Susan van Boxtel

The Health & Food International team at the East Netherlands Development Agency advises and supports international companies and entrepreneurs during their exploration and business expansion to the Netherlands. The team brings a unique background and talent to the table – therefore bringing creative suggestions to a company. Some companies find the agency, but most often companies are connected via embassies, existing business relations and events like the Plant Forward in Toronto. It is great to learn about the products and services developed and to identify how this company will fit into the ecosystem in the Netherlands. The team is always looking for a win-win. In this work, confidentiality and understanding the entrepreneur's insecurities are important. Her team’s tailor-made information package and matchmaking services are invaluable. The best part is the tour organized for entrepreneurs to visit universities, campuses and network associations. After successfully establishing a company in the Netherlands, the team remains engaged to ensure economic growth and societal impact. The nationwide network of regional development agencies of the Netherlands collaborates with the international offices of the ‘Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency’; together as ‘Invest in Holland’, a nationwide and worldwide network.

Susan received her master’s degree in biology at the Radboud University in Nijmegen. She has worked for ten years with pharmaceutical companies in the Netherlands and in Singapore, where she was part of the pioneering team to establish a new preclinical research laboratory. In Singapore, she has made a career change to the public sector by joining the Netherlands embassy to lead the Science & Technology department. There, she did active matchmaking with Dutch companies and universities with innovation partners in Singapore and Malaysia. Her role at the East Netherlands Development Agency now matches international companies to Dutch universities and companies. She appreciates the role of governmental organizations in accelerating international collaboration in innovation.

Susan, her husband and their two chickens live in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. They enjoy life being near the national park Hoge Veluwe and cities like Zwolle, Amsterdam, Nijmegen and Wageningen.