On 28 August 2026, AmCham The Netherlands and KPMG brought together leaders from healthcare, industry, academia and government to discuss the future of LSH, access to innovation, and competitiveness in the Netherlands. During the event, the 2026 Dutch Life Sciences & Health (LSH) Investment Climate Benchmark was presented and handed over to Minister Sophie Hermans, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport and experts from across the healthcare field shared their perspectives on the state of LSH and Healthcare in the Netherlands. AmCham was pleased to welcome to its stage Neil Grubert, David Ikkersheim (KPMG), Carin Louis-van den Broek (NFK), Prof. Dr. Hans van Goudoever (Amsterdam UMC), Neil Pumford (Abbvie), Jan-Willem Scheijgrond (Philips) and Erik Holl (Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine) for a forward-looking discussion on what it will take to secure a healthier future for patients and a stronger LSH sector in the Netherlands.
The findings of the 2026 LSH Benchmark are clear:
The Netherlands retains its 6th position among 32 leading countries, but this ranking masks a worrying trend: the Netherlands is losing ground on clinical research, private R&D investment and patient access. Grid congestion and high energy costs add further pressure to the investment climate.
📉 Clinical research: commercial clinical trials fell 46%, from 660 in 2021 to 354 in 2025 – directly affecting patients’ opportunities to access the latest treatments.
🩺 MedTech: MDR/IVDR certification now takes 20–22 months on average, while slow adoption and lowest-price procurement can delay access to innovation.
🌍 Global competition: the US and China are moving faster, also on regulation, scale and industrial policy.
💊 Patient access: US Most-Favored-Nation pricing could increase the risk that lower-price countries such as the Netherlands get new medicines later – or not at all.
... And the implications are unmistakable:
The Netherlands has a strong foundation for growth in Life Sciences & Health, but we need to turn that potential into action.
🎯 Ambition: Biotechnology and Life Sciences & Health are rightly identified as priority growth domains, supporting the ambition of 1.5% structural economic growth.
🚧 Remove barriers: From grid congestion and nitrogen constraints to slow reimbursement and procurement processes: these must not become permanent obstacles to growth.
🇳🇱 Build on our strengths: World-class talent, knowledge institutions, logistics and digital infrastructure give the Netherlands a strong starting position.
🔬 From innovation to impact: We need to translate these strengths into clinical development, patient access and scale-up – keeping production, investment and economic value here.
🤝 Work together: Delivering on this ambition requires continued collaboration between government, healthcare, academia and industry.
The opportunity now is to turn the Netherlands’ strengths into further growth, innovation and better outcomes for patients. A strong investment climate that drives innovation is key to tackling societal challenges and powering sustainable economic growth.
Download the full report here.
Read the press release here.
Special thanks to the AmCham Healthcare Community Members that generously supported this initiative: AbbVie, Amgen Netherlands, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Gilead, GSK, Johsnon & Johnson, Lilly, MSD Netherlands, Moderna, Novartis, Philips, Public Matters, Roche, Sanofi, Stryker, UPS Healthcare, Vertex.
