The road to success: connecting LSH companies with the right expertise
On 24 September, Rotterdam Square welcomed Life Sciences & Health companies and service providers from across the Rotterdam ecosystem for the first Rotterdam Square Service Provider Event: The road to success, hosted at the office of Ploum.
Developing a promising innovation is only one part of building a successful LSH company. As companies grow, access to expertise in areas such as funding, intellectual property, regulatory requirements, legal matters and talent becomes increasingly important.
Through interactive workshops, a service provider market and networking, the event gave companies the opportunity to gain practical insights, ask questions and connect directly with experts who can support their growth.
Practical knowledge for different stages of growth
During two rounds of workshops, EY, Ploum, Rabobank and the Netherlands Patent Office/RVO shared their expertise on some of the challenges innovative LSH companies encounter as they develop and grow.
EY focused on rewarding talent and accessing funding opportunities, exploring different ways to attract and retain employees as well as European funding programmes relevant to Life Sciences & Health companies.
Ploum addressed the legal foundations for building and growing a startup, covering topics such as legal structures, intellectual property, privacy and technology regulations, commercial agreements and employment.
Rabobank explored financing innovation for growth, including the differences between debt and equity financing and how companies can determine which financing solutions best fit their stage of development and growth ambitions.
The Netherlands Patent Office, part of RVO, focused on intellectual property as a strategic asset. Participants explored how an effective IP strategy can help protect innovation, strengthen a company’s competitive position and play a role in collaborations, investments and funding.
Alongside the workshops, the service provider market allowed participants to meet seven specialised organisations from the Rotterdam Square network.
BSI Group, Kiwa Assurance, Louise Harley IP Works & Projects, Medical Device Project, Panton, Spark design & innovation and V.O. Patents & Trademarks shared their expertise across areas including regulatory affairs, quality management, certification, intellectual property, product development, design and MedTech innovation.
For Life Sciences & Health companies, the road from an innovative idea to a solution that can be successfully implemented and scaled involves many different areas of expertise. No company has to navigate all of these challenges alone.
By bringing companies and service providers together, Rotterdam Square aims to make this expertise more accessible and strengthen the connections within Rotterdam’s Life Sciences & Health ecosystem. The first Service Provider Event provided a setting for exactly that: sharing knowledge, meeting experts and building connections that can help companies move forward.
A big thank you to Ploum for hosting us at their office, and to all our workshop hosts and service providers for sharing their knowledge and expertise. And of course, thank you to everyone who joined us!
Want to join our future events? Take a look at our events and sign up for our mailing list to stay up-to-date.
Date: September 25, 2026
