Innovation leads the way
In Rotterdam we're always one step ahead. We're not only thinking and talking about innovation, we do it. Together with all the amazing people who work and live in Rotterdam. Our port is the central hub of Europe’s largest maritime cluster and we are also a key player on a global scale in other strong economic sectors. In Rotterdam we aim for a better and more sustainable future for all. The United Nations addressed the global challenges, in Rotterdam we build and implement solutions. Rotterdam is a hotbed for innovative entrepreneurs who contribute to a sustainable, circular and digital city in the new economy. We want to support these entrepreneurs in scaling up their business. With Up!Rotterdam we connect and strengthen initiatives to provide easier access to talent, international markets and financing.
Latest updates
New subsidy round for companies with smart sustainable solutions
Five innovative companies have already started innovations in the city and port. From the 2nd of March until the 2nd of May 2021, new applicants can register for the second subsid...
More >More breathing space in lockdown, but caution remains
The coronavirus measures are testing everyone’s resilience, both physically and mentally. The longer the crisis continues, the more difficult it becomes for everyone. Now that a y...
More >Healthy.Capital looking for ambitious start-ups in the early phase
The fourth edition of Healthy Funding held on Thursday 4th of February, was co-hosted by Healthy.Capital. This investment fund invests in young, promising Dutch companies that foc...
More >From law students to pioneers in sustainable medical care
Michiel Kuijpers and Daan Lamens were once fellow law students. Now, with their company, Euronitrile they have developed a biodegradable, disposable medical glove. This should, fi...
More >Contribution towards fixed costs first quarter 2021 started
Contribution towards fixed costs first quarter 2021 started SME entrepreneurs who will be affected by the measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the first quarter of...
More >Judith Eyck: Unexpectedly becoming an entrepreneur and being great at it
Judith Eyck is the type of person who goes for the things she’s set her mind to. Even when they seem distant and scary. Even when she, herself, can use a word of encouragement. Sh...
More >International medical community watches Timothy's Baby Scanner 3D
A 3D scanner that measures the growth of a premature baby from outside the incubator. International medical science follows with suspicion how former Electrical Engineering studen...
More >Erasmus MC staff playfully fitter during night shifts
A care innovation does not always have to be technologically advanced. It can also be a social innovation. A good example of this is the KoersKaart Fit in de Nacht, a 'serious gam...
More >Mayor Aboutaleb presents plan for 1,000 climate resilient cities to world leaders
At the Climate Adaptation Summit 2021 (CAS 2021), Mayor Aboutaleb of Rotterdam presented the ten-year program '1,000 Cities Adapt Now' to world leaders including heads of state An...
More >Rotterdam is part of a study into a cargo hyperloop network
How can we ship goods throughout Europe in only a couple of hours rather than days? And all over the world within a couple of days? A study is being conducted in the Randstad into...
More >InnovationQuarter helps start-ups to innovate and invest
Anyone wanting to get a Life Sciences & Health innovation onto the market as a starter cannot do without funds or subsidies. InnovationQuarter helps companies to innovate and i...
More >Canadian cities learn from Rotterdam’s blue-green grid solution
In the Toronto Star, a Canadian newspaper, the City of Rotterdam’s vision on managing water is set as an example for Canadian cities. In the article, an overview is given of the u...
More >Before we move forward, let’s look back.
In wrapping up 2020, we’re choosing a different approach. Because if there’s one thing we learned: negative adjectives and sad stories are not what startup and scale-up founders a...
More >Lockdown in order to minimise contact between people
Coronavirus is once again spreading rapidly. In recent weeks, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of infections, with figures up to around 9,000 per day. The number...
More >Serial entrepreneur Hans Scheffer on building a company
'From the very first time I worked with people, I knew that everyone in a company is equal. Building a team is about working with the most driven people on a common goal regardles...
More >€100 million for sustainable ideas from Rotterdam businesses
The City of Rotterdam is making €100 million available for sustainable, innovative projects in Rotterdam. The 100 million for sustainable businesses comes from the Energy Transiti...
More >Kaminari Medical receives investment from UNIIQ
Kaminari Medical, founded as a spin-off from Erasmus MC, will receive an investment of €300,000 for the further development of its new cardiovascular imaging technology.
More >Juuve: Improving mobility one shared car at a time
Why is it that people own a car? This was the question that Niki Sie asked himself before he set out to found Juuve, a car-sharing platform currently active in Rotterdam and Utrec...
More >Rotterdam presents ambitious shore power strategy for seagoing vessels
The City of Rotterdam and the Port of Rotterdam Authority will jointly roll out shore power for seagoing vessels. The aim is that in 2030 a large proportion of the seagoing vessel...
More >Rotterdam start-up contributes to digital accessibility
Digital accessibility means that everyone, including people with disabilities, can make full use of websites, apps and services offered via the Internet. Think, for example, of ap...
More >Dealing with personal loss is never easy. Closure is there to help.
Everyone experiences the loss of a loved one at one point in their lives. There is no way around it and it is never easy to deal with. Graciëlla van Vliet and Chantal van der Veld...
More >Contribute to the LSH010 ecosystem
The Life Sciences & Health (LSH) sector in Rotterdam is a lively and dynamic network. The City of Rotterdam considers it important to stimulate economic development within this se...
More >Circularise: Leveraging blockchain to power the circular economy
There is a lot of talk about the need to transition to a circular economy. Companies - big and small alike - embrace the challenge with enthusiasm, drive and innovative ideas. Mun...
