New Dutch accelerates: launch of the campaign and announcement of the theme year 2025.
A year after the launch of the 'New Dutch' movement, a meeting was held on November 30 at Utrecht Science Park to announce the theme year 2025. New Dutch is a collaboration among 11 cities and regions across the country, with the aim of enriching the global image of the Netherlands as an innovative hub. For Bastiaan Overeem of the NBTC (Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions), New Dutch represents a new branding and positioning strategy for the Netherlands on a global scale, with the motto 'solving global challenges together' as its guiding principle. He believes that the Netherlands, with its open, inclusive, and innovative mentality, is well-equipped for this. According to Overeem, it is essential to not only rely on the rich past but also to remain relevant in the future. He emphasizes the need for additional strength in the narrative of innovation. New Dutch focuses on six themes: earth, health, technology, nutrition, culture, and communities.
''With coordinated efforts, we will demonstrate and experience how a new generation of Dutch masters shapes the future.''
The theme year 2025, announced during the meeting in Utrecht, offers each region the opportunity to present itself, for instance, with a theme week, with the aim of showcasing in 2025 how the world might look in 2050
Traditional Dutch
With the advent of New Dutch, it doesn't mean that 'Traditional Dutch' receives no attention. Martijn Bulthuis from Leiden&Partners says, ''New Dutch is also crucial for cities known for Traditional Dutch but with another innovative story to tell, such as Leiden. We need to bring that pride of the Netherlands abroad.''
