Toespraak minister-president Rutte bij opening Startup Fest Europe

Toespraak | 24-05-2016

Ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome to Amsterdam, and welcome to the Netherlands. I'm proud to say that for the next week we'll be at the centre of the start-up universe. For the next five days, the Netherlands will be Silicon Valley on the North Sea.

We’ll be hosting over 30 events in 16 Dutch cities, ranging from a Water Tech Fest in Leeuwarden to a Campus Party in Utrecht. Brainport Eindhoven, the 'world’s smartest region', will show why it’s our High Tech Capital.

These are just some of the ways we’ll be celebrating Startup Fest Europe this week. And what better place to do it than here? The Netherlands ranks top on the EU’s Startup Nation Scoreboard. For a small country we have enormous potential when it comes to hubs, accelerators, talent, expertise and creativity.

Our country lies partly below sea level, so we have long experience of building practical and innovative solutions. In our battle against the water we’ve had to work together and pool resources. Thanks to our coastal location and our outstanding infrastructure, the Netherlands has an international outlook. We're the gateway to Europe. And to top it all, we currently hold the EU Council Presidency.

During our six-month term, the Dutch Presidency wants to give a boost to the European start-up and scale-up scene. We want to show the world that the west coast of Europe is a top spot for innovation and enterprise. That's in all our interests, because start-ups contribute a lot to the European economy and to job creation.

Take the Dutch biotech firm Acerta Pharma, in Oss, which is working on a promising leukemia drug. Late last year it sold a majority stake in the company for a sector record of 3.7 billion euros.

Or Adyen, the first Dutch unicorn, which now has 12 offices around the world. When I became prime minister of this country in 2010, most people thought a start-up was simply a hip word for a company.

And that a 'fest' was just another word for a party, for that matter. But these days, entrepreneurship is hot and the start-up scene is booming like never before.

Of course, that’s largely down to one woman: Neelie Kroes. She’s been our special envoy for start-ups for a year and a half, and if there’s anyone left who doesn’t know what a start-up is, they must have been living under a very big rock. A round of applause please for Neelie Kroes! And of course I wish Neelie’s successor, Prince Constantijn, good luck.

Thanks to Neelie’s hard work, over the past few months I’ve had plenty of visits myself from representatives of start-ups. I’ve also been to the Mecca of start-ups – Silicon Valley – and to the Hannover Messe, where I marveled at the world's most cutting-edge innovations. And several things have struck me while talking to all these entrepreneurs.

First, their drive and enthusiasm. Most aren't focused on trying to join the ranks of the Fortune 500; they just want to make the world a better place. You don’t solve global problems like hunger, poverty, flooding or rising healthcare costs by taking to the streets with banners. You solve them by inventing solutions and bringing them to market.

I was inspired, for example, by the people from healthcare start-ups I met in The Hague recently. Including the inventor of Tinybots – little robots that help elderly people who suffer from dementia. They can do things like giving automatic reminders and playing favourite music, which can considerably improve people’s quality of life.

The second thing that struck me was their enterprising spirit. The Netherlands and Europe have made impressive strides in this area in recent years. Per head of the labour force we’re actually more entrepreneurial than the US. In the past, big multinationals like Unilever and Heineken were the obvious choices for talented graduates, but now many are choosing to go it alone.

In fact, you don't even need to be a graduate. Anyone, of any age, can be an entrepreneur, and that’s a very positive development. I have great respect for the passion, idealism, daring and persistence of these individuals. And for their ability to spot what’s new, different and groundbreaking.

Or 'disruptive', as you might say. Which reminds of the famous quote from Henry Ford: ‘If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said 'faster horses'.’ Working the way you do requires a different mind-set. I’ve heard entrepreneurs say that, here in Europe, a bankruptcy is still seen too much as a failure. As something to be ashamed of and hidden away.

We can really learn from the Americans here, because there the mind-set is: 'It’s great that you gave it your best shot. What have you learned and what’s your next project?’ Or, as Nelson Mandela once said: ‘I never lose. Either I win or I learn.' 

Ladies and gentlemen, I stand here today not only as the Dutch prime minister, but also as a representative of the EU Presidency. And in Europe as a whole, the start-up scene needs a push. We need to give our start-ups the chance to grow big here. And the way to do that is by completing the single market.

Because, too often, companies still face restrictive rules and regulations in individual member states.If a company sets up shop in the Netherlands, its potential customer base shouldn’t be confined to 17 million Dutch consumers. It should potentially extend to 500 million Europeans, with all their purchasing power. Or all seven billion global citizens for that matter.

Of course, we can’t get rid of all those different rules overnight. But we can provide clarity. The Single Digital Gateway will give entrepreneurs quick and easy access to all relevant information about rules and procedures in the different member states and the EU, via 1 single portal. In the Netherlands we’ve introduced a start-up visa to make it easier for young entrepreneurs from abroad to start operating here. The scheme is working well.

Let’s introduce it at European level, so that entrepreneurs aren't faced with different admission procedures in different member states. These are just two plans for completing the single market that are already on the table. The challenge now is to move into high gear and make it happen.
That’s why I’m pressing for a Single Market Agenda that sets specific, realistic goals and gives the single market absolute top priority. This is about innovation, jobs and economic growth.

It’s so important, it needs to be tackled at the highest possible level. As always, it comes down to three things: cooperation, cooperation and cooperation. One person with a great idea won’t get far. But put investors, start-ups, researchers and corporations together in a room and you’ll start a revolution.

That’s precisely what’s happening this week at Startup Fest Europe, and I couldn’t be more excited. Ladies and gentlemen, you represent the new world of enterprise. You are socially engaged, international in your outlook, and you dare to think big. I expect great things of you all.

I hope that over the next few days you will be inspired by all the stories you hear and the people you meet. I hope you will seek out the most outlandish, ambitious and challenging ideas conceivable. And then make them happen!

Thank you.