Universities of applied sciences to recruit tech talent abroad
In addition to universities of applied sciences, Dutch technical universities are also actively involved in the Beethoven initiative.
Published on November 2, 2025
© Fontys Hogeschool.
Team IO+ selects and features the most important news stories on innovation and technology, carefully curated by our editors.
The international campaign ‘Study Tech in NL’ was launched yesterday. The aim of this campaign is to encourage international students to study and pursue a career in technology in the Netherlands. It is an initiative within the national Microchip Talent program, which is part of the Beethoven Plan.
The campaign was set up by six collaborating Dutch universities of applied sciences: Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Inholland University of Applied Sciences, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, and NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences. Together, they want to attract and retain more international students for the chip industry in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands as a technological hotspot
From smartphones to medical equipment: technology is everywhere. The basis of all these innovations is the semiconductor. The Netherlands plays an important role in this sector worldwide and offers students many opportunities to develop their talent in a practical, innovative, and international environment. With thousands of vacancies in the tech sector, the Netherlands can be an attractive place to build a future in technology.
Joining forces
The Dutch government sees well-trained technical talent as an important prerequisite for the growth of the microchip sector. That is why a total of €450 million has been made available within the Beethoven initiative until 2030 to train 33,000 additional technical professionals.
The ‘Study Tech in NL’ recruitment campaign is helping to achieve this goal. The universities of applied sciences are targeting Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey with online campaigns. In addition to the universities of applied sciences, Dutch technical universities are also active within the Beethoven initiative. Since September, they have been running their own campaign via the platform www.hightechuniversities.nl. There is also close cooperation between the universities of applied sciences and universities, with knowledge and experiences being shared. The first results of both campaigns are expected in January 2026.