Koploper

Koploper is a Dutch term that designates a person, company, team, or organization that leads in a field or competition. Derived from kop (head) and lopen (to walk or run), it is used figuratively to describe someone who is at the front of a line, or ahead of others in performance, adoption, or innovation.

Usage: In sports, the koploper is the team at the top of the standings. In business and policy discourse, it refers to leading companies or countries that set the standard for others to follow, for example koplopers in sustainability, digitization, or energy transition. The plural koplopers is common, as in koplopers in de industrie.

Nuance: The term is generally descriptive and largely neutral, but in some contexts it can carry a normative nuance, implying that others should imitate or achieve similar performance.

Context and scope: The expression is widespread in Dutch-language media and discourse, used across sectors to mark leadership. It denotes a current position that can change as performance and circumstances evolve, making it a time-sensitive label for benchmarking and comparison.

See also: Frontrunner.