It is one step easier to find work as foreign startup in Eindhoven. High Tech Campus Eindhoven has recently obtained central government permission to act as a “facilitator” for startup visas. That status was recently confirmed by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.
Startup visas are a recent development; they are the direct result of the efforts Neelie Kroes and her Startup Delta have taken in this respect last year. “We owe her a lot for that,” says marketing director Bert-Jan Woertman of High Tech Campus Eindhoven. “Because it means that high-tech startups around the world have an even greater chance of getting a good picture of the opportunities in Eindhoven.”
The Campus made the request for the special status a few months ago, in response to two specific requests from foreign startups. “Those two startups we can start helping get their visas. But beware, this does not mean that we are now just aiming at getting as many startups as possible. They must fit within our high-tech hardware ecosystem.” For that reason Woertman recently advised some applicants to contact campuses in other parts of the country.
The process of accreditation may not have been long, but it was intense. Woertman: “The Enterprise Agency already knows us, of course, so that helps. But still we had to demonstrate the value of our specific network, the way we can connect with experts, those kind of things. In short: show them what we’re good at. Moreover, it really helped that we could already show them our VC-desk and the special program in which the big companies offer their support to help startups in their growth: the startup alliance Eindhoven.”
According to Woertman the recognition fits in a broader trend. “But no doubt this has an additional effect on attracting high-tech hardware startups. We are very happy with the approval.”
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