Deep tech and startups are playing an increasingly important role in the Dutch economy and damen-shiprepair-amsterdam-will-open-doors-during-havenweek-amsterdaminnovation ecosystem. To help ensure that promising technology companies not only emerge in the Netherlands but can also grow and scale here, the international Hello Tomorrow Summit took place in Amsterdam for the first time on 11 and 12 June. As a partner of the event, Damen joined startups, investors, scientists, businesses and policymakers from around the world to discuss the future of deep-tech innovation.
Amsterdam proved a fitting location for the event. The summit was held at the NDSM Wharf, a site closely connected to the Netherlands' maritime heritage and tradition of innovation. For Damen, the venue provided a particularly relevant backdrop: two Damen facilities remain located nearby, while the NDSM Wharf itself was once one of the country's most important shipbuilding locations.
"The maritime sector has been reinventing itself for centuries," says Emile Poot, Director Damen Maritime Ventures. "From sailing vessels and global trade to offshore energy, autonomous systems and digitalisation, many of today's societal challenges once again call for technological innovation on and around the water."
Maritime innovation and deep tech
During the summit, Damen joined GTT in the panel discussion When Industries Converge: The Next Wave of Opportunities in Maritime, exploring the role of deep-tech innovation and the opportunities that emerge when industries and technologies intersect.
Damen also participated in the summit's jury programme, evaluating startups on their technological potential and commercial applicability. This involvement aligns with the activities of Damen Maritime Ventures, through which Damen collaborates with startups and scale-ups developing new technologies for the maritime sector.
Many of these innovations require years of research and development before they can be deployed at scale. In this respect, Damen sees similarities with other Dutch technology leaders that develop complex systems based on fundamental research.
"New technology rarely emerges in isolation," says Jasper Schuringa, Manager Corporate Venturing at Damen. "Collaboration between startups, knowledge institutions, industry, investors and governments is essential to bring innovations from the laboratory into real-world applications."
At the same time, the need for investment to support technological development continues to grow. As systems become more complex and innovations need to scale faster, strong partnerships between startups, industry and investors become increasingly important.
Deep tech at the heart of maritime innovation
Together with Dutch companies and public-sector partners, including ASML, NXP, DSM-Firmenich, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Invest-NL, Damen supported bringing Hello Tomorrow to the Netherlands.
By hosting the summit in a country with a long history of technological and maritime innovation, the organisers strengthened connections between deep-tech entrepreneurs, industry leaders, investors and policymakers, while showcasing the opportunities within sectors such as maritime technology.
For Damen, the summit offered an opportunity to exchange knowledge, explore new partnerships and gain insights into technological developments that may shape the maritime sector in the years ahead.