More >Parx Materials: Scaling an antimicrobial technology in times of a pandemic
A lot has been said lately about personal hygiene, outbreak prevention and a certain type of virus. A lot has been said about having to take strict measures, if at times only as a...
More >Rotterdam launches subsidy scheme for smart energy networks
The municipality will offer a new subsidy scheme for the development of smart energy networks. With this subsidy scheme, Rotterdam wants to speed up the construction and roll-out ...
More >Entrepreneurs find opportunities where most people find challenges
Two months later, it is already a success Entrepreneurs find opportunities where most people find challenges. They thrive on those challenges, in fact, and turn them into success...
More >Dutch innovations win more than €30 million
New ways to ventilate patients to reduce lung damage, a long-distance drone for emergency medical shipments and saving 6 billion one-day cockerels worldwide. All this is now possi...
More >Join the Rotterdam Entrepreneur Pitch!
We see it all around us: these times are bringing out the smartest and most creative entrepreneurs in Rotterdam. That’s great news, because these creative ideas will help our cit...
More >Corona crisis increases demand for Genzõ app with Smart Glasses
The demand for the communication app Genzõ with Smart Glasses from the Rotterdam company 1Minuut has exploded since the outbreak of the corona crisis. At home and abroad. ‘The new...
More >Fit For Me: from a Rotterdam student's bedroom to six continents
Nutritional supplements for people who have undergone weight loss surgery. It's a niche within a niche, but the Rotterdam-based company, Fit For Me, is the global market leader in...
More >Innovation continues at RSM Star online competition
Teams from 12 highly ranked universities from all over the world put their energies into effectively collaborating online to produce the best solutions in the week-long RSM STAR O...
More >Wheelair is transforming the international wheelchair market from its base in Rotterdam
Wheelair established a branch in the Rotterdam area in February. From here, the Scottish medtech company, which makes revolutionary cooling systems for wheelchairs, is striving fo...
More >The Corona Bridge Loan (COL) is helping innovative companies stay afloat
“I’m not sure if our business would have been able to survive without the COL, the Corona Bridging Loan, from the government,” says Jeroen van Velzen. “Just because our revenues a...
More >Alphatron Medical creates a nationwide exchange of medical images
This summer, Alphatron Medical in Rotterdam will be delivering the portal that will enable all hospitals in the Netherlands to exchange radiology images and reports safely and qui...
More >Additional 150 million for Corona Bridge Loan
The Corona Bridge Loan (Corona-OverbruggingsLening, COL) was created especially for startups, scale-ups and innovative SMEs affected by COVID-19. Previously €100 million was grant...
More >Apply for working capital loan for affected frontier entrepreneurs
Are you an entrepreneur who lives outside the Netherlands (in the EU, EEA or Switzerland)? Is your company located in the Netherlands? And has your company run into financial prob...
More >BEEP base follows bees in the cloud
Bees are important to us: they provide 80% of the pollination of our food. With a climate-friendly innovation, bee colonies can now be followed closely. Beep.nl, together with ict...
More >‘A rotterdam health technology campus is now more crucial than ever before’
The corona crisis has emphasised Life Sciences & Health 010’s vital importance, with the Erasmus MC as the beating heart of this acute care in the Netherlands. Ellen Perik, the mu...
More >Turning challenges into opportunities
Pivot, pivot, pivot. “Creative thinking is the number one skill that successful entrepreneurs master, and the current COVID-19 situation asks for a lot of creativity. I believe t...
More >100M Corona Bridge Loan (COL) facility available to startups, scale-ups and innovative SME's
The 100M Corona Bridge Loan (COL) facility is available to startups, scale-ups and innovative SME's. This arrangement was established in cooperation between the Ministry of Econom...
More >What's UP! - Reliability Solutions
Rotterdam faces major social, economic and ecological challenges. They require a long-term strategy with innovative solutions. We work on this together with front runners in busin...
More >Rotterdam entrepreneurs come together in challenging times
The coronavirus situation has been evolving over the past weeks, forcing everyone – from individuals to small business owners and corporates to change the way they go about their ...
More >Vice Mayors sent letter to Rotterdam Entrepreneurs
Aldermen Barbara Kathmann (Economics, Districts and Small Centres) and Arjan van Gils (Finance, Organisation, Port and Major Projects) support entrepreneurs via the message below ...
More >Measures against Corona virus
The coronavirus can have consequences for your company and your employees. This page provides an overview of the measures that can support your company. We will keep you informed ...
More >One campus for all international education
One campus for international education should make Rotterdam more attractive to expats, highly educated professionals from abroad. The current coalition in the city council wants ...
More >Subsidy to set up a business school
From March this year, SMEs can apply for a subsidy to set up a business school, receive career advice for their employees or keep their employees' skills up to date. The governme...
More >CENT-R is future-proofing Rotterdam
The CENT-R is a ‘platform’, a type of box that is ready for the future: it can be used for electric charging and it can be equipped with 5G internet, cameras, street lighting and...
More >What'sUP! - Future Proof Shipping
Rotterdam faces major social, economic and ecological challenges. They require a long-term strategy with innovative solutions. We work on this together with front runners in busin...
More >What'sUP! - Out of the box energy
Rotterdam faces major social, economic and ecological challenges. They require a long-term strategy with innovative solutions. We work on this together with front runners in busin...
More >Ruggedised: working on smart grid for thermal energy
With the European Project RUGGEDISED, the City of Rotterdam is working to produce a neighbourhood where the thermal energy needed is produced, shared and used locally through a sm...
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