The first edition of the NextGenLeaders Summit took place in July 2025, in collaboration with the Lorentz Center. The summit brought together 27 talented early-career independent researchers from across the Netherlands, representing a broad range of fields within chemistry.
The summit focused on some of the key challenges facing the chemical research landscape, including funding pressures on academic and fundamental research, the energy transition and the growing need for circular solutions. Addressing these challenges requires a new generation of leaders who combine scientific excellence with the vision and ability to connect across disciplines and sectors.
Over the course of the summit, participants engaged with leading experts through lectures, panel discussions and interactive workshops. The program provided an opportunity to exchange ideas, discuss shared challenges and explore how the next generation of researchers can contribute to shaping the future of chemistry.The outcomes and key discussions from the summit have been captured in a white paper.
Following the success of the first edition and the positive feedback from participants, the NextGenLeaders Summit will take place every two years. The second edition is planned for July 2027.
Interested in joining? Keep an eye on our social media channels for updates. Registrations will open soon.
The chemical sector faces major challenges: energy transition, climate goals, and the demand for circular solutions. Meeting these challenges requires new leadership — leaders who combine technical expertise with vision, innovation, and the ability to connect.
This workshop empowers young chemists to develop essential leadership skills. Participants learn to drive innovation, lead teams, communicate effectively, and make strategic decisions with real impact.
By investing in the next generation of chemical leaders, we strengthen the sector’s resilience and ensure a sustainable, competitive future for the Dutch chemical industry.
The whitepaper from the first Next Generation Leaders in Dutch Chemistry Summit (July 2025) compiles insights from 26 early-career principal investigators on the state of chemistry in the Netherlands.
Over five days, they examined mounting pressures on both academia and industry. The whitepaper issues an urgent warning to policymakers, academic leaders, and companies about converging risks: declining public R&D investment, growing bureaucratic burdens, erosion of academic freedom, unstable national science policy, and increasing challenges for the chemical industry due to rising energy costs and global competition.
Because these signals come directly from practitioners, they offer a grounded and pressing outlook for the sector’s future.
Meet NXTGEN 2025
Speakers Year 2025
Advisory Board
Programm 2025
