Companies, knowledge institutions and governments will jointly invest € 4.9 billion in 2020 in the government’s renewed top sector and innovation policy. Of this, 2.05 billion comes from companies and 2.85 billion from public funds. This is a doubling compared to this year. This is stated in the knowledge and innovation covenant 2020-2023 (KIC), which was sent to the Lower House by State Secretary Mona Keijzer (Economic Affairs and Climate) yesterday. State Secretary Keijzer presented the KIC at the Airborne company in The Hague, together with Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven (Education, Culture and Science).
State Secretary Mona Keijzer (EZK): “The KIC shows that more than 2,200 companies, knowledge institutions and governments are going to invest together in Dutch innovation. All parties needed for innovation are connected: from researchers to entrepreneurs who develop these innovations, and from investors to governments, who support them in this. We have 5 billion euros annually until 2023 to tackle major societal challenges with smart technologies: Dutch solutions to international societal challenges. This is how we work to secure our jobs and income in the future.”
New partners increase investment in innovation
Compared to 2019, a large number of new partners are joining the KIC: various other ministries, provinces, regional development companies (ROMs), knowledge institutions, universities and colleges. The KIC brings their investments in innovation together under the new top sector and innovation policy. This policy is based on the economic opportunities of societal challenges (energy transition & sustainability; agriculture, water & food; health & care; safety), key technologies (such as AI, photonics, nano and quantum) and the economic earning capacity.
Many new partners are more regionally oriented and therefore make it easier for SMEs to join in with research and development. SMEs are indispensable in the innovation process: they ensure that research finds its application in concrete products and services.
Key enabling technologies
The above mentioned key enabling technologies form a separate theme within the KIC. The total investment in these promising technologies for 2020 is expected to be around 1 billion euros. This amount offers possibilities for filling in the National Agenda for AI, quantum, photonics, composites and nanotechnology that have already been presented, as well as for other initiatives that fall under key technologies (for example battery technology). The exact allocation of the amount for key enabling technologies depends on the needs of companies and the opportunities that researchers see. That will become clear in the course of the coming year.
Photocredits: Top Floor Pics
