Welcome to another Getro’s Innovator Series. In this ongoing series of posts, we highlight individuals, organizations, and initiatives with innovative approaches to talent from Getro's network.

We talked to Sasja Heijman, Program Manager International Talent at InnovationQuarter, to discuss talents, network, and how they leverage Getro’s job board to help strengthen the regional economic structure in the greater Rotterdam – The Hague area (Netherlands).

Stimulating innovation

Founded in 2014, InnovationQuarter is a regional economic development agency financed by public partners to stimulate the regional economy of the greater Rotterdam - The Hague area in the Netherlands. The team acts as independent process directors to provide knowledge and expertise and facilitate network opportunities. In fulfilling this role, they are constantly in touch with major corporations, young technology companies, and knowledge insti­tutions. As the organization keeps on growing, its main objectives are:

  • Investing in innovative Dutch startups located in the region
  • Attracting and supporting international companies to settle in the region
  • Assisting local companies in exploring international markets
  • Stimulating cooperation between knowledge institutes and companies to boost innovation
  • Developing an international talent program (attraction and retention)

💡 The key to succeeding in this new ambitious program?

Connecting Talent with tailor-made know-how and key networks, especially in sectors in which the region excels, such as Life Sciences & Health, Digital Technology, Cybersecurity, High Tech, and Maritime & Port.

In our interview with Sasja, she pointed out that this is where Getro comes in - allowing talent to see all of the opportunities available in the Greater Rotterdam - The Hague area’s network of companies around the different targeted industries.

“The Getro job board is a vital tool for our program to showcase companies in our region, the open positions, and the different sectors where we have jobs for international talents, specifically.”

Filling an urgent need

In 2022, InnovationQuarter came to Getro with an urgent need to update their network with new open roles as soon as they were available, without doing any manual work.

In Spring, with the arrival of 76,600 refugees from Ukraine, InnovationQuarter saw the emergence of questions like:

❓Where can people relocating to the region easily find English job openings?

❓Is there one place that currently references all the available job opportunities?

The urgency of the situation helped InnovationQuarter and its partners to go with Getro; in 10 days, in close cooperation with the International Centers of The Hague, Rotterdam, and Leiden, the regional Job Board was live and able to assist international talent in their job search!

Connecting the needs

The Greater Rotterdam - The Hague area has over 500 companies and 4,000 jobs listed on their automated Job Board. To develop an efficient, targeted two-way communication, they take advantage of custom filters, which they use to showcase jobs in different sectors.

It allows them to direct talent to grow companies based on the sector in which they work, saving time during searches and making sure the right companies learn about the right interested candidates for their open roles.

InnovationQuarter Job Board by Getro


As they look to the future, InnovationQuarter wants to make its job board even more visible to further attract international talent to the greater Rotterdam - the Hague area in the Netherlands. Maintaining communication is key, and their Job Board is here as a backbone.

Want to learn more about Getro’s job boards? Request a demo here.

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