Joint letter to politicians: Choose Innovation
The Top Consortia of the Netherlands have sent a letter to Dutch politicians calling for a greater focus on innovation policy.
The letter - coming from TKI Green Chemistry and Circularity, TKI CLICKNL, TKI Office of the Top Sector Life Sciences & Health (Health~Holland), TKI High Tech Systems and Materials, TKI Agrifood, TKI Construction and Technology, TKI Deltatechnology TKI Dinalog, TKI Horticulture and Starting Materials, TKI Water Technology, TKI Energy and TKI ICT argues for:
- A stable and guiding industrial policy.
- A structural increase in public and private innovation investments.
- Targeted support for start-ups and scale-ups.
In 2002, the EU set itself the goal of increasing spending on innovation to 3% of GDP. After exceeding 2% in 2013, the growth of innovation investment has stagnated. Both Dutch and average EU spending currently lags behind that of China, the US, Japan and South Korea. Within the EU, Sweden, Belgium, Austria, Germany and Finland have now reached the 3% target.
We face major challenges as a country - a climate-neutral energy system, sustainable production and water management, additional healthy years of life for all, a secure digital society and a fully circular economy. The key to solutions lies in innovation. Not tomorrow, but today. This requires strategic and stable policies.