The silly season. Go outside and lay down on your back – preferably on grass. Look for the orange Holland High-Tech balloon: The oldest form of aviation is playfully promoting the Dutch high-tech sector. The balloon has flown for the first time on July 28 during the balloon festival in Joure. Companies can hire the balloon from Special Balloon Services in Leusden.

The Holland High Tech branding is developed in 2012 and continued until today. For the Dutch high-tech sector it is a successful instrument to show the added value of the sector abroad. My advice to the Dutch Topteam High Tech Systems & Materials was to think inside-out: to show the world our added value. What makes the Netherlands special? The Netherlands’ centuries-old tradition of creativity, pragmatism, entrepreneurship, openness and collaboration make it the perfect place to find solutions to the challenges society is facing today in the areas of health and wellness, security, renewable energy, mobility and the climate.

The Dutch high-tech systems and materials sector offers pragmatic solutions for these technological challenges. Solutions that, due to the complexity of the challenges, are primarily found in cross-overs in technology and collaboration. Probably  you know, the Netherlands is recognized around the world for its products, knowledge and concepts. Its high-tech systems and materials sector has high-end jobs for foreign knowledge workers, skilled workers and teachers. It is also a centre of excellence for research and development in the area of technology and innovation, and promotes collaboration and technology partnerships. The Netherlands offers excellent business conditions for domestic and foreign technology companies alike, and is an attractive place to live and work for entrepreneurs, researchers and students.

A marketing gimmick

I received an invitation to fly in the balloon in February when the Netherlands was covered in a thick layer of white snow. It was a very special and peaceful experience to float above the snow-covered Veluwe at a temperature of -10 Celsius in a basket underneath a bag of hot air. Not to mention rolling through the snow when the balloon landed. We discussed the idea of the orange Holland High-Tech balloon while gliding over the countryside. What goes up must come down, and we were happy to conclude that both the flight and the landing had been successful. TU/e, NTS-Group, Frencken, Lenze, Thales and MTA will finance the balloon together. Click here for the full press release.