News item | 12-04-2023 | 9:00 am
The Netherlands and France are strengthening cooperation in the field of digitization, key technologies and making the industry more sustainable. This is recorded in a Pact for Innovation and Sustainable Growth signed by the Dutch ministers Micky Adriaansens (Economic Affairs and Climate), Liesje Schreinemacher (Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation), the French minister Roland Lescure (Industry) and the chairmen of both entrepreneurial umbrella organizations Ingrid Thijssen (VNO-NCW) and Geoffroy Roux de Bezieux (MEDEF).
The pact was signed during the state visit of the French president Emmanuel Macron to the Netherlands. It involves more public-private partnerships between Dutch and French companies, knowledge institutions and governments in areas such as semiconductors, quantum, critical raw materials, sustainable mobility and energy infrastructure. In this way, both countries can continue to lead the way in economic and scientific fields. It is the further elaboration of agreements between the two governments from 2021 and 2022.
Key technologies for innovation and digitization
Both the Netherlands (mission-driven top sectors and innovation policy including the National Growth Fund) and France (France 2030 Plan) focus on innovation and sustainability as answers to many challenges such as scarcity of raw materials, digitization, sustainability and safety. In addition to the basis for growth, this is also necessary, for example, to become less economically dependent on countries outside the EU.
The two countries are now leaders in the field of semiconductors such as the development and production of chips (machines) and technologies such as photonics. Brainport Eindhoven and the region Grenoble have therefore agreed to cooperate more and to exchange knowledge. In the field of quantum technology, both countries are joining forces by investing in the exchange of knowledge and researchers as well as coaching and financing startups.
Making industry and energy infrastructure more sustainable
Reducing CO2 emissions by industry, investing in sustainable energy infrastructure (solar, wind, hydrogen) including storage for a more flexible energy system, reducing dependence on critical raw materials and semi-finished products are other areas in which both countries are intensifying cooperation.
For example, knowledge institutes TNO (the Netherlands) and CEA (France) agreed today to strengthen their strategic cooperation, particularly in the field of energy. For example, by contributing knowledge to the construction of a new solar panel (PV) industry in Europe and strengthening the hydrogen strategies of both countries.