On Wednesday evening, October 8, 2025, Queen Máxima attended the winners’ dinner of the King Willem I Award, held at Breda University of Applied Sciences. The evening, traditionally organized by the King Willem I Foundation together with the winners of the most recent edition, marked the official opening of the application period for the biennial business awards.
The networking event focused on entrepreneurship and young talent. The winners of the 2024 King Willem I Awards — Royal Cosun, Lagemaat Sloopwerken, and Fairphone — shared their visions for innovation and the future of Dutch entrepreneurship, together with young talents from their respective companies. During the evening, the new chairman of the King Willem I Foundation, Olaf Sleijpen, officially assumed the position from his predecessor, Klaas Knot.
Founded in 1958, the King Willem I Foundation aims to highlight positive developments in the Dutch economy through its business awards. The King Willem I Award is presented every two years in the categories of Large Business and Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME), along with the King Willem I Plaque for Sustainable Entrepreneurship, with the support of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
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