Het Nederlandse startup klimaat doet het goed en is consistent hoog terug te vinden in internationale ranglijsten. Desondanks wordt het ambitieniveau van Nederlandse ondernemers vaak ontoereikend beoordeeld. Een sleutelrol ligt in het onderwijs bij het aanwakkeren van ambitieus en innovatief ondernemerschap. Daarbij gaat het niet alleen om potentiële founders van succesvolle startups. Onze economie vraagt […]
The Dutch startup-climate performs well and is consistently positioned in international rankings. However, the level of ambition of Dutch entrepreneurs is remarkably low in contrast to their recognized performance. A key interest point towards this problem is to be found in the educational system in which the ambitious and innovative entrepreneurs are shaped. Taking this development into perspective, focussing on potential founders of successful startups is not enough. Our economy asks for more entrepreneurial employees and therefore we need to educate entrepreneurial and digital skills from a young age onwards. By nationally promoting and putting in to place entrepreneurship as a subject in schools we can support, attract, develop and better new talent, which in turn gives our international position a stronger fundament, we can build our future on.
“The development of entrepreneurial behaviour with the corresponding mindset and tools is essential to the current generation in order to identify and tackle present and future challenges. Entrepreneurship is a prerequisite for critical, defensible and global citizens.”, says Martin Luxemburg, Director ECE.
Within all the educational layers there is rising attention to the development of entrepreneurial competences, for instance by the dutch initiatives Jong Ondernemen and the Dutch Centers for Entrepreneurs. Martin Luxemburg (ECE) endorses this development: “Educational institutions are shifting towards an increasingly modern way of education where the focus is not exclusively on the so called “hard skills” but also on, the more entrepreneurial, “soft skills” leading to an interpersonal and problem solving skill set. These modern methodologies centralize learning-by-doing appropriately.” Also Hein Roelfsema (DutchCE) recognizes the closeness of entrepreneurial and 21st century skills, saying: “Ever more incubators focus on students and employees which make them more accessible.”
Time for a national vision
The shortcoming aim on real ambitious entrepreneurship can not stay unnoticed. “The integration of knowledge can be improved within and in cooperation between institutions (Centres for Entrepreneurship)”, says Hein Roelfsema (DutchCE).
“It is time for a national strategy to create and advance vertical integration from abc to PhD.”, says Hein Roelfsema, DutchCE.
“It is a neccessity to create an unambiguously national vision and strategy concerning entrepreneurship in order to avoid overtaking by geographically close and surrounding countries in terms of entrepreneurship and innovations”, says Joyce Rommelaar (Jong Ondernemen). The diverse initiatives the Netherlands has to offer can only be realized by sharing the direction between government and businesses. These initiatives are of great importance to the economy and the international position of the Netherlands.
“It is of great importance that businesses interfere with initiatives like the renewal of the primary and secondary education. Only then the notable gap between education and business can be closed.”, says Joyce Rommelaar, Jong Ondernemen.
Another critical path that can be followed to establish an entrepreneurial and curious country is through research around entrepreneurship and the ecosystem. “At this point in time the perception on the effectivity in different levels of entrepreneurship comes short”, According to Joyce Rommelaar (Jong Ondernemen). Research focused on the phenomenon of entrepreneurship and its effects, from macro factors impacting the economy to the influence of education on the possibility that potential entrepreneurs start a business and succeed, is of importance. Correspondingly, the Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship (ECE) develops an instrument that enables measurement of entrepreneurial behaviour that can be applied university wide. “Since entrepreneurial behaviour is an essential skill to many sectors, the method is not exclusive to business courses but can be applied to a wide reach of sectors”, says Martin Luxemburg (ECE). The results of entrepreneurship research are not exclusively necessary for insight, but also inspiration.
Would you like to know more about the Startup Infrastructure Diagram and what parties are contributing to talent development and research? See here.