Connection as key to the future of healthcare

‘Our strength lies in our ability to connect, grounded in a solid foundation of knowledge. We are committed to nurturing and strengthening this.'

Intro

‘Building on a quarter-century of experience, we’re now redefining our focus to emphasise future priorities,’ enthuses Véronique Timmerhuis, Director of ZonMw. She is referring to ZonMw’s strategic policy plan for 2025-2029, which outlines the direction for ZonMw’s activities and how they align with the significant challenges facing the Netherlands in terms of health, healthcare and well-being. ‘Our strength lies in our ability to connect, grounded in a solid foundation of knowledge. We are committed to nurturing and strengthening this.'

Arfan Ikram, Chair of ZonMw, adds: ‘We are working to make good health available to everybody. That goes beyond medical care alone and includes healthcare, aftercare, prevention and even the living environment. What sets us apart is our role, which is to foster the development and utilisation of knowledge. This encompasses science as well as broader knowledge development, such as insights from district nurses and smaller care organisations. This has been central to ZonMw for 25 years and makes a real difference.’

Proud of the past and ambitious for the future

Arfan and Véronique are proud of ZonMw’s 25th anniversary. ‘It’s a significant milestone, and our recent external evaluation was once again positive,’ says Véronique. ‘We’re doing well, but there’s still a lot to be done. This strategic policy plan is an ideal moment to reflect on our direction and address both current and future challenges.’ 

Those challenges are many and varied, says Arfan: ‘There is a raft of substantive issues, such as obesity, pandemic preparedness, antibiotic resistance and ethical issues around new technologies. These matters require continuous knowledge development and innovation. Added to that, we face significant challenges including affordability and accessibility, and not forgetting healthcare staffing capacity and multiple healthcare demands. We also need to continuously improve how we conduct research. Science has evolved from a solo activity to a team endeavour. Open science, collaboration and data sharing are essential for making knowledge relevant and widely applicable.’

Véronique gives an example from the action programme for people with misunderstood behaviour. ‘We fund collaborations between regional parties including the police, mental health services and local authorities to develop effective approaches. Connections such as these are essential for addressing complex care needs. We also recognise that we can successfully scale up locally developed solutions for misunderstood behaviour to other regions.’ This aligns with the core activity of conveying, where valuable knowledge from a project is made available for wider application. ‘That way we don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time.’

Connecting is about doing

ZonMw facilitates cooperation between parties and fosters connections. ‘That goes beyond mere collaboration,’ says Arfan. ‘It extends to sharing biodata and research results, among other things. Consider the example of biomaterials collected for dementia research that could also be of great value in Parkinson’s Disease research. We ensure that knowledge and resources are optimally utilised and widely applicable, ultimately contributing to better care and health for everybody.’

Véronique adds: ‘To us, connecting is about doing.’ That is precisely why ZonMw places requirements on the projects it funds: interdisciplinary collaboration, sharing knowledge during the process and pooling results for wider application. 'We organise many meetings to bring together researchers and practitioners from the field. These exchanges ignite inspiration and bring about actual change.’ 

A strong team

ZonMw’s success is due not only to its programmes and collaborative efforts, but also to its team of inspired staff. With over 600 people working on knowledge and innovation every day, the organisation remains agile and focused. Véronique highlights the intrinsic motivation of the team: ‘Everyone plays a vital role in our mission with immense dedication. There is a shared enthusiasm for using knowledge to advance healthcare and health in the Netherlands.’

‘ZonMw is the product of the people who work here. Their passion and professionalism are mirrored in the research we fund. To maintain this excellence it’s vital to keep investing in our employees and their workplace. This is also a central ambition in our strategic plan,’ says Arfan. 

ZonMw’s 4 ambitions for the coming years

In its strategic policy plan, ZonMw has formulated four ambitions, including an ambition to help facilitate the major transitions needed in healthcare. ‘With knowledge as the driving force, we are focused on a healthcare sector that remains accessible, affordable and user-friendly,’ Véronique explains. ‘Appropriate care and prevention are central in this context. It’s not just about what changes, but how these changes come about.’

In addition, the organisation is working hard to enhance cohesion between its 100+ ongoing programmes. The resulting knowledge will be pooled and systematically arranged to reduce fragmentation. ‘It’s important that all the projects contribute to a common goal,’ says Arfan. ‘By outlining a clear framework, we ensure coherence and strengthen impact.’

ZonMw’s working practice is an important tool in this regard. Attaching clear conditions to funding, such as collaboration, patient participation and open science, not only ensures scientific progress but also social relevance. ‘By stipulating such requirements for project funding, we help guide and shape the ‘new normal’ and ensure that projects actually help facilitate solutions for the major challenges facing the healthcare sector,’ says Véronique.

To achieve all these ambitions, ZonMw is also investing in its own organisation. Agility, professionalism and innovation play a central role. ‘We are growing rapidly, in terms of size as well as impact. To continue fulfilling our mission, we are dedicated to continuous improvement in our working practices as well as other areas, such as digital systems and processes,’ says Véronique. This internal development is essential to remain a strong and future-proof organisation.

Into the future together

Proud of the past and looking ahead to the future, ZonMw continues to work for a healthier Netherlands, where knowledge is the basis for progress. ‘We will continue to work to make good health available to everybody and maintain an open mindset to adapt flexibly to new developments,’ says Arfan. Véronique concurs: ‘We identify, address and programme. And our role as a connector will be even more crucial moving forward.’