Mapping the Noord-Holland Entrepreneurship Education Ecosystem: Insights from the UvA Report

Sep 28

In an effort to chart the dynamic landscape of entrepreneurship education in Noord-Holland, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) completed a project commissioned by the Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO).

To access the report "Mapping the Noord-Holland Entrepreneurship Education Ecosystem", please click here.

With valuable contributions from key stakeholders in Amsterdam’s entrepreneurship landscape, including Erik Boer, Dr. Lien De Cuyper, Ana Dorscheidt, Professor Dr. Martin Obschonka and Dr. Jonathan Sitruk, this report offers a comprehensive analysis of the region's entrepreneurship education ecosystem. We interviewed Prof. Dr. Martin Obschonka, professor of Entrepreneurship at the Amsterdam Business School (ABS) and Jorick Houtkamp, Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) Senior Advisor for the O2Lab Programme, to learn more about the context of this report, and have their insights on the results.

The Growth of Entrepreneurship Education in Noord-Holland

Over the last decade, entrepreneurship education in Noord-Holland has undergone a remarkable transformation. What initially found its roots within the confines of business schools and related disciplines has now organically spread to diverse faculties and fields of study, such as arts, science or medicine.

Jorick Houtkamp outlines that this study was commissioned by the O2lab program and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate aiming to improve, strengthen, and anchor entrepreneurship education accessibility and nurture entrepreneurial skills in Dutch graduates. “This report will give insight for future strategic action in a vibrant region such as Noord-Holland”, he says. “Interestingly, we see in the report that a lot of entrepreneurship education has been and continues to be developed. Partly due to the trend of increasing interest among students in how they can realize social added value, this sometimes happens even without entrepreneurship and being entrepreneurial being an explicit strategic organizational theme.”

Number of Entrepreneurship Education students at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. *Source: Mapping the Noord-Holland Entrepreneurship Education Ecosystem (2023)*

Mapping the Educational Landscape

The report maps the landscape of entrepreneurship education by delving into accredited programs and courses offered in post-secondary institutions across the Noord-Holland province. A number of 165 accredited entrepreneurship courses and programs were referenced, spanning 18 public institutions. The University of Amsterdam (UvA) emerges as a major player with 35 programs, together with the Vrije Universiteit (VU) with 45 offerings, solidifying their influential roles in shaping the entrepreneurial education terrain. It's worth highlighting that when it comes to MBO programs, which typically have closer ties to businesses, gaining a comprehensive understanding of how they incorporate entrepreneurship into their curricula can be quite challenging.

Still, Professor Dr. Martin Obschonka emphasizes: ”In our findings, we have noted a growing trend towards entrepreneurship and significant societal changes in both institutional strategies and student attitudes. However, this trend isn't fully integrated into the curriculum, presenting an opportunity for entrepreneurship education to play a central role in educational strategies. Importantly, not all educational programs include entrepreneurship, potentially leaving some students unaware of entrepreneurial career possibilities."

Number of courses and programs containing an Entrepreneurship dimension in educational institutions from Noord Holland. Table from Mapping the Noord-Holland Entrepreneurship Education Ecosystem, 2023.

Beyond Accredited Initiatives

While the report catalogues accredited offerings, it goes a step further by providing an overview of non-accredited initiatives and support organizations within the ecosystem.

A relevant endeavour since, as Martin puts it, “Entrepreneurship education clearly extends beyond formal education. It cultivates an entrepreneurial mindset and personal competencies in students, going beyond creating startups. It imparts knowledge transfers about discovering value-creating opportunities. Entrepreneurship education can take accredited curricular forms or manifest as extracurricular initiatives like accelerators, incubators, and student projects.” This extends to initiatives fostering education and business support, giving access to resources, capital, or talent. From nurturing business ideas to supporting later-stage startups, this panoramic view encompasses the region’s entire entrepreneurial scene.

Towards a Collaborative Future

The report's conclusion underscores a strong potential for collaboration, coordination, and synergy among educational institutions. It highlights the prospect of sharing knowledge and experiences for example through a teaching community. These collaborations hold the potential to initiate productive projects in the future, which may include projects such as collaboration to develop a qualification label surrounding entrepreneurship education. These initiatives could not only elevate the standard of entrepreneurship education but also stimulate the wider entrepreneurial scene in Noord-Holland.

Professor Dr. Martin Obschonka elaborates: “A more intense knowledge exchange between formal and informal entrepreneurship education might improve the quality of the entrepreneurial education ecosystem altogether, thereby unlocking the real potential of existing and future offers. Furthermore, integrating formal and informal entrepreneurship education into the established teaching frameworks of universities can be challenging, as these institutions typically adhere to traditional lecture and seminar models, while entrepreneurship education thrives on interactivity and workshop-style learning approaches.”

Distribution of formal Entrepreneurship Education in the Noord Holland Province. Map from Mapping the Noord-Holland Entrepreneurship Education Ecosystem, 2023.

7 O2 Lab hubs in the Netherlands: a shifting perspective

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy set up 7 O2 Lab hubs in the Netherlands in 2019, as part of the O2LAB program. Jorick elaborates, stating, “This initiative fostered partnerships between educational institutions, which received financial support and guidance to enhance their entrepreneurship education initiatives.

As this initiative draws to a close by the end of 2023, we expect the final results from these hubs. One standout lesson learned is the effectiveness of organizing a community of practice to bolster teacher development. The ability to exchange educational challenges, and share knowledge, methods, and fellow teachers' insights has been instrumental in addressing common issues and disseminating solutions, ultimately elevating the quality of entrepreneurship education.

However, the fact that the O2 Lab program will end soon implies a shifting perspective. We are transitioning from experimenting and collaborating within small, localized hubs, often involving just two or three partners (MBOs, HBOs, and WOs), to a broader effort aimed at fostering the growth of the regional entrepreneurship education ecosystem. We aspire to engage additional educational institutions, leveraging our accumulated experience and outcomes along the way.

To access the report "Mapping the Noord-Holland Entrepreneurship Education Ecosystem", please click here.

For a deeper understanding of the 02Labs results and insights into the future prospects of the 02Lab program—including a workshop focused on the evolution of the entrepreneurial education ecosystem—register for the upcoming O2Lab event in Amsterdam on November 8th.