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Valorisation, the transformation of knowledge into economic value, forms the core of the Dutch HTSM sector. As the driving force behind knowledge development and innovation, this sector contributes significantly to the economic and societal success of the Netherlands. Through close cooperation between knowledge institutes and companies, stimulated by Holland High Tech, we strive for rapid and effective knowledge valorisation. We also focus on expanding our participation in research and innovation projects, with initiatives such as the Deep Tech Fund and the National Growth Fund. Our ambition is clear: Dutch knowledge and innovation should lead to new commerce more often, with particular attention for SMEs and life-long development.

State of affairs
Ambition
Action points

State of affairs

Research and development produce knowledge from which we are pleased to generate economic value. This valorisation is important for our knowledge economy and is essential for the sustainable earning power of the Netherlands. Also for the societal challenges, including the energy transition or the circular economy, valorisation is crucial.

Knowledge development and innovation are of essential importance. Together with knowledge institutions, companies continually develop and adopt new technological knowledge, often with the assistance of the PPS top-up. The investments in R&D continue to grow.

This continuous development of knowledge makes our sector important for the economic and societal success of the Netherlands. As the Top Sector High Tech Systems and Materials, we strive for new control points in value chains. This is how we strengthen the competitive position of the Netherlands even more and boost the sustainable growth in a rapidly evolving global market.

It is important that knowledge institutes and companies work closely together. Because together we ensure better and more rapid knowledge valorisation. But entrepreneurs do not always find their way to knowledge institutions and vice versa. At Holland High Tech, we have close ties with both commerce and knowledge institutes. We are committed to bringing these parties closer together through stimulating the interaction between entrepreneurs and researchers. In addition, we make every effort to increase the number of knowledge institutes and private parties who participate in research and innovation projects in our sector.

It is important that knowledge institutes and companies work closely together. Because together we ensure better and more rapid knowledge valorisation.

Successful valorisation by companies requires a developing market. As part of the innovation policy, the government is aware of the need for attention for market creation and financing challenges (Letter to Parliament ‘'Innovation and impact', page 16). As Holland High Tech, we play an active role in this. Our Top Team witnessed the birth of the Deep Tech Fund by Invest-NL. With this, Invest-NL invests together with private investors in innovations for companies if they are unable to secure financing through failings in the market (see article 3 of the Machtigingswet oprichting Invest-NL (Enabling Act establishment of Invest NL)).

In addition, the National Growth Fund plays an essential role in the formation of market opportunities for innovation. Focusing on investment with a public interest that serves the earning power of the Netherlands, but for which in the short term insufficient private yield can be achieved. (Letter to Parliament 'Nationaal Groeifonds' (National Growth Fund) 2020: ‘The fund focuses particularly on investment with a public interest that serves the earning power of the Netherlands, but for which insufficient private yield can be achieved.’) Parties in the high-tech sector recognise the value of this approach and participate in various National Growth Fund projects (see list of awarded NGF projects in round 1, round 2 and round 3).

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Ambition

It is the ambition of Holland High Tech that knowledge and innovation developed in the Netherlands should lead to new commerce for the Netherlands more often. Good cooperation and effective harmonisation between knowledge institutes, government and private parties is crucial here. We devote extra attention here for SMEs to increase their involvement in the development of knowledge and innovation.

Action points

Agenda setting, cooperation and coordination
 

To allow Dutch innovations to lead to Dutch commerce, companies need to be active in the Dutch ecosystems. But the high-tech sector is not solely focused on the Netherlands. The companies in our sector have a strong international focus and target markets with the best conditions. The government jointly determines the conditions in the Netherlands. Through legislation and regulations, but also through its procurement policy, the government contributes to essential market creation. From our focus on key enabling technologies, we are committed, as Holland High Tech, to spotting obstacles and opportunities and addressing government about them, including topics concerning the circular economy and energy transition.

Programming

The high-tech sector cannot continue without innovation. Above all, innovation in the high-tech sector is important for the major societal challenges and for a sustainable earning power for the Netherlands. We need a strategic stimulation of technology development for this: from the early fundamental phase to application-focused research. This is why, at Holland High Tech, we are committed to achieving a good balance between investments in fundamental, industrial and experimental research, through for instance strategic programming. Together with the government, knowledge institutes and commerce we improve continuity of the innovation chain.

SME, start-ups and scale-ups

We stimulate SMEs to valorise their knowledge. In the past term, the instruments, including the PPS grants scheme, only reached SMEs to a limited extent. This is why as Holland High Tech we will target serving SMEs in the future. We will expand the accessibility to public-private innovation for SMEs. We do this through approaching SMEs explicitly and through involving them in the form of consortia. We will also lower the threshold for participation in public-private cooperation. In consultation, we help build a productive national and regional ecosystem in which SME companies, start-ups and scale-ups have the space to work with like-minded and knowledge institutes. And we support start-ups, scale-ups and SME companies with knowledge, regulations and activities so that they can take their next step along the innovation chain.

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