Wake-up call: accelerate now with building innovative and industrial clusters!

Inspiration

Trump, Vance, Musk. Not a day goes by without them making the front pages. One sensational action follows another so quickly that we have already almost forgotten that America sided with Russia in the UN Security Council, Trump called Zelensky a dictator, and much more. Meanwhile, Putin is bombing civilian targets and public infrastructure in Ukraine every day and night. Despite these continuous attacks, Ukraine has built an innovative industrial complex that ranks among the world’s best in areas such as drone development.

The United States is diametrically opposed to European countries in the UN Security Council

Outrage in the Netherlands and Europe is high. The world order is in flux. The United States is diametrically opposed to European countries in the UN Security Council, along with Russia and North Korea. At the same time, major international companies such as Facebook, Accenture and Amazon are pulling out of their sustainability initiatives, under pressure from the US government. This marks a tipping point where economic and geopolitical interests outweigh long-term sustainability goals.

Yet there are also positive developments. Ukraine, despite persistent attacks, has built an industrial capacity largely capable of supporting its own defence efforts. With the development of advanced drones and innovative warfare, the country has proved that strategic focus and speed can lead to huge leaps. This offers Europe a powerful lesson: in times of need, rapid cluster development is possible.

The question is whether we are really going to act now and join our European forces to accelerate our strategic independence. We have all the conditions at our fingertips to create innovative clusters and accelerate existing ones, but it will not happen by itself.

Pieter Paul van Oerle

Founder nlmtd

Six steps to develop a strong cluster within monthsn

Europe needs to strengthen its position with targeted steps. If we look at the lessons of Ukraine, we see six concrete actions that will enable us to develop a strong cluster within a few months.

Making clear choices: Europe must choose which core areas it wants to focus on. It is neither feasible nor necessary for each individual country to excel in all areas. By making sharp choices and developing targeted clusters, progress can be accelerated.
Defining key challenges with large organisations: Governments, ministries, defence and leading companies should jointly identify key challenges. Which problem areas offer the most opportunity for progress? Think cybersecurity, defence technology, smart materials, energy independence and advanced manufacturing processes.
Building innovative ecosystems faster: Clusters flourish when companies, knowledge institutions and governments work closely together. By launching innovation hubs with direct access to funding and regulations that encourage experimentation, innovations can get off the ground much faster.
Accelerated scale-up through public-private partnerships: Governments need to provide initial investments in the right facilities and initial experiments, while companies enable scale-up. In Ukraine, we see how private companies in cooperation with the government have set up a state-of-the-art defence industry in record time. Europe can learn from this.
Accelerating validation of new products and services: By testing new services and products quickly and iteratively in collaboration with partners and clients, we can validate which solutions are most effective in a short time. This accelerates the innovation cycle and avoids lengthy development processes without market validation.
Intensify international cooperation within Europe: Finally, we need a strong European partnership to widely deploy and further scale up these technologies. This will ensure a resilient and self-sufficient technology base in Europe.

Conclusie

The geopolitical situation makes it clear that Europe can no longer rely on external powers for its security and economic stability. The urgency to rapidly develop strong innovative clusters is greater than ever. This calls for strategic choices, intensive cooperation and decisive action.

Clear choices need to be made on which clusters will receive extra attention per country. Then, as in Ukraine, we can make a mega leap forward within a few years that strengthens both our security and our economic development.

The opportunity is now up for grabs. If Europe seizes this opportunity, it can become a powerful, autonomous player in the world order of the future. This is why I conclude with an appeal:

Let's take action and join forces to accelerate our strategic independence!

Pieter Paul van Oerle

Founder nlmtd

About us

The opportunities to create a better future for organisations, society and our planet are endless. The future starts today, which is why we get straight to work. We call ourselves nlmtd for a reason, – without vowels or capital letters, because we think and act without limitations.

With a team of more than 90 experts, with experience at leading strategy consultancies, innovative companies and startups, we help organisations with strategy, innovation en transformation. strategy, innovation and transformation. From vision to execution, globally and with measurable impact.