The Netherlands Life Sciences & Health Mission to California

The United States and the Netherlands are both global leaders in healthcare innovation, creating unique opportunities to tackle common health challenges together. And that’s exactly what drove our LSH mission to California in April 2026. With a delegation of 13 Dutch organizations, we visited partners in Los Angeles and San Diego to explore innovation partnerships, joint research, and commercial cooperation.

What we did

During our mission, we were able to accomplish valuable new connections and opportunities for research & commercial collaboration, as well as an improved understanding of the Southern California healthcare system. Some of the mission program highlights included:

LSH Deep Dive, Global Industry Exchange, and networking reception at the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) where Dutch and U.S. partners connected and discussed opportunities for collaboration;
Visit to Cedars-Sinai where delegation members got the opportunity to pitch their companies and obtained valuable insights into pilots, investments, revenue cycles, and reimbursement from industry experts;
Interaction with Dr. Naeim and his team at UCLA where delegation members explored research collaboration opportunities for clinical validation & trials, as well as health technology partnerships via 1-on-1 meetings;
Highly interactive panel discussions at UC San Diego (UCSD) on innovation, education, and entrepreneurship, concluded with a networking reception connecting Dutch companies with local businesses, research institutes, and universities in San Diego;
Visit to Scripps Research with lively discussions on drug discovery and digitalization.

Key Takeaways

What stood out throughout the week was the synergy and alignment between the Life Sciences & Health (LSH) ecosystems of Southern California and the Netherlands. Both ecosystems value multi-disciplinary, cross-sectoral collaboration between industry partners, medical & academic institutions, and government partners. We are facing similar challenges, including a rise in non-communicable diseases, an ageing population, and increase healthcare expenditures. This offers the opportunity to collaborate and find innovative health tech and MedTech innovations to address these challenges. By strengthening ties between the Netherlands and the West Coast LSH ecosystem we aim to innovate for a healthier, more connected future.

Testimonials

Curious to learn how the Dutch delegation members experienced this mission? Find some of their testimonials below.

“The LSH mission to California was an excellent opportunity for NLC to accelerate our international ambitions. Thanks to the carefully organized visits to institutes such as Cedars-Sinai Technology Ventures, UCLA Health, and UC San Diego, we gained direct access to crucial clinical experts and decision-makers. The networking events provided an accessible setting to establish valuable contacts with potential strategic partners and investors. This week has led to several concrete follow-up steps in California and was also a good opportunity to get to know a wonderful and diverse group of Dutch companies and ecosystem partners better.”
– Jaap Haemers, Director USA, NLC Health Ventures

“The trade mission to San Diego and Los Angeles was excellently organized and meticulously executed. The Netherlands Business Support Office and Task Force Health Care successfully tailored the program to the participants’ needs. In a short time, you get the opportunity to specifically explore new collaborations, gain knowledge, and develop a real feel for the market – in this case, California. In addition to the inspiring company visits, it was also particularly valuable to spend a week with other founders and sharing experiences. I can therefore wholeheartedly recommend such a mission to any digital health or medtech company looking to grow internationally.”
– Lusanne Tehupuring, Co-founder & CEO, Enatom

What’s Next?

Now that we have concluded the mission, we are eager to maintain momentum and follow-up on the important connections that we have made.

During the debriefing and evaluation meeting nine organisations indicated that they will continue exploring concrete business opportunities and deals based on this mission. Six organisations hope to formalize a (research) partnership with one of the institutions that we met during the program.

We’re confident that this mission has laid the groundwork for meaningful transatlantic collaboration and are looking forward to the next activities within the SMM LSH US program:
– Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Incoming visit from the United States | 15 – 18 June  
– Texas, United States – Life Sciences & Health Mission | 28 September - 3 October 2026  

Stay tuned for more updates and contact us for more information.