Business Daily – Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands (BBC World Service, 9 January 2026)

Episode Overview

In this episode of Business Daily, host Matthew Kenyon sits down with Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands—a senior royal, former business consultant and European Commission official, and co-founder of TechLeap, an organization supporting the Dutch tech start-up ecosystem. The conversation centers on Europe's tech competitiveness, the intersection of royalty and entrepreneurship, how the Dutch approach innovation, navigating the political implications of tech, and the challenges and imperatives for Europe in the global technology race. Prince Constantijn also reflects candidly on his optimism and apprehensions about Europe's societal cohesion amidst rapid technological change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Dutch Context for Innovation (03:19)

• Innovation Born of Necessity: The Netherlands has a deep-rooted culture of innovation, attributed in part to its geography (a third of the country is below sea level), requiring constant technological advancement to survive.
  • Prince Constantijn: "The country is nearly one third under sea level, so we had to innovate ourselves into existence... We're a very equalitarian country. It's very likely that someone will always challenge decisions... good for innovation, not so good for execution." (03:19)

2. The Role and Purpose of TechLeap (04:13, 05:11)

• Position at TechLeap: Prince Constantijn describes his role as "Envoy" at TechLeap as a blend of strategic guidance and leveraging his public stature to open doors and generate buzz for the sector.
• Personal & Professional Identity: While his royal status opens opportunities, his engagement is grounded in substantive experience in European digital policy.
• Combining Roles: He explains that his work at TechLeap is where his public role and professional expertise blend productively.
  • Prince Constantijn: "I spent most of my professional life outside of the Netherlands because that was in a sense easier... After being chief of staff of Nelly Krus at the European Commission... this role... blends the two quite nicely." (05:11)

3. Advocacy & Navigating Politics in Tech (06:23, 07:41)

• Objective Advocacy: The TechLeap approach is to candidly flag issues—regulatory, educational, fiscal—that impede tech sector growth, always linking them to the national interest and the public good.
• Avoiding Party Politics: Prince Constantijn is clear he aims to influence broad objectives, such as a stronger tax base or retaining the welfare state, rather than wading into partisan debates.
  • Prince Constantijn: "I definitely try to avoid party politics... We want to create a stronger tax base in the Netherlands. We want to be able to retain our welfare state and we think that this is a good way to do that. But it does mean that in those areas, I don't mince my words. I do of course choose my words." (07:41)

4. A Realistic, Pushed Approach to Tech Policy (09:32)

• Strategic Focus: TechLeap shifted from broad, systemic interventions (like advocating for more coding in schools) to targeted support for high-potential startups, aiming to create a positive feedback loop (flywheel) of success, investment, and reinvestment in the tech ecosystem.
  • Prince Constantijn: "We know that those successful companies will be engines again of other companies that will emerge from it... keep that flywheel going... and you've got a sustainable tech sector." (09:32)

5. Europe’s Competitive Challenge (12:06–14:53)

• Legacy vs. Innovation: Europe tends to favor vested interests, which can stifle innovation, as seen historically in the car and telecom industries.
• Comparative Perspective: While Europe excels in research, conversion into scalable, globally-competitive companies remains a struggle, partially due to risk aversion and policy fragmentation. In contrast, the US, China, Singapore, UAE, and India move quickly from technology development to industrial-scale implementation.
  • Prince Constantijn: "In Europe we do favor legacy over innovation... We tend to then invest a lot in research... but we are somehow scared to then pull through and then also add an industrial policy to that..." (12:06)
• Strategic Choices: Europe faces a political decision on whether to prioritize independence in key tech (cloud, AI, compute) even at the cost of higher prices.
  • Prince Constantijn: "We lack the sophisticated compute companies like Nvidia... So that's a political question. Do we want to be independent and... accept that some of the manufacturing costs will be much higher?" (14:53)

6. Tech Metrics, Unicorns, and Societal Impact (15:20–17:21)

• Beyond the Unicorn Hype: TechLeap uses "unicorns" as an accessible metric, but Prince Constantijn emphasizes a deeper focus on the real impact of technology, cautioning against simplistic narratives.
  • Prince Constantijn: "It's not only about unicorns... It's a pretty useless conversation... We of course want to talk much more about the impact that these companies are making. I think we have a big responsibility... to discuss these technologies and have an opinion about them." (15:20)
• Technology as a Tool: He underscores that, rather than assuming all tech is good, societies must shape technology to address pressing challenges—climate, energy, health—otherwise risk becoming mere consumers of technologies developed elsewhere, with less say in regulation and ethical outcomes.

7. Optimism and Worries for the Future (17:49–19:24)

• Entrepreneurial Optimism: Constantijn remains optimistic about the entrepreneurial spirit in tech—the tenacity and creative drive of founders.
  • Prince Constantijn: "This is the nicest part of my job, is working with people that always will see an opportunity. That's what entrepreneurs do..." (17:49)
• Societal Anxiety: He is less optimistic about broader societal resilience, warning of increased polarization and the corrosive effects of misinformation and hyper-individualization driven by social media. He highlights the importance of strong, independent institutions.
  • Prince Constantijn: "I'm not 100% optimistic... our societies... this maybe has to do also with a lot of the misinformation and hyper individualization and kind of what social media is driving... we have independent courts, independent media. These things are absolutely essential to retain our quality of life, our freedoms, the rule of law." (18:11)
• Final Reflection: "Tech will only take us so far... the rest is up to us." (19:24, Matthew Kenyon)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Dutch Innovation:
  “We had to innovate ourselves into existence.” (Constantijn von Aranje, 03:19)

• On Advocacy:
  “We actually believe we're serving the public good by serving the tech sector.” (Constantijn von Aranje, 06:23)

• On Navigating Politics:
  “I try to hover above or below. I don't want to engage in party politics... But it does mean that in those areas, I don't mince my words.” (Constantijn von Aranje, 07:41)

• On Europe’s structural challenge:
  “We invest a lot in research... but we are somehow scared to then pull through and then also add an industrial policy to that...” (Constantijn von Aranje, 12:06)

• On Tech Metrics and Impact:
  “We of course want to talk much more about the impact that these companies are making... I don't think all technology is good.” (Constantijn von Aranje, 15:20)

• On Societal Cohesion:
  “Our institutions are not a guarantee that we’ll... retain our quality of life, our freedoms, the rule of law. And there I'm, I'm more worried and I don't know if tech will solve that. It's something we as humans need to solve ourselves.” (Constantijn von Aranje, 18:11)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:19] Dutch culture of innovation and the importance of questioning the status quo
• [04:13–05:11] Prince Constantijn on his dual roles and influence at TechLeap
• [06:23–07:41] Advocating for the tech sector, avoiding party politics, and serving the public good
• [09:32] The "flywheel" of successful startups and long-term sector sustainability
• [12:06–14:53] Europe’s approach to tech innovation and global competitiveness challenges
• [15:20–17:21] The value and limitation of unicorn metrics, and the ethical responsibilities around technology
• [17:49–19:24] Optimism for entrepreneurs, but concern for societal polarization and the limits of technology as a societal cure

Tone & Language

• The conversation mixes accessible explanations of complex issues with honest, occasionally wry reflections.
• Constantijn von Aranje is candid—both in championing ambitious tech policy and expressing skepticism about easy solutions, whether in technology or politics.
• The episode maintains a pragmatic but hopeful outlook, encouraging active engagement from government, industry, and society.

For Listeners

This episode gives a balanced, insider view of not just Europe's tech ambitions, but the tensions between innovation and politics, optimism and skepticism, and the real-world challenges of making policy that fosters progress without losing sight of societal well-being.