Freek Jan Frerichs

Supporting Public Private Partnerships in the Dutch Life Sciences & Health sector

In August 2012, I established the Mumbai office of the Netherlands office for Science & Technology in India. In addition to my responsibilities for the Mumbai office, I am the national coordinator of the Life Science & Health team for the Dutch trade network (5 people). Together with the team I help define our joint strategy for the sector in areas such as medical technology, public health, and public private partnerships. I also coordinate our bilateral relations with the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.

Served as an adviser on various Indo-Dutch government-to-government programs. I made a contribution to the bilateral program on water technology between the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. This has resulted in the Dutch India Water Alliance for Leadership Initiative (DIWALI). I have also set up program of cooperation between the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. My contribution to the success of the New Delhi office, helped achieve further expansion of the India team and the expansion of our office to Mumbai.

Expert within the consulate in the science and technology (S&T) field. Initiating and implementing a new interdisciplinary approach to work at the consulate and identifying and selecting new focus areas. Responsible for the Initiation of a new Dutch business platform on Sustainable Building.Launched and facilitated an internationalization program for innovative young Dutch and Chinese enterprises,

Scouting, analyzing, and reporting on new S&T developments in China. Advising Dutch companies and research institutions on their China strategy and helping them find innovation partners. Developing and maintaining a wide ranging network of corporate, governmental, and institutional contacts in the field of innovation and S&T. Organizing large Sino-Dutch S&T seminars and facilitating business delegations

Worked at the Commercial strategy department of Diageo Korea. Responsible for the creation of a Trade Strategy document that details Diageo Korea’s premium drinks trading strategy for the medium to long term. I further organized a promotion event for some of Diageo’s premium drinks. My internship at Diageo Korea has been invaluable in both my personal growth and professional development. It has taught me how to deal with cultural differences on the work floor and has given some important insights into the premium drinks market. It has taught me a lot about Asian consumers, and the issues Diageo faces in its Asian markets. Most importantly, it has taught me the importance of differences in the way peoples of different cultures communicate, and taught me how to cope with these differences in a working environment. I have fond memories of my internship at Diageo Korea and I have come to love the Diageo brands.

Conducting research into the affects of the integration of the economies of Hong Kong, Taiwan and China on the electronics industry. To put these developments in perspective, I have made a thorough analysis of the evolution of global production processes in the electronics industry.

As project coordinator I have initiated an international benchmark project on academic entrepreneurship between The Netherlands and the United States. Activities included seeking out 35000 Euro’s in corporate sponsorship and contract research, and organizing a field research program/ study tour for 18 Dutch students to Indiana University (US).