With this investment, the Hartstichting, Netherlands Heart Institute, and Dutch CardioVascular Alliance are strengthening their collaboration to achieve the goals of the Cardiovascular Agenda.
€6 Million for Cardiovascular Health
The Top Sector Life Sciences & Health (Health~Holland) is allocating €6 million to stimulate public-private partnerships (PPP) in the field of cardiovascular health. This PPP program is led by the Hartstichting in collaboration with the Netherlands Heart Institute (NLHI) and the network organization Dutch CardioVascular Alliance (DCVA).
Cardiovascular Agenda
The new program supports projects that contribute to the national Cardiovascular Agenda, which aims to measurably improve heart health in the Netherlands by 2030 and reduce health disparities. The agenda was developed with patients, doctors, researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders. This funding enables active involvement from the private sector to help achieve these goals.
Collaboration and Innovation
According to Rebecca Abma-Schouten, Head of Research at the Hartstichting, this funding is a significant recognition:
"With this program, we strengthen collaboration in cardiovascular research and provide financial and strategic support to startups. The Hartstichting and NLHI have a long-standing, successful partnership within DCVA, and we look forward to intensifying our collaboration through this initiative."
Urgent Need for Action
Cardiovascular diseases are the second leading cause of death in the Netherlands, affecting 1.7 million people, with an expected increase of one million additional cases in the coming years. These diseases are also the leading cause of hospital admissions, putting immense pressure on the healthcare system and demanding smart, innovative solutions—where public-private collaboration is essential.
For over a decade, the Hartstichting and NLHI, with support from Health~Holland, have been funding public-private research on cardiovascular diseases. So far, €19.7 million has been invested in 45 projects, involving 76 private partners, including SMEs and research institutions. Since 2019, the DCVA has also supported many SMEs through the voucher program of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).
Read more about ongoing collaborations and experiences here.