Netherlands Innovation Network China
Job description:
The Netherlands Innovation Network acts as a liaison for international innovation,
stimulating strategic economic and scientific collaborations between the
Netherlands and 17 countries with posted Innovation Attachés (IAs), thereby
connecting industry, academia, knowledge institutes and government.
The IA Guangzhou office operates within the Economic Affairs Network in China
(with additional IAs in Beijing and Shanghai). IA Guangzhou roughly covers the
Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, with a strong focus on Guangzhou, Shenzhen and
Hong Kong. Some sectors and technologies of particular interest in this region are
Digital Health, Blockchain, Clean Tech, Artificial Intelligence, Chemistry and
Robotics.
As such, some questions the Assistant Innovation Attaché may encounter include,
“Which start-ups are leading the development of mobile healthcare devices?”
“Which Shenzhen-based knowledge institutes are collaborating with the central
government on cybersecurity technologies?”
“What R&D initiatives are universities deploying in machine learning?”
“What are the similarities and differences between the Dutch and Chinese markets
for advanced materials?”
The Assistant Innovation Attaché supports the IA Guangzhou across all of the
office’s activities. These include but are not limited to office support, logistical
support, collecting, processing and disseminating sector-specific information,
connecting Dutch partners with relevant counterparts in the local ecosystem and
representing Dutch private and public interests among Chinese stakeholders.
Within this broader scope, the Assistant Innovation Attaché can and should
actively contribute to defining more specific objectives that support innovative
exchanges between China and the Netherlands.
Foreseen Duties and Activities:
1.Organisation of Innovation, Science and Technology Missions
a. Participate in planning and scheduling of science & technology,
innovation, market exploration, government and trade missions with
regional and Dutch co-organizers
b. Identify and connect with organizations of interest for incoming
delegations and develop program content
c. Lead or support mission execution and logistics
d. Draft mission reports, and track and support follow-up among visiting
and between visiting and hosting organizations.
2. Administrative support
a. Review and log activities of IA Guangzhou in appropriate digital
environment
b. Write periodic reports on activities, strategies and planning of IA
Guangzhou for Ministry of Economic Affairs and further government use
3.Analysis and reporting
a. Map R&D activities in leading universities, research institutes, and other
Chinese stakeholders, in particular in top-sectors such as High-Tech
Systems, ICT and Materials and Life Sciences;
b. Scan relevant media and publications and connect with local key
stakeholders to obtain insights on the latest innovative developments in
China and the Netherlands;
c. Reporting: process and present obtained information for internal
(strategic) use, for missions and delegations and to inform partner
organizations.
4.Cooperation and information exchange
a. Address questions and requests submitted by public authorities,
knowledge institutes and industry
b. Collaborate with other Economic Affairs Network teams on common
projects and activities
c. Liaise with the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency regarding
Chinese companies that partly base their investment decisions on R&D
and innovation grounds
5.Networking and representation
a. Sustain, nourish and expand the regional strategic network of the
Netherlands Innovation Network
b. Support the presence and activities of the science diplomacy network in
the PRD
c. Represent Dutch public and private interests among local and state
governments, public institutions and NGOs
d. Create and publish articles and other media content on regional market
and technological trends and disseminate these through newsletters,
RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency) websites and social media
The day to day duties and activities will be coordinated with the Innovation Officer
in Guangzhou.
Job requirements:
Level of education: university degree, preferably in engineering or natural
sciences. Level of experience: 2-5 years, preferably in the field of circularity. However, this
position is also open to newly graduated candidates.
• Result-driven approach
• Solid communication, presentation and networking skills
• Analytical and structured thinking, planning, organizing
• Pro-active attitude and self-starter
• Constructive team member
• Flexible and responsive mind set
• Customer-oriented, friendly;
• Curious about new developments in science & technology;
• Sensitive to a policy and political environment;
• Languages: Fluency in Dutch and excellency in the English language is
required. Chinese language skills are a plus and very beneficial.
Working environment (Dutch diplomatic network):
The China network of the Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of the Embassy in
Beijing and Consulates General in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chongqing and Hong
Kong.
The purpose of the Dutch diplomatic network of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in
China is to manage diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China and
representation of the Netherlands in order to strengthen the international position
in the relevant policy areas through policy support and development, and to
promote and support bilateral/multilateral cooperation.
Netherlands Innovation Network China is part of the diplomatic network of the
Netherlands in China and belongs to a worldwide network of Dutch Innovation
officers, which is managed by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl) and
commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. For more information
visit our website at: www.ianetwerk.nl (Dutch only).
The Junior Innovation Officer works closely with the Innovation Officer but is also
part of an inter-city team with colleagues in Beijing and Shanghai. Each office
works relatively independently in its geographical region and reports to the
Counsellor for Innovation, Technology & Science at the Dutch Embassy in Beijing.
The Junior Innovation Officer also cooperates with colleagues from other
departments at the Dutch Consulate-General in Guangzhou, in particular with
his/her colleagues in the Consulate’s economic department and the Netherlands
Foreign Investment Agency.
Most of the work of the Innovation Officer in Guangzhou is carried out in the Pearl
River Delta region (PRD), though occasionally business trips within China and to
the Netherlands will be required.
Conditions of employment:
• Dutch nationals: The “rechtspositieregeling lokaal indienstgenomen
medewerkers 2005” (Rrlok 2005) of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs is
applicable to this position. The salary scale for this function is 7 (ranging from
19,414 RMB – 29,121 RMB per month + social allowances). The level will be
determined according to the relevant work experience of the candidate;
• The vacancy concerns a full time (40 hours/week) position with a fixed term
contract for the duration of one year, starting as soon as possible. After one
year an evaluation will take place, upon mutual agreement the contract can be
extended for a longer period.
More information:
If you would like more information regarding the content of this position, please
contact us via [email protected].
If you would like to have more information about the local employment conditions,
please contact our HR department via [email protected].
Selection procedure:
Candidates are required to submit their motivation letter and resumé in English to
Fons Klein Tuente, Senior Officer for Innovation, Science & Technology in
Guangzhou ([email protected]). The deadline for submission is 13th
of August 2021.
Candidates whose letter and resume are considered to match the formal
requirements will be invited for an interview.
If found suitable, internal candidates have priority over external candidates.