TNW Conference 2025 theme spotlight: Ecosystems

It doesn’t simply take a village to raise a startup. It takes a whole ecosystem, driven by the collaboration between governments, corporates, ecosystem builders — and of course, visionary founders.

Startup ecosystems have naturally emerged as the foundation of technological innovation and as key drivers for business growth and regional development. But there isn’t a single recipe for success.

What’s the best way to build a startup hub? What are the essential support mechanisms for young businesses, from accelerators and incubation programmes to startup visas? How to efficiently attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and talent?

The list of questions is long. This is why Ecosystems is one of the six refreshed themes of TNW Conference 2025, taking place on June 19 and 20 in Amsterdam.

Whether you’re a government member seeking to make your country or city an attractive region for businesses, a policy maker looking to understand how the latest tech trends can shape favourable policies, or a startup exec interested in uncovering the best ecosystems in Europe — this theme is for you.

Ecosystems will help you explore how public-private partnerships, infrastructure, and policy frameworks can nurture startups, accelerate regional development, and create sustainable innovation hubs.

“Private companies bring speed. Public parties bring scale,” Madeline Lawrence, a member of the TNW Advisory Board that is helping shape the conference content, said. Lawrence is also an angel investor, former partner at Peak, and currently the chief business officer at Belgium-based Aikido Security.

“Together, private-public partnerships can move the needle. Without distribution, great ideas go nowhere,” she said.

But according to Christina Caljé, founder, entrepreneur, investor, and also a TNW Advisory Board member, private-public partnerships often overlook one critical factor. Namely, the involvement of entrepreneurial expertise throughout the process, especially for investments in frontier technologies.

“When governments offer grants, subsidies, or loans tied to innovation, they must integrate professionals with hands-on startup experience at key touchpoints: the vetting stage, oversight roles (such as advisory or supervisory boards for government-backed innovation funds), and in the ongoing monitoring and reporting phases,” Caljé said. 

To help you navigate this complex landscape, the Ecosystems theme features for different pillars:

• Regulating Tomorrow: Learn how to balance regulation requirements with driving innovation. How can governments ensure that technology is being used responsibly, especially regarding laws such as the GDPR and the AI Act?
• Innovation Nation: Find out how government-funded programs, university partnerships, and accelerators can help startups to grow
• Building Utopias: Discover how public investments in technologies for urban transformation are unlocking new business opportunities and fueling regional ecosystems. How can investments in smart cities drive economic growth by attracting businesses and creating jobs?
• Circular, Inclusive Growth: How do ESG initiatives that blend environmental sustainability with business innovation help companies expand while making a positive impact?

Are you looking to forward to explore the key ingredients that make a successful ecosystem? Andy Lürling, founding partner at LUMO Labs and TNW Advisory Board member, already offers a summary of important elements.

“A good balance between availability of money (public/private investors), talent (through universities), an inspiring location (ecosystem of startups/scaleups), and cultural (off work) activities,” he said. 

Excited to attend TNW Conference 2025? Then see you in Amsterdam on June 19 and 20! Use the code TNWXMEDIA2025 to get 30% off your pass.

Update (11:50AM, October 10, 2024): The article has been updated to include the comments from Christina Caljé and Andy Lürling.