It was a pleasure to welcome over 60 attendants at our New Year’s Networking Events on January 24th at the ION in Houston, organized in collaboration with the Netherlands Consulate General in Miami and the Netherland-America Foundation (NAF).
We kicked off with a Texas-Netherlands Business Update, led by Bo-Joe Brans, Deputy Head of Mission at the Consulate. He outlined the priority sectors for the Netherlands in Texas, highlighting the collaborative efforts of NBSO Texas and CG Miami to expand the local network in support of Dutch companies. This support includes organizing events, supporting businesses at conferences and expos, facilitating incoming and outgoing trade and diplomatic missions, and answering trade questions. Bee Kothuis, Chief Representative of NBSO, updated the participants with further details on the specific initiatives within each priority sector:
- Water Management & Resilience: This includes both Coastal Protection and Urban Resilience.
- Ports & Energy Transition: With emphasis on the development of the hydrogen economy on both sides of the Atlantic. Special thanks to Ralf van der Ven (NAF) for providing detailed updates on this front and to Jeffrey Blair (GHP) for additional supporting information.
- Sport Tech: Focus is on sustainability in sports stadiums and fan engagement – looking forward to the World Cup Soccer in 2026.
Apart from these sectors, we also actively support companies in the following sectors:
- Life Sciences & Health: Specifically targeting MedTech and Medical Digitalization.
- Urban Function & Mobility: With a specific focus on Bicycling.
For more information, please refer to the TEXAS STRATEGY Infographic (click on image to download PDF).
The business update was followed by a New Year’s Reception at the Second Draft in the ION, enhanced with fantastic Dutch treats. The Dutch Spoon prepared freshly made ‘oliebollen’ and delicious crispy ‘bitterballen’ on site, a great combination with their tasty cheese platters. There was no shortage of typical Dutch ‘gezelligheid’: it was wonderful to welcome so many friends from our local Texas network and, of course, all the Dutch people living in Texas!
