several large cities and Holland International Distribution Council. The group engaged UP THERE, EVERYWHERE to help develop a clear positioning for the Netherlands as a leading destination in Europe for (investment in) Life Sciences & Health.  The brief was to develop a business proposition and positioning —not just a slogan.

Process

Experts from both UP FOR LIFE (UP’s Life Science and Medical Device specialty practice) and UP FOR REAL (UP’s Place Branding and Destination Marketing specialty practice) worked together to develop the initiative.  The first step was to gather together the many stakeholders of The Dutch Top Sector initiative in Life Sciences and Health. Using a participatory approach, UP developed a positioning and a core message that differentiated the Netherlands from other powerful contenders on a global level: Silicon Valley/San Diego, Boston, and the UK.

Work

The starting premise was: the Netherlands is the most important place in Europe for Life Science & Health.

Because of the unique density and closeness of everything in the Netherlands, and the strong spirit of collaboration, we recommended a core idea: Connected. The concept was further developed by imagining the country as a metropolis. This concept was well-received, especially since any region (Rotterdam, Amsterdam or Eindhoven) could use the positioning and adapt it for its own purposes.

The positioning created for the Netherlands was:

The Netherlands: Europe’s connected Life Sciences & Health metropolis.

We developed a Positioning Argumentation Book and a Hero Tube Map Graphic, showing the key Life Science and Health organizations across the country.