News item | 19-01-2024 | 13:15
Companies, knowledge institutions, social organizations and the government will give priority to ten strategic technologies. These are necessary for Dutch jobs and income of the future, solving social challenges and our national security. This way, the Netherlands can participate in the rapid technological developments in which other countries within and outside Europe are investing heavily and in a targeted manner. This is stated in the National Technology Strategy, which the Council of Ministers agreed to on the proposal of Minister Adriaansens of Economic Affairs and Climate.
Entrepreneurs, researchers and government have jointly listed which technologies and markets offer the greatest opportunities for the Netherlands. By investing in these technologies, we strengthen (future) earning capacity, tackle unwanted dependencies and social challenges and make technological leadership feasible.
The ambitions for these ten technologies have been developed separately, including an objective that the Netherlands must achieve by 2035. Such as being a global leader in the development and production of integrated photonics or being in the EU leading group in the manufacturing and commercialization of quantum technology. The ten technologies in which Dutch companies and knowledge institutions can take advantage of the most opportunities in the coming years are:
- optics and integrated photonics
- quantum
- green chemical production processes
- biotechnology focused on molecules and cells
- imaging technology
- (opto)mechatronics (industrial systems/machines and equipment)
- artificial intelligence (AI) and data
- energy materials
- semiconductors
- cybersecurity
Minister Adriaansens: “We have to make choices, because we are increasingly confronted with all kinds of scarcities in the field of energy, raw materials/semi-products, personnel and space. Other countries are also strategically investing in innovative technologies. With a strong knowledge economy, the Netherlands has a leading position as a trading and innovation country. With this strategy and targeted investments we can continue to do so in the future. This is very important for a liveable and safe Netherlands, but also because we first have to earn before we can distribute.”
Key technologies
Key technologies are technology areas where the Netherlands has a strong scientific position and where major social and economic impact is expected in the coming years. These technologies are widely applicable in (future) innovations and sectors. They are part of the government’s mission-driven innovation policy and play an important role in the so-called Knowledge and Innovation Agendas (KIAs) and the Knowledge and Innovation Covenant (KIC) in which the business community, knowledge institutions, governments and other organizations jointly contribute 5.7 billion euros annually. focusing on innovation.