On July 3rd we will meet in Amsterdam for our summer party. Our host will be the one and only Street Museum in Amsterdam-Noord.

One step closer to our 100 anniversary.

By invitation only.

Our members met with Europol’s Executive Director, Catherine De Bolle, at the agency’s headquarters in The Hague for an in-depth update on Europol’s latest assessments.

Joining her were:
Anna Sjöberg, Head of the Counter Terrorism Centre
Edvardas Šileris, Head of the European Cybercrime Centre
Tamara Schotte, Head of the Unit for Analysis and Strategic Coordination

They shared valuable insights into key challenges such as hybrid threats, the digitalisation of crime, and the role of emerging technologies — including AI — as accelerators of criminal activity.

We also gained a deeper understanding of how cybercriminals access, trade, and exploit data, treating it as a core commodity in the cybercrime economy. Additionally, they explained how geopolitical tensions and technological advances can amplify terrorist narratives.

The visit concluded with a tour of Europol’s Operational Centre.

Our members were privileged to visit the SEASEC Challenge Weeks, the international initiative hosted by the Dutch Ministry of Defence and the Northern Naval Capability Cooperation (NNCC). The event took place at Campus@Sea, in the Scheveningen Harbour.  Navies, governments, technology companies, and researchers come together to strengthen the protection of critical undersea infrastructure, such as cables, pipelines, and seabed sensors, across the six NATO countries bordering the North Sea. We could see how innovative technologies like autonomous systems and underwater robotics are used in realistic scenarios to detect and respond to potential threats.

Many thanks to our partners who helped us organize this meeting: The Hague & Partners

© Sylvia Lederer

Cybersecurity, digital defence, and a dash of Dutch innovation.

Yesterday the HSD Campus opened its doors for BPV members in The Hague to dive into Cybersecurity and Digital Defence. We got a glimpse of what’s cooking in the cybersecurity world, both in the Netherlands and beyond.

There was also a sneak peek into some interesting projects trying to make The Hague more digitally resilient. Saskia Lensink from TNO gave us the inside story on GPT-NL – a Dutch-developed language model designed to align with national values and legal frameworks, offering a local perspective on generative AI.

In addition, we visited the Digital Forensics Lab at Leiden University of Applied Sciences, where we learned about their collaboration with Hansken, the international forensic search engine developed by the Dutch Forensic Institute (NFI).

Many thanks to our partners who helped us organize this meeting: The Hague & Partners

©photos: Sylvia Lederer

This week, our members had the exclusivity to attend a special meeting held at the iconic Hotel New York in Rotterdam — a place steeped in history as the former headquarters of the Holland-America Line and a departure point for countless Europeans emigrating to the United States.

We heard from Vice Mayor Tim Versnel, who offered compelling insights into the experiences of labor migrants in Rotterdam and shared how the city is working to ensure fair, respectful and decent treatment for all who arrive in Rotterdam to build a new life.

The second highlight was an exclusive first look at something truly exciting: the upcoming FENIX museum. Hanneke Mantel, Head of Collections, introduced us to what will be the Netherlands’ first museum entirely dedicated to migration. Set in a beautifully restored warehouse in Katendrecht, FENIX is scheduled to open in May. While the interior remains a mystery until the opening, we were able to admire the exterior — and we’re eagerly looking forward to discovering what lies behind those doors.

Many thanks to Rotterdam Partners and Kim Heinen for making this meeting possible.

We had an interesting talk with Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. For more than an hour, she answered our questions and she shared with us her perspectives on President Trump’s plan for Gaza, on the fact that the Dutch parliament revoked her invitation, and also on the criticism she receives from different sides.

Brainport Eindhoven

We had a very insightful visit to Brainport Eindhoven, starting with brief presentations by Deputy Mayor Stijn Steenbakkers at the City Hall. We went to the High Tech Campus, where we learned about its strategy within Brainportabout its strategy within Brainport and got to meet some of the innovative startups based there.

We also got insights into the future of Brainport Industries Campus (BIC), including potential ASML expansion at BIC North and the city's plans to acquire BIC 1. To top it off, we toured the first campus building to see innovation in action!

At Eindhoven KnoopXL, we had the opportunity to meet Mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem and discuss the city’s development, opportunities, challenges, and the future of Eindhoven as a leading tech hub.