News item | 13-05-2025 | 10:00 AM
Small and large Dutch companies continue to invest heavily in innovation through the WBSO scheme. With the WBSO, entrepreneurs can lower their wage costs and other expenses for conducting research and development (R&D). In 2024 it was 8.36 billion euros, the second highest amount ever. Almost 19,000 companies made use of the WBSO in 2024. 97.2% of this come from SMEs: a record. That is stated in the annual report that Minister Dirk Beljaarts (Economic Affairs) has published.
New innovative technology is the answer to challenges in areas such as safety, care, sustainability and digitization. But also to cope with the greatly increased international competition, to prevent unwanted technological dependencies and to keep the Netherlands strong economically. The cabinet has therefore also had a national technology strategy since the beginning of 2024. In the past year, entrepreneurs have also invested more in related innovations via the WBSO. This concerns, for example, quantum technology, cyber security, artificial intelligence (AI), smart machines & systems (mechatronics) and clean energy sources such as wind, sun and hydrogen.
Minister Dirk Beljaarts (Economic Affairs): “Innovation is not a side issue, but a main issue. For a safe, resilient, healthy country and for our jobs and income. It is therefore essential that entrepreneurs from small to large themselves invest in research and development. Good to see that, despite economic challenges, this has been done with the help of our greatest Investingen Opstreging Opestreingen Opestreingen Opstreging Innovation remains a concern.
WBSO scheme in 2024
The amount of innovation projects (8.36 billion euros) through the Promotion of Speur- en Development Work Act (WBSO) exists for 5 billion in wage costs and 3.3 billion euros in non-wage costs. The € 8.36 billion is slightly lower than the record amount from 2023, but is now almost two billion more than ten years ago. Almost 91,437 high -quality jobs (full -time courts) were involved in the work for which companies received WBSO. Of the nearly 19,000 companies that made use of the WBSO in 2024, 97.2% belonged to SMEs. Most companies are located in the Greater Amsterdam, Southeast-Noord-Brabant and Utrecht regions.
The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) carries out the WBSO scheme on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Practical examples and information can be found in The WBSO annual report.