Predictability and appeal. De Cloe sees these as crucial factors for foreign companies considering a move to Brabant. He has been working at the Brabant Development Agency (BOM) for nearly two years now. During that time, he has seen a lack of clear government policy on key issues that directly affect the investment climate.
“These are the kinds of uncertainties that make international companies hesitant,” he says. “They become less positive and less enthusiastic about coming here.” And yet, according to De Cloe, the Netherlands — and Brabant in particular — has a great deal to offer foreign companies: “Brabant’s open innovation ecosystems are exceptionally strong. Just look at the biopharma cluster around Pivot Park in Oss, or the high-tech manufacturing ecosystem centred on Brainport Eindhoven.”
In addition, the Netherlands offers a high quality of life, a population that largely speaks excellent English, and outstanding physical and digital infrastructure. “So we have plenty of unique selling points,” De Cloe says. “My hope is that a new cabinet will provide policy stability and, with that, long-term certainty.”
That would allow De Cloe and his team to focus on what they do best: sustainably strengthening the Brabant economy by building international connections together with innovative companies.
Strong value chains as a starting point
According to De Cloe, the work of BOM’s international team can be broadly summarised as follows: helping Brabant-based companies succeed abroad, while attracting foreign companies that bring distinctive knowledge and expertise. The ultimate goal is to reinforce existing Brabant value chains.
Those value chains, De Cloe says, are already impressive. They align with key technologies identified in the national technology strategy and represent growth markets in which the Netherlands is internationally competitive. Examples include (bio)medical technology, sustainable food production, smart energy systems, deep tech (semiconductors, quantum and photonics), defence, and AI and robotics.
Even in strong ecosystems, however, crucial pieces are sometimes missing. One example is the Japanese company DNP, a global player at the intersection of materials technology and photonics. With support from BOM, the company was successfully attracted to Brabant and established a presence at the High Tech Campus Eindhoven in September this year.
“We always do this in close coordination and collaboration with companies in the existing ecosystem,” De Cloe says. “They tell us which expertise is currently missing and which partners they would like to have nearby.”
Notably, international acquisition is no longer about large factories or maximising job creation. It is about attracting value: highly specific knowledge and capabilities. Often this means laboratories with five to ten engineers who possess precisely the expertise that is lacking at the regional level.
Why companies need to go abroad
BOM not only supports the attraction of foreign companies, but also guides Brabant entrepreneurs who are looking to expand beyond national borders. Much of Brabant’s technology has international market potential and can generate far greater impact at scale. Moreover, the Netherlands simply does not always have the space to produce at large volumes.
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Daan de Cloe
However, companies looking to expand into Asia or the United States need to understand how business is actually done there. That is where BOM comes in. “An SME does not easily get a foot in the door with large foreign customers,” De Cloe says. “It takes a great deal of time and effort. As an independent public organisation without a commercial interest, that is easier for us.”
Staying focused in a world full of opportunities
De Cloe does not try to gain a foothold everywhere in the world. The world is vast, while BOM’s internationalisation team is relatively small. Focus and clear choices are therefore essential. BOM concentrates on three economic blocks: Europe, the United States and Asia, with an emphasis on regions that are economically relevant to Brabant.
In the United States, this includes Minnesota, Texas, Arizona and California. In Europe, the focus is on Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Scandinavia. Key Asian regions include Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia.
The fact that other countries are not on this list does not mean BOM is ignoring opportunities elsewhere. Rather, most of its efforts are directed towards regions that align with Brabant’s strengths. “Every day there are international conferences, seminars or trade missions that companies can take part in,” De Cloe says. “That's why we make deliberate, well-considered choices.”
Geopolitics as a daily reality
Does geopolitics influence those choices? The global economy is changing rapidly, but according to De Cloe, geopolitical uncertainty is nothing new — it is part of the job. Trade tariffs, wars, the rise of India, tensions with China: almost everything affects Brabant’s value chains in today’s highly interconnected global economy.
BOM cannot control geopolitics, but it can help interpret its implications. “We are not policymakers. We are the implementing organisation for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Province of Brabant,” De Cloe says. “We organise sessions to inform companies about opportunities and risks, for example related to US trade policy and its impact on the Semiconductor sector, or the consequences of the higher NATO spending target for the Dutch defence industry.”
The key is to build on long-term relationships. Countries such as Japan and Singapore are important partners for BOM because of the mutual trust and predictability they offer. “Business does not always approach things in the same way as a country’s federal or national government,” De Cloe says. “That’s why it helps to nurture the direct relationships you have with regions and companies. You know them, you know who you are dealing with and how they operate. That helps you understand why things change, and allows you to gain early insight into how to respond. It enables you to act in time.”
Notable successes
Looking back on the past year, De Cloe sees plenty to be proud of. BOM became the national coordinator for international activities in medical technology, on behalf of all regional development agencies. In Southeast Asia, BOM plays a similar coordinating role in the field of high-tech manufacturing.
Through the overseas offices of the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA), BOM also tested a new and innovative approach to attracting foreign companies. De Cloe explains: “We said, ‘Are you working on sustainable plant-based food production? Then come to Brabant, where we have the knowledge and facilities to scale sustainable innovations into real impact.’”
This resulted in a significant number of site visits and matchmaking meetings with companies in the sector, ranging from startups to large multinationals such as Cosun. “At the moment, around 30 potential investment projects are underway,” De Cloe says. “So far, three companies have already established operations in Brabant.”
This successful acquisition approach will be expanded in the coming years. “We will use it as a blueprint for other trajectories,” De Cloe says. “We learned a great deal in the first round and are now fine-tuning the process.”
Looking ahead: defence, AI and robotics
Clear ambitions are already in place for 2026. Defence will become a key international focus. “If we want to strengthen our economy in a sustainable way, we need to ensure a diverse economic base with multiple sectors that are internationally competitive. The momentum in the defence industry offers real opportunities — a great deal of development and production will take place there.”
AI and robotics will also take a central position. In 2025, BOM published a report on the international potential of this sector. “In the coming year, we will increasingly connect AI and robotics with other sectors such as high tech, agriculture and defence,” De Cloe says. “AI and robotics offer applications across the board. It is a highly promising technology that boosts labour productivity and helps address our challenges in talent availability.”
Facts and figures on internationalisation
In 2025, BOM made a broad and visible contribution to the international positioning of Brabant-based companies. A total of 1,264 companies were supported in pursuing their international ambitions. This support included 32 innovation and entrepreneurship missions, 34 information and knowledge-sharing events, and 7 market reports and studies, providing innovative entrepreneurs with valuable insights into foreign markets and opportunities.
BOM’s efforts also delivered concrete results: 30 foreign company establishments or expansions in Brabant, and an inflow of €372 million in new foreign direct investment.