In it to win it! Rotterdam’s road to the finals of iCapital Awards
We are proud to share that Rotterdam is among the 3 finalists of the European Innovation Capital Award 2026. Join us on our road to the finals in Turin. As inspiration, we will share some highlights of our innovation story in a series of blogs. And we will start with a vital building block today: our vision on research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
From great innovative initiatives…
Did you know that as early as 2009, Rotterdam built an innovation campus in an old industrial port area where, years before, submarines were made? Together with the Port of Rotterdam and knowledge institutions, we made space for experimentation and innovation: RDM Campus was born. Together with the transformation of another port area, M4H, we created the Rotterdam Makers District.
The financial crisis around 2010 urged us to rethink our economic goals. This leads, for example, to the arrival of CIC Rotterdam, the first international expansion of CIC. And to the start of Innovation Quarter, our regional investment agency.
…to an encompassing visionary backbone
We lacked a visionary story. That is why we asked Jeremy Rifkin to help us live up to our economic potential. And the Roadmap Next Economy was born. An extensive framework where societal challenges are matched with our economic strengths, on a regional level. It entails the following pathways moving forward:
1. Smart Digital Delta – towards zero marginal costs
This transition pathway encompasses all issues dealing with increased digital connectivity, big data platforms, smart logistics, smart mobility, sensors, Internet of Things, etc. It concerns all actions that need to be taken to establish a sophisticated digital infrastructure, which includes a new legal framework that builds trust in a digitized marketplace.
A nice example is the Open Urban Platform: a digital hub of the city’s physical infrastructure developed by the Gemeente Rotterdam.
2. Smart Energy Delta – towards zero carbon
This transition pathway encompasses everything dealing with connected smart energy systems, sustainable sources, conversion and storage technologies, energy savings, carbon capture storage, heat roundabout, all-electric and hydrogen infrastructure. It concerns all actions that need to be taken to establish a renewable energy infrastructure in the region.
You probably already know about the smart energy systems subsidy scheme, right?
Check out this page to learn more about it: Smart Energy Systems Program
3. Circular Economy – towards zero waste
This transition pathway encompasses everything dealing with the use and re-use of resources and waste streams within the region: recycling, upcycling, bio-based materials, and clean technologies. It concerns all actions that need to be taken to realize a circular regional hub.
We developed a circular program within the municipality, we have a special relationship with the renowned knowledge and innovation hub BlueCity, and we opened up our very own knowledge- and experience centre for circular building: de HER.
You can read more about it via our partner Royal BAM Group.
4. Entrepreneurial region – towards new productivity
This transition pathway deals with new business models, new products and services, new forms of collaborations like field labs on disruptive innovations, entrepreneurship from startups to scale-ups, and a new regulatory framework. It concerns all actions that need to be taken to create an entrepreneurial culture and structure in our region.
The Up!Rotterdam program has successfully established itself as a public-private initiative in our region to help startup and scale-up founders get access to talent, capital, markets, and networks. For more information, check out: Scale your business – Rotterdam Innovation City.
5. Next Society – towards an inclusive society
This transition pathway deals with new labor market arrangements, new skills, and new forms of education, the commons, citizen cooperatives, bottom-up movement, (social) entrepreneurs, and social innovation. It concerns all actions that need to be taken to build up a more inclusive society.
That is why we initiated Voor Goed Agency, our go-to knowledge hub and action club on social innovation.
To today’s reality
Recently, an economic board with local entrepreneurs formulated independent advice to the city council. That advice builds on the Roadmap with extra attention to leading sectors such as MedTech, cleantech, and AI as connecting technologies, and to stimulate conditions for an innovative entrepreneurial region and talent development. A bold new step for further development of our innovation ecosystem.
Rotterdam has many faces, many visions – we are an open laboratory. But the Roadmap Next Economy still runs through that as our backbone. Just like the River Rotte runs through our city.
Rotterdam. Innovating together.
