News item | 02-11-2023 | 12:36
Various Dutch Applied Research Organizations (TO2) and National Knowledge Institutions will receive €184 million in funding for 14 high-quality and future-proof facilities for research. These facilities are important for developing innovative products and services. The support goes to, among other things, hydrogen propulsion, biobased building materials, food safety and digital infrastructure such as the application of data and smart industry.
Today, Minister Micky Adriaansens (Economic Affairs and Climate) has taken the decision to grant this support from the first round of financing for Applied Research Facilities (FTO). The investment proposals come from a number of TO2 organizations (TNO, MARIN, NLR and Wageningen Research) and various government knowledge institutions (Naturalis, NFI, RCE and RIVM).
“The Dutch knowledge base is and remains very strong. Researchers and entrepreneurs solve global challenges together and develop products or services to achieve this. But knowledge does not enter the market successfully on its own and, moreover, we are experiencing ever-increasing competition in the field of innovation worldwide. For example, with technologies that are necessary for sustainability and digitalization. If we want to remain successful, excellent and modern research facilities are the basis for this. The cabinet is now investing extra in this,” said Minister Micky Adriaansens (EZK).
The 14 awarded projects
- Hydro/Aerodynamic hybrid research facility (MARIN, research into floating wind turbines and solar parks)
- SeaLab: the sea as a digital lab (MARIN, measurements at sea on the effects of maritime objects)
- Strengthening Smart Industry Field Lab NLR-ACM3 (NLR, composites and high-tech materials production and maintenance)
- GPT-NL (TNO, facility for a sovereign Dutch language model)
- Innovation Center for Sustainable Powertrains (TNO, hydrogen propulsion)
- Biobased building materials (TNO, raw materials from plant and wood fibers)
- BSL-3 facility for feed and food analysis (Wageningen Research, analysis and research food safety)
- FoodTech Facility (Wageningen Research, nutritional research aimed at consumers)
- Greenhouses and climate cells (Wageningen Research, botanical research)
- Sustainable High Tech Research Greenhouse (Wageningen Research, automated and circular cultivation systems)
- JusticeLink (Dutch Forensic Institute, data infrastructure for the analysis of complex and confidential data flows)
- DNA metabarcoding facility for biodiversity assessments (Naturalis, measuring biodiversity)
- DNA NL (National Cultural Heritage Agency, digital infrastructure for interdisciplinary heritage research)
- An analysis portal for integrated research and an overarching data platform (RIVM, measurements)
In 2024, in addition to this currently allocated funding, which the government will obtain from the Research and Science Fund, another €100 million may become available for further proposals for monitoring greenhouse gases, climate and air quality and digitalization through the application of data. Financing rounds are also planned in the following years for a further €190 million from 2025.