Client context

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) supports businesses and policymakers in navigating key transitions in climate, energy, sustainable agriculture, and the digital economy. Through services such as subsidies, international growth programs, and patent expertise, RVO strengthens the Dutch economy and drives sustainable innovation.

To adapt to a fast-changing world, RVO aims to become a future-proof service organization, emphasizing innovation and agility while staying aligned with customer needs.

The challenge

When I joined, RVO’s approach to innovation was still maturing. While small innovation teams existed across the organization, they operated relatively independently and needed stronger cohesion to achieve a more strategic impact together.

With 6.600 employees, the scale of the organization added complexity to aligning innovation efforts. The challenge became clear:

• Build out a centralized innovation team that could align innovation efforts and methods with RVO's strategy.
• Prove the team’s value without being seen as “overhead.”
• Build a stand-alone team over time that would be independent from external consultants and freelancers.

The approach

I took a dual approach, combining hands-on project delivery with strategic planning to achieve quick wins and lay the foundation for long-term success.

1. Hands-on delivery

When I started, iNova, RVO’s innovation team, was not actively involved in many innovation projects. To demonstrate the value of our team, I took a hands-on approach by connecting directly with existing innovation teams and actively working alongside them to refine and accelerate their projects. This created a steady inflow of projects, helping iNova build relevance and showcase its capabilities.

To handle the growing demand that followed, we initially brought in freelancers and external consultants to deliver impactful results quickly. Within six months, we started the transition towards hiring permanent staff, ensuring the team could operate independently and align more closely with RVO’s long-term goals over time.

2. Strategic planning

I worked closely with iNova's strategists to shape their long-term strategy and vision, setting goals through 2028. We clarified iNova’s role and impact for RVO, secured leadership support, and developed processes to guide our work.

I also collaborated with other teams and department within RVO to create long-term strategies for their own efforts. This went beyond my initial role and helped position iNova as a trusted leader in driving innovation and strategy across the organization.

Results and impact

The work helped to establish iNova’s credibility and built a strong foundation for future growth:

• Steady project inflow: By connecting with teams across RVO, iNova gained a continuous stream of impactful projects, proving its value and relevance.
• Capacity growth: The team expanded from 2 to 7 full-time Innovation Designers, fully engaged in projects that deliver on the strategy.
• Strategic positioning: I delivered a three-year plan to further position iNova as a trusted, independent innovation team within RVO, delivering results aligned with organizational priorities.
• Internal ownership: Starting the transition from freelancers to permanent staff created a sustainable team aligned with RVO's its long-term goals.

Example AI-projects at RVO

To deliver tangible results, I facilitated several practical AI projects across RVO, including:

• AI-enhanced customer service: Tools to help customer service employees respond faster and more accurately (using RAG).
• AI-powered legislation analysis: Streamlining regulation reviews to reduce compliance timelines.
• AI in marketing: Improving campaign performance and content creation with smarter tools.
• Microsoft Copilot pilot: Rolling out Copilot to a group of employees to demonstrate a boost productivity and engagement.

These projects showcased how innovation could deliver real results, helping to establish iNova as a central driver of change at RVO.