The subsidy is the second tranche of the total Growth Fund contribution of €246 million that was reserved in 2022. The award follows a positive evaluation of the first programme phases. Biotech Booster helps researchers and entrepreneurs to translate groundbreaking biotechnological innovations into commercial applications more quickly: from sustainable seed coatings to new production methods. Industrial biotechnology projects, such as those involving fungus-based water purification, also receive support.
CEO Nettie Buitelaar is delighted: ‘This investment underlines the strategic value of biotechnology for the Netherlands. Together with our partners – from RegMed XB to DSM Firmenich – we are building an ecosystem that accelerates innovation and offers solutions to societal challenges in the areas of food, health and sustainability.’
Improving valorisation
An important goal of Biotech Booster is to improve valorisation: translating scientific knowledge into economic activity and applications. Although the Netherlands is an international leader in biotech publications and patents, this translation lags behind. The programme offers financial support, mentoring and access to a broad network. In doing so, it helps entrepreneurs bridge the so-called “valley of death” – the risky phase between discovery and market introduction.
Since its inception, 71 projects have been admitted to Biotech Booster, most of them last year. The next round is planned for 2026. The focus will be on five thematic clusters, including industrial biotechnology and production (TC1), agri-food biotechnology (TC2) and health applications (TC3-5).
Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf (OCW) calls the investment a “double return”: ‘Biotech Booster strengthens both our science and our economy. The innovations from the programme improve healthcare, contribute to a better climate and create new economic activity.
For more information, visit the Biotech Booster website
Image: FOTOGRIN/Shutterstock
