Twente as a National Deeptech Accelerator: State of Dutch Tech 2026 Confirms the Twente Board Strategy
Twente is emerging as a leading deeptech region outside the Randstad. This is confirmed by the State of Dutch Tech 2026 report from Techleap, TNO and Invest-NL. While the Netherlands struggles to convert its strong technological foundations into international growth, Twente shows that investing in deeptech, talent and knowledge transfer truly pays off.
The Netherlands has a solid technological base, but its potential is not yet fully leveraged for international scaling. Against that national backdrop, Twente is explicitly highlighted as one of the regions outside the Amsterdam region where the development of startups and scale-ups is meaningfully accelerating. For Twente Board, this is an important confirmation of the strategic course.
Date of Publication: 11 February 2026
Read time +/- 3.9 minutes
Deeptech as an engine for growth
Deeptech - companies building new technologies rooted in science and engineering - is the strongest national driver of growth. Forty-one percent of all Dutch scale-ups operate in this domain. Twente is particularly strong in these deeptech areas:
- Photonics, with companies such as QuiX Quantum and PHIX
- Chip and semiconductor technology, anchored by University of Twente research groups, Demcon, Micronit and a growing ChipTech ecosystem
- Robotics and smart systems
- Medical technology, driven by the University of Twente, MedTech Twente and regional hospitals
From bottleneck to solution: early-stage funding
A shortage of early-stage funding remains a major national challenge, especially for young deeptech companies. Twente Board is therefore working together with Oost NL, regional funds and national partners to expand early financing instruments, strengthen startup readiness, and reinforce the innovation chain from research to market.
From research to market
Where the Netherlands as a whole underperforms in university-driven entrepreneurship, Twente has long been the exception. With support from Novel-T, UT programs, venture labs and the applied research groups at Saxion, ideas move from lab to market, resulting in new companies and technologies that successfully reach industry and society.
Talent as a requirement
Twente stands out through close cooperation between the University of Twente, Saxion and ROC van Twente, strong collaboration with companies that involve students early in development, robust talent programs across clusters and an attractive living and working environment that helps retain international talent.
Leadership and European connections
Scaling remains a major national challenge. Twente proactively addresses this through GROW, the program supporting scale-ups in leadership development and international expansion—strengthened by initiatives such as Tech.Land, PhotonDelta and EDIHs. As a core region within Tech.Land, and through structural collaboration with partner regions in NRW, Münsterland and IHK Nord Westfalen, Twente forms a strategic gateway for international growth. With shared clusters in chiptech, medtech, robotics, AI and materials, Twente is in the right place—geographically and technologically.
Conclusion
The State of Dutch Tech 2026 report shows that the Netherlands must take significant steps, but also that Twente is already moving ahead. The region demonstrates that investing in deeptech, talent and knowledge transfer works - even outside the Randstad. For Twente Board, the report clearly validates the strategy we pursue alongside our regional and national partners.
For a full analysis of the Dutch tech sector, its challenges and opportunities, and the leading role Twente plays within it:
Download the report at techleap.nl.
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