All eight University Medical Centers in the Netherlands work together within the Netherlands Federation of University Medical Centres (Nederlandse Federatie van Universitair Medische Centra) (NFU). The NFU promotes the common interests of the centers and strives for the continuity of care and safety for patients with often serious and rare diseases that are difficult to treat. The centers have made a major contribution to the translation of research results into clinical practice, the so-called translational research.
In terms of science, the Dutch umcs are world leaders. They are the driving force behind innovation in healthcare. They do that individually but also jointly. They also work closely together with other scientific and societal organisations both locally and internationally.