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Ingrid Meijer

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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW268148387 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-user-drag:none;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);clear:both;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);cursor:text;direction:ltr;font-family:&quot;Segoe UI&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Web&quot;, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;overflow:visible;padding:0px;position:relative;text-align:start;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;user-select:text;white-space:pre-wrap;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><p paraid="1805988562" paraeid="{7e66fc4e-6d5b-4150-8552-92b1c6ddd285}{160}"><strong>East Netherlands and the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia lay next to eachother. Companies and research institutions from both regions are collaborating across the border to further develop existing civilian technology into dual-use applications. This collaboration accelerates innovation and upscaling. Ingrid Meijer of Think East Netherlands (East Netherlands region) and Matthias Grosch of NMWP.NRW (North Rhine-Westphalia region) explain why European cooperation is necessary and how it comes about. </strong><br><br>By connecting ecosystems, new knowledge and innovations emerge. “And that’s necessary,” says Grosch, “because, due to geopolitical risks, the vulnerability of overseas logistics, and increasing U.S. export restrictions, we must develop and produce defense applications on European soil. But no single region possesses, on its own, all the complex technology required for today’s defense products. Cross-border cooperation is therefore essential.”&nbsp;<br>Meijer adds: “By forging the right connections between regions, companies can leverage each other’s strengths and jointly strengthen the defense supply chain. For example, companies based in East Netherlands have expertise in defense radar systems, while the Spanish region of Murcia excels in the construction of frigates. By bringing these strengths together, companies can develop new solutions.’&nbsp;</p><h2>Innovating together&nbsp;</h2><p paraid="1805988562" paraeid="{7e66fc4e-6d5b-4150-8552-92b1c6ddd285}{160}">North Rhine-Westphalia is by far the most important economic trading partner for East Netherlands: “Business leaders on both sides of the border already know each other well, thanks to existing collaborations in sectors other than defense or dual-use. Moreover, the unique strengths of the two regions complement each other. In North Rhine-Westphalia, metalworking, the chemical industry, and specialized mechanical engineering are strongly represented, while the eastern Netherlands excels in areas such as sensor and chip technology and robotics,” says Grosch. “A concrete example of a successful collaboration is currently underway within the Manufacturing Next Materials project. Dutch expertise in the field of catalytic materials is being combined with German expertise in simulation and materials processing (3D metal printing).”&nbsp;</p><blockquote><p paraid="1805988562" paraeid="{7e66fc4e-6d5b-4150-8552-92b1c6ddd285}{160}">By forging connections between regions, companies can leverage each other’s strengths—Ingrid Meijer</p></blockquote><h2><br>Meeting and Networking&nbsp;</h2><p paraid="1805988562" paraeid="{7e66fc4e-6d5b-4150-8552-92b1c6ddd285}{160}">Oost NL, the regional development agency (ROM) for East Netherlands, collaborates with other European regions on shared and complementary innovation themes. Meijer: “East Netherlands is active in European networks such as the Vanguard Initiative, the network of industrial regions; ESRA, the network for semiconductor regions; and EURADA, the network of European regional development agencies. This makes us visible and recognizable to other European regions.” &nbsp;<br>There are also trade missions. In May 2026, approximately 40 companies and over 60 participants from the Netherlands traveled to the Drone Summit 2026 in Riga (Latvia). This was one of the largest Dutch trade missions in the field of drone and defense technology. Establishing the right connections creates business opportunities.&nbsp;</p><h2>Creating a secure supply chain&nbsp;</h2><p paraid="1805988562" paraeid="{7e66fc4e-6d5b-4150-8552-92b1c6ddd285}{160}">One of the strengths for which East Netherlands is internationally recognized and valued is its innovative manufacturing industry. “Add to that the Dutch culture of collaboration. The business community, knowledge institutions, and the government work closely together within Think East Netherlands. This allows us to adapt quickly. Scaling up production—including that of technologically advanced or complex products—is in our DNA.” <br>Grosch sees concrete opportunities for the near future: “I’m thinking, for example, of drone production. We could supply specialized metal parts and engines, while East Netherlands could provide electronics. Together, we can create a secure, European supply chain—which is crucial for defense.”&nbsp;</p><blockquote><p paraid="1805988562" paraeid="{7e66fc4e-6d5b-4150-8552-92b1c6ddd285}{160}">No single region possesses all the complex technology required for defense products on its own—Matthias Grosch&nbsp;</p></blockquote><h2><br>SAFE&nbsp;</h2><p paraid="1805988562" paraeid="{7e66fc4e-6d5b-4150-8552-92b1c6ddd285}{160}">The German-Dutch Interreg project SAFE brings together the strengths of both countries with the goal of making Europe more resilient through homegrown products. “Europe is investing more and more in security and defense. This offers plenty of opportunities for innovative SMEs in the Dutch-German border region. At the same time, many entrepreneurs face barriers to entering the defense market due to complex regulations, certification, and procurement procedures. SAFE was launched in July 2026 and helps companies from East Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia prepare to supply the defense sector. It is the first defense project within the German-Dutch Interreg program,” says Meijer. &nbsp;</p><h2><br>More information about SAFE&nbsp;</h2><p paraid="1805988562" paraeid="{7e66fc4e-6d5b-4150-8552-92b1c6ddd285}{160}">Through workshops, companies learn how to make the transition to the defense market. And companies that already have experience supplying the defense sector inspire others. Entrepreneurs can participate in the workshops free of charge. More information: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://safe.nmwp.eu/nl/">https://safe.nmwp.eu/nl/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW268148387 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-user-drag:none;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);clear:both;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);cursor:text;direction:ltr;font-family:&quot;Segoe UI&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Web&quot;, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;overflow:visible;padding:0px;position:relative;text-align:start;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;user-select:text;white-space:pre-wrap;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW268148387 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;-webkit-user-drag:none;background-color:transparent;color:windowtext;font-kerning:none;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin:0px;overflow-wrap:break-word;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;user-select:text;vertical-align:baseline;" paraid="849816399" paraeid="{51c863ad-c160-40cd-8222-e3da7ed0eb88}{14}"><span style="font-family:&quot;Avenir Book&quot;, &quot;Avenir Book_EmbeddedFont&quot;, &quot;Avenir Book_MSFontService&quot;, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><span class="EOP SCXW268148387 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;-webkit-user-drag:none;line-height:17.2667px;margin:0px;padding:0px;user-select:text;" data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></span></p></div>

Cross-border collaboration accelerates dual-use innovation

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