On January 29, 2026, David Alonso Amado and Filipa Carvalhal Marques attended the Hollandbio Year Event. As the flagship annual gathering of the Dutch biotech ecosystem, the event brought together industry leaders, innovators, investors and policymakers to reflect on biotech’s role in shaping Europe’s future competitiveness. The event provided a timely space to discuss global shifts in biotech innovation, geopolitical dynamics and Europe’s position in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Event takeaways: Learning from scale and ambition
The program featured keynote contributions from two Hollandbio members at very different stages of their growth journey, offering an insightful contrast in ambition, scale and strategy.
AbbVie, a global biopharmaceutical company represented by Niels Emmerich, Vice President and Global Head of Search & Evaluation and Global Alliances, illustrated what sustained commitment to R&D can achieve: AbbVie invests now over €10 billion annually in research and development, driving a global pipeline through acquisitions, strategic partnerships and long-term alliances. Drawing on years of experience in pharma and biotech, Emmerich talked about how strong collaboration and careful investment decisions are key to scaling innovation successfully.
At the other end of the spectrum, Qorium, led by CEO Michael Newton, offered a perspective from Europe’s emerging biotech landscape. Founded just two years ago and based in the Netherlands, Qorium is pioneering cultivated leather, a biotechnology-driven alternative that delivers quality without the environmental and ethical costs of traditional leather production. With its mix of cell-based manufacturing and material science expertise, Qorium illustrates how innovative, deep tech startups can shake up traditional industries.
Taken together, these perspectives showed that strong innovation ecosystems rely on both established global players and bold, fast-moving startups as well as on the pathways linking them.
Global tensions shaping biotech innovation and the case for a stronger European push
A recurring theme throughout the event was the shifting global context in which European biotech operates. Speakers and discussions addressed the challenging transatlantic relations, growing uncertainty around trade, regulation and collaboration with the United States, and the implications for European companies reliant on global capital and markets.
Equally prominent was the recognition of China’s rapid rise as a biotech innovation powerhouse over the past decade. Significant public investment, accelerated translation pathways and industrial-scale execution have positioned China as a formidable competitor across therapeutics, diagnostics and advanced biomanufacturing.
These developments reinforced a clear message: Europe must continue to move forward with confidence, a strong sense of direction and work together to strengthen its innovation ecosystem. A key message from the Hollandbio Year Event was that Europe has to pick up the pace, not only in scientific discovery, but in bringing ideas to the market, scaling them and building long-term resilience. This requires strengthening public–private partnerships, improving access to growth capital and creating a regulatory environment that helps innovative companies grow and remain in Europe.
Yet one thing was clear. Europe has real strengths to build on:
- strong institutions and the rule of law which create stability and predictability;
- a deep pool of talent driving excellence;
- world-class science fuelling innovation;
- and a culture rooted in tolerance, respect and decency providing a solid foundation for long-term growth and global competitiveness.
These are powerful advantages that allow Europe to move forward with confidence.
For FFUND, the event offered a valuable opportunity to take the pulse of the Dutch biotech landscape, identifying emerging companies, observing how collaborations take shape across the ecosystem, and gaining a clearer sense of where innovation, capital and partnerships are aligning. The plenary programme, which concluded with the comedian Greg Shapiro, provided a moment of shared perspective and humour before Filipa, David and other participants moved into informal conversations over drinks and networking.
See you next time!
To provide the best support and strategic advice possible, the FFUND team ensures they stay up to date with the latest developments and innovations in the field. To do so, we regularly visit leading life science events and share our insights with you here.
