Connection Days prepare the sector for the final HCG funding round

News July 13, 2026

sector

Three events. Three regions. Dozens of new connections. One shared ambition: investing in the talent and collaboration needed to advance the Dutch pharmaceutical sector. Over the past week, PharmaNL’s Human Capital Growth (HCG) Connection Days brought together professionals from across the pharmaceutical ecosystem in Oss (1 July), Groningen (7 July) and Leiden (9 July).

Brigitte Drees, Chair of the PharmaNL Board and CEO of consortium partner Pivot Park, said: “It is essential that organisations are well prepared for the new and final funding round within the PharmaNL Human Capital Growth programme. This enables us to make the most of the opportunities to strengthen the future of the Dutch pharmaceutical sector.”

Information and inspiration

During each Connection Day, participants received an introduction to the current funding call under the HCG programme from the PharmaNL Board and team. Funding partner ZonMw also provided insights into the application process and answered participants’ questions about submitting a proposal.

Alongside practical information, the events also offered plenty of inspiration. At each location, the project leader of a previously funded PharmaNL initiative shared their experiences. In Oss, Carlien Verberne presented the Early Drug Discovery Education Track. In Groningen, Derk Jan de Groot (UMCG) shared insights from the IMED project, while in Leiden, Marcel Kenter presented the Lifelong Learning programme for postgraduate biomedical and pharmaceutical professionals. These real-world examples demonstrated how collaboration between education, research and industry can deliver tangible solutions for developing talent within the sector.

Equally important was the opportunity to connect. During the networking sessions, participants exchanged ideas on shared challenges, explored new project concepts and discussed potential consortia. As a result, the Connection Days served not only as an information event, but also as a starting point for new collaborations.

PharmaNL looks back on three successful events and thanks all participants, speakers, partners and ZonMw for their valuable contributions.

Interested in submitting a project idea?

Have the PharmaNL Connection Days inspired you to submit a project idea for this funding round? The HCG funding call is now open. Interested applicants can submit their project idea until Monday, 21 September 2026 (2:00 p.m. CEST). Based on this initial idea, applicants will receive advice on how to further develop their proposal. The deadline for submitting the full proposal is Tuesday, 9 February 2027 (2:00 p.m. CET).

More information is available on the ZonMw website, where you can also find a Q&A.