Between 2017 and 2018, the number of participants taking part in tech events grew by 121 percent in The Hague. This figure makes the city one of the top five fastest growing tech hubs in Europe, according to figures from The State of European Tech 2018. Playing an essential role in this development is The Hague Tech, the largest tech community in The Hague. As of today, The Hague Tech is moving to the innovative heart of The Hague: SOZA, the former Ministry of Social Affairs building at Laan van NOI station.
The IT & Security Hub of The Hague is developing at a rapid pace. In the area around Laan van NOI station, The Hague Tech, the successful incubator YES! Delft The Hague (2nd World Top Business Incubator - UBI Global) and The Hague Security Delta Campus have already established more than 125 organisations that work on tech solutions for a better world. Among these organisations is a number of fast-growing businesses such as Cybersprint and Business Forensics.
An increasing number of international tech companies are also opting to call The Hague home, such as the Indian IT company JK Technosoft, who want to serve the European market with the support of 400 to 500 employees in the coming years based in The Hague. The latter is a tangible result of a collaboration between The Hague and various Indian states, aimed at cybersecurity, innovative care and startups. This year, the municipality is also organising a trade mission for companies in The Hague that want to enter the Indian market or are already doing business there.
Million dollar investments
In the coming years, the municipality of The Hague will invest 1.1 million euros in the YES! Delft Startup incubator, also located since the beginning of this year in the Laan van NOI station area. With this, 30 innovative startups. in particular in the field of security, artificial intelligence and blockchain are professionally assisted in their future growth. This should provide 150 extra jobs in The Hague after three years. Furthermore, the regional development company InnovationQuarter (IQ) and the Holding Fund for Economic Investments The Hague (HEID) will today announce that they are investing 1.5 million euros in the Dutch Security TechFund, which will enable the growth of Dutch cybersecurity companies in the fight against cyber-attacks and fake news. TINN Capital has founded the Dutch Security TechFund, partly on the initiative of the InnovationQuarter and The Hague Security Delta (HSD).
International recognition
Deputy Mayor of The Hague Saskia Bruines today opens the new location of The Hague Tech as well as officially opening the Hackathon for Peace, Justice & Security:
"The Hague is known as an international city of peace and justice, and I am proud that we have shown this in recent times in the development of our tech sector. As a tech ecosystem, The Hague brings together start-ups, scale-ups, NGOs and corporates to work on solutions for a better world. The relocation of The Hague Tech marks this development. In the coming years, we want to give this area an extra boost and attract even more tech talent to our IT & Security Campus."
Hackathon for Peace, Justice and security
The growth of the tech sector in The Hague also means that the tech community is increasingly interested in organizing events in the city. According to figures from The State of European Tech, there were more than 200 in 2018. This weekend (14, 15 and 16 June), The Hague tech is organizing the Hackathon for Peace Justice and Security at the new location of The Hague Tech. Deputy Mayor of The Hague Saskia Bruines will give the starting signal for the event where 200 tech talents in the field of artificial intelligence, big data and blockchain are challenged to develop tech solutions in the fight against humanitarian disasters, fake news and poverty. Among other things, they will be set to work with challenges from the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings and Sexual Violence against Children, the Red Cross and the European Commission.
