Talent Study Twente 2026
A shared, data-driven foundation for discussions and decisions regarding talent in the region of Twente.
Talent Study Twente
Twente faces a major challenge. The region is working toward becoming a strong, innovative, and green leading region by 2050. This requires growth in both economic activity and population, while maintaining a high quality of life. This ambition forms the starting point for the Twente 2050 Vision, in which regional partners jointly chart the course for Twente’s development.
This leap in scale requires technology, entrepreneurship, and collaboration, but above all, sufficient and suitable talent.
Twente Board has invested in an in-depth, data-driven study of employers’ needs and the motivations and choices of talent. What are employers looking for today and in the future? And what determines whether professionals choose Twente, stay here, or leave?
The Twente Talent Study 2026 presents these insights for the first time on a regional scale and in a coherent manner.
Twente’s Talent Challenge
The talent challenge is significant and structural. In Twente, there are 9,000 to 10,000 job openings per year across six key technologies and three strategic clusters, primarily at the mid-level and senior levels. The demand spans multiple sectors and encompasses a wide range of roles, from skilled tradespeople to highly educated professionals.
At the same time, the study shows that:
- more than half of international talent is unaware of Twente as a career destination;
- 37% of professionals already living here are considering leaving, even with good career opportunities.
This challenge affects more than just businesses. Education, labor market policy, housing, and the business climate also play a role. Without sufficient and suitable talent, Twente’s intended development will come under pressure.
The importance of a good conversation
The Twente Talent Study invites us to look at talent in a different way.
For many stakeholders, this directly raises questions such as:
- Do career choices align with the actual demand for talent?
- Where does the region lose talent, and at what stage?
- How do policy, implementation, and collaboration reinforce one another?
Twente Board has therefore decided not only to share these insights but, above all, to interpret them together. The Talent Study Twente serves as the foundation for knowledge-sharing sessions and roadshows.
In these meetings, we explain the insights and discuss what they mean for policy, implementation, and strategy, without predetermined solutions, but with room for perspectives from entrepreneurs, government agencies, and knowledge institutions.
In this way, we are working together on a future-proof talent strategy for Twente, serving as the foundation for our ambitions toward 2050.
Want to learn more about the study's findings? Please contact us:
Linda van Asselt
Marijke Schipper
