Rotterdam’s Coalition Agreement ‘Vaart maken’ Strengthens Life Sciences & Health Tech Ambitions

The Municipality of Rotterdam has presented its new coalition agreement, Vaart maken, outlining the city’s ambitions for the 2026-2030 period with a long-term vision towards 2050. The coalition, consisting of PRO Rotterdam, D66, VVD, CDA and Volt, has formally assumed office following the appointment of the new aldermen on Thursday, 9 July. Among the agreement’s three key priorities- housing, the economy and quality of life- Life Sciences & Health Tech is positioned as a key driver of Rotterdam’s future economic development.

Building on a strong foundation

The ambition is for Rotterdam to have a strong ecosystem of startups, scale-ups, knowledge institutions and healthcare organisations in the Life Sciences & Health sector by 2030.

The coalition agreement sets out Rotterdam’s ambition to become a leading city where healthcare, innovation and economic strength come together. Alongside the port and the circular manufacturing industry, Life Sciences & Health Tech is recognised as one of the city’s strategic sectors for the future.

Rotterdam already has a strong foundation to build on. Erasmus MC, one of Europe’s leading academic medical centres, works closely with TU Delft on groundbreaking research and technological innovation. Together with the city’s excellent regional hospitals, this collaboration has led to a growing number of successful spin-offs, startups and scale-ups, while attracting researchers, entrepreneurs and investors from around the world.

The municipality recognises that combining health sciences with technology delivers a double impact: improving healthcare and public health while strengthening the regional economy. Innovation areas such as medical imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) are highlighted as key opportunities that align with the Dutch National Technology Strategy.

The ambition is clear: by 2030, Rotterdam aims to have a thriving ecosystem of startups, scale-ups, knowledge institutions and healthcare organisations that work together to accelerate innovation in Life Sciences & Health.

Investing in space for growth

To realise these ambitions, the coalition agreement identifies the availability of space as a key priority. Researchers need laboratories, startups require flexible workspaces, and scale-ups need facilities to develop, manufacture and commercialise their innovations.

To support this growth, the municipality will work with Erasmus MC and investors to further develop the Dijkzigt Campus Master Plan 2050. In the long term, this will add approximately 220,000 m² of business space to the campus. In parallel, the municipality will explore opportunities to make additional laboratory and business space available elsewhere in the city in the shorter term.

By expanding both the Dijkzigt Campus and the availability of innovation space across Rotterdam, the municipality aims to create the conditions needed for the Life Sciences & Health Tech ecosystem to continue growing.

Supporting innovation through funding and talent

The coalition agreement also focuses on creating the right conditions for innovation to flourish. Part of the Eneco funds will be used to help promising Life Sciences & Health Tech startups and scale-ups secure the capital they need to grow and successfully bring innovations from research to market.

Talent development is another key priority. The municipality emphasises that ideas, funding and facilities alone are not enough. Continued growth also depends on attracting and developing skilled professionals, from researchers and laboratory specialists to engineers, entrepreneurs and other talent across healthcare and technology.

Strengthening Rotterdam’s Life Sciences & Health ecosystem

The coalition agreement also explicitly recognises the role of Rotterdam Square. The municipality intends to further strengthen Rotterdam Square as the organisation that connects, supports and accelerates the Rotterdam Life Sciences & Health Tech ecosystem. As an active partner, the municipality aims to attract talent, investment and anchor companies while fostering collaboration between businesses, knowledge institutions, healthcare organisations and government.

With its focus on space, funding, talent and ecosystem development, Vaart maken provides a clear roadmap for strengthening Rotterdam’s Life Sciences & Health Tech ecosystem in the years ahead.