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The Netherlands as a hotspot for clinical research?
At the FIGON Dutch Medicines Days, the RSNN session brought together different perspectives on what it takes to remain an attractive country for clinical research. A clear message emerged: attracting clinical research is about much more than speed. Read the main take aways from our speakers and download their presentations.
Anne Sinke (Gilead) highlighted that countries are increasingly evaluated across the entire innovation pathway. Operational excellence remains essential, including start-up timelines, contracting, recruitment, and data quality, but it is no longer sufficient on its own. Companies also consider how innovations are assessed, adopted, and ultimately made accessible to patients. Clinical research, regulatory review, and patient access should not be viewed as separate stages, but as connected elements of a single ecosystem. Countries that perform well across this full pathway are likely to remain the most attractive destinations for future research investment.
Geert Jan Groeneveld (CHDR) illustrated the strength of the Dutch Phase I ecosystem and the importance of experience, quality and independent scientific judgement. His key message captured this well: the product of Phase I is not the first dose, but the first reliable decision. The Netherlands still has substantial early-phase activity, but international competition is increasing.
Sipko Mülder (CCMO) placed this in the broader Dutch regulatory ecosystem. The Netherlands has a strong research infrastructure, but administrative burden, lack of harmonisation and complexity can create barriers. Initiatives such as Reviews in the Future and FAST-EU aim to increase harmonisation, predictability and speed while maintaining scientific and ethical standards.
Finally, Bart Scheerder (DCRF) brought the discussion to the “last mile”: approval alone does not start a trial. National agreements need to translate into workable processes at individual research sites. Some barriers cannot be solved by one institution alone; connecting efforts at European, national, network and institutional level is essential.
The Netherlands has many of the ingredients for a strong clinical research ecosystem: scientific expertise, experienced investigators, high-quality early-phase research, strong networks and a well-developed regulatory infrastructure. The opportunity lies in connecting these strengths across the full pathway, from clinical research and regulatory review to implementation and patient access. Strengthening these connections will be essential to maintaining the Netherlands’ position as an attractive place for clinical research.