Speech by King Willem-Alexander at the innovation and semicon networking event, Albany, United States
Governor Hochul,
Ladies and gentlemen,
To Queen Máxima and me, this feels a bit like coming home. Because the can-do mentality here at NY CREATES reminds us strongly of the Netherlands.
It’s fascinating to see how, here in Albany, you have developed a fertile ecosystem for groundbreaking innovation.
This city is not only one of America’s primary technology centres, but one of the world’s too.
This is the result of many decades of hard work. But above all it’s the result of joining forces. Of pulling together the brightest people, the best facilities and the boldest ideas.
In the Netherlands, you can see the same dynamic spirit, driven by the same connections between big business, startups and research institutions.
Those connections are our greatest strength. So it’s fantastic to see our leading centres for nanotechnology and semiconductors working to enhance their ties even further.
The United States and the Netherlands are a perfect match. They have been for years! Not everyone realises this, but my country is the second-biggest foreign investor in the US. Here in New York State alone, our trade and investment relations account for 57,000 jobs.
But our relationship is about so much more than the economy. We’re also partners in the search for solutions to the great challenges of our time: from climate change and the energy transition to affordable healthcare for all.
For all these reasons, our ties of cooperation are of key importance. And so I wish you all every success going forward!
Thank you.