Rob van der Horst was born in 1947 in The Hague, the Netherlands. He attended the Helen Parkhurst School, which is a primary school based on the Dalton system. Next he went to the Dalton Lyceum in The Hague. He graduated in 1966.

From January 1967 until September 1968 he served in the Royal Dutch Army as First Lieutenant of the Military Administration.

In 1968 he enrolled at Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering. In 1970 he switched to the Erasmus University Rotterdam to study regional economics. He received his masters in 1978.

In 1976, while still being a master student Professor Leo Klaassen asked him to join the Netherlands Economic Institute (NEI) in Rotterdam, currently ECORYS. During ten years he carried out regional studies for a variety of clients, including several Dutch municipalities and provinces, the Ministry of Housing and Physical Planning, the World Bank and the European Commission (DG XVI).
Two projects for NEI are worth mentioning:

• Rob was general economist in a large team carrying out a feasibility study for the World Bank about building a new railway in Zimbabwe, linking newly found coal reserves with the existing infrastructure. The team stayed two months in Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
• He was the project manager of a large study for a cross-border social-economic action plan for the Euregio. Clients included German and Dutch ministries, and regional authorities.

In 1986 Professor Joop Vianen asked him to join EIM Business & Policy Research. Rob became the first manager of a new research department. In contrast to other departments this department worked almost exclusively on a commercial basis, which was quite new to the EIM foundation.
Four years later, anticipating the growing interest in SMEs at EU level, EIM established an international research department and Rob became the first manager. Together with an enthusiastic team a large number of international studies were carried out. At the same time the researchers started operating as research-based-consultants, assisting organisations in PHARE and TACIS countries – but also in South Africa – how to organise and carry out SME research and how to develop SME policy.

A major strategic decision of EIM in the early nineties was to establish a European network of organisations specialised in SME research. Together with Professor Joop Vianen Rob developed this ENSR network and he became the first Executive Director of the ENSR (see also Testimonials). Under the umbrella of the ENSR to date more than 200 studies have been conducted at a total budget of 45 million euro.

The most important study carried out by ENSR partners has undoubtedly been the ‘Observatory of European SMEs’ for DG XXIII, later DG Enterprise and Industry of the European Commission. From 1993 until 2004 numerous subjects were studied. The results are laid down in thousands of pages in 8 reports. The information collected and disseminated under the SME Observatory has put the European SMEs into the picture of EU and national policymakers. During the entire period Rob van der Horst was the project director of the SME Observatory.

In 2008 Panteia (the successor of EIM) became the winner of the framework contract for SME studies of DG Enterprise of the European Commission. The contract lasted 4 years and Rob was the project director. Under the contract a variety of SME related studies were conducted, including a large study on the opportunities for SMEs on ‘third markets’: what are the chances for EU SMEs in China, Russia, Japan, Korea, Brazil, etc. and what should the Commission do to help SMEs? Together with project manager Koos van Elk Rob carried out the study, including missions to Russia, Korea and Japan.

The relation between EIM/Panteia and OECD has always been good and tight. Since its establishment the OECD Working Party on SMEs and Entrepreneurship has drawn upon the knowledge and experience of EIM researchers. Several times Rob van der Horst has acted as consultant to the OECD, e.g. for the preparation of the first Ministerial SME Conference in Bologna.

In 2010 Rob van der Horst advised HRH Princess Máxima of the Netherlands on world-wide SME data and characteristics. In 2009 the Princess (since April 2013 Queen Máxima) was appointed by the UN Secretary-General as his Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development.
Among other things she advocates access for SMEs, which are often the engines of growth in local and national economies. Rob also participated in the G20 Working Group on SME Finance Data which was held on 25 May 2010 in The Hague and chaired by Princess Máxima.

In 2002 Rob van der Horst was invited to join the Board of the International Council for Small Business ICSB as Director. The ICSB is a worldwide professional organisation of SME researchers, consultants, teachers and policymakers. It has about 2,500 members in more than 70 countries and has an office in Washington DC. EIM considered Rob’s board membership as a good way to improve the international orientation and networking and in 2004 Rob became Vice-President Research. In 2006 Rob was elected President-elect, meaning that in 2007-2008 he acted as President of ICSB. It took him to many different places in the world, meeting everywhere small business researchers, policymakers etc. and exchanging ideas and experiences.

In 2013 Rob van der Horst retired from Panteia. Since then he has been active as a freelance consultant. Among other things he has been involved in the following projects:

• A feasibility study for an SME Observatory in Lebanon;
• Setting up an SME Observatory in Jordan;
• SME policy development in the Overseas Countries and Territories in the Caribbean Region.

Next to his professional carreer Rob van der Horst has been active in several committees and the board of the fieldhockey club HUDITO in Delft, the Netherlands. He is a member of the Lions Club Delft Princestad. He is responsible for excursions of the historical society Delfia Batavorum in his hometown Delft. His hobbies include sport (fieldhockey, tennis, skiing, skating, swimming, sailing), genealogy and photography. He is married with two sons and five grandchildren.