Health-Holland

Daniel de Boer CEO at ProQR “Leiden has been the perfect place for us to get ProQR going and expanding. The large number of companies in our industry located nearby means there is a healthy talent pool and, consequently, we were able to find highly experienced personnel in the local labour market. Local collaborations are certainly very important. We have great universities on our doorstep that produce high-quality science. Beyond that, I think the financing climate in the Netherlands is very advantageous. The government really stimulates innovation and the creation of jobs in this industry, through all kinds of support programs. Significantly, operating costs for us here in the Netherlands are around a half, or one-third the cost of the same business based in one of the US hotspots. The cost of living is so much lower, and that brings down the operational costs for companies like ours. Relations with regulatory bodies on both sides of the Atlantic are critical for companies in our industry. Being located close to the EMA and having the opportunity to have more frequent interactions - a lower barrier to achieve those interactions - I think is priceless.” 81