It is indisputable that the Netherlands should have a knowledge economy in the future. The Netherlands faces significant financial challenges, such as aging and climate change, and these challenges can only be solved through a significant increase in productivity. The knowledge economy is clean, requires little space and creates high-quality jobs, making it ideal for the Netherlands. Brainport Eindhoven (ASML is worth more than Airbus, Siemens or Volkswagen) or Bioscience park Leiden (Janssen vaccine) are examples worth following. But when it comes to necessary long-term investments, politicians have been failing for some time.
When it comes to spending on scientific research and innovation, the Netherlands is not among the leading group of countries that we have to compete with internationally, such as Germany and the United States. Since 2017, Germany and the United States have increased their investments in knowledge to 3.2% and 3.1% of GDP respectively. The Netherlands remains stuck at around 2 percent, surrounded by countries that are either significantly less wealthy (France, Great Britain, Czech Republic, Slovenia) or countries that have large natural resources and/or area and can therefore provide their own livelihoods (Norway, Canada, Australia). .
Knowledge coalition
The first steps towards recovery have been taken with the National Growth Fund and a proposal from the Knowledge Coalition, but we believe that these steps are too slow and not ambitious enough, given international developments. The Knowledge Alliance's proposal is to grow step by step from the current investment of 2.2 percent to the EU guideline of 3 percent of GDP in 2031. For this purpose, public investment will increase by approximately 350 million euros each year to an additional investment of 1.4 in The hundred. One billion euros annually at the end of the next ministerial period.
This means that within ten years we will not even reach the current level reached by Germany and the United States, while these two countries, of course, do not stand still. Germany aspires to invest 3.5% of GDP by 2025. President Joe Biden has just proposed increasing US public investment in research and innovation by $31 billion annually, which leaves a gap with the Dutch ambition for 2031 of 0.5% of GDP.
Although the EU target of 3% is an important target, we consider it necessary to reach parity with Germany and the United States by 2031. This requires an annual increase in public investment of €550 million per year until 2031, leading to an additional investment of 2.2 billion euros annually at the end of the next ministerial period.
Political choice
This path has the important additional advantage of reaching the EU directive in 2027 and the current level of the US and Germany in 2028. Falling behind the US and Germany is a political choice and completely unnecessary. The Netherlands is as rich in per capita income as the United States and Germany. Moreover, the return on scientific research is high (estimated at 300% to 900%).
The talent (still) exists in the Netherlands: Dutch scientists receive the most European research grants. However, only 10-20% of research proposals submitted in the Netherlands are funded, resulting in many excellent projects being overlooked. A lot of potential remains unused now due to lack of funds. What is particularly missing from the Dutch future plans is the lack of funds for basic research.
The Growth Fund has no room for that. To compensate for this, the Knowledge Alliance proposed allocating more money to basic research, especially through direct funding to universities. Money for universities is necessary because teaching tasks have increased dramatically, without increasing staff numbers. What is missing in current proposals is an expansion of the scope of basic research selected by the NWO, solely on the basis of scientific quality.
Individual researcher grants from the European Research Council (ERC) and Marie Curie show that such research gives the best results in the medium term. Not only does it provide more basic knowledge, it also provides 2.4 times more patents per euro than the European Strategic Programs, an excellent indicator of its excellent economic and social utility. Recent ERC grants and research also show that relatively small projects of between €1.5-2.5 million and a single principal investigator are cost-effective and have the best chance of achieving scientific breakthroughs.
Cost control
There are 11,000 independent scientists in the Netherlands, in universities alone. International competitiveness costs at least €0.6 million per year per independent scientist in the natural, life or medical sciences. Selection based on scientific quality provides the opportunity to control costs and allows the best researchers and projects to be recognized internationally.
We hope that the next government will now truly choose the Dutch knowledge economy. To make such an economy internationally viable will require greater and better-balanced investments in science and innovation. We believe that these investments will pay off in an attractive future for the Netherlands.
doctor. Raymond Bott,Associate Professor (UHD), Erasmus M.C
Professor Dr. Frank GrossfeldErasmus MC, founder of CSO Harbor Biomed
Professor Dr. House of Burstfaculty member and former director of NKI-Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital
Professor Dr. Anna AkhmanovaUtrecht University
Professor Dr. Hans CleversHubrecht Institute
Professor Dr. Alexander van OudenaardenDirector of the Hubrecht Institute
Professor Dr. Peter RolfsemaDirector of the Dutch Brain Institute
Professor Dr. Wilhelm HackRadboud University
Professor Dr. Saskia van MeelUMCU
Professor Dr. Gert Cobbs, Scientific Director of the UNCOD Institute
Professor Dr. Arjen van WittelostoijnDean of the Faculty of Business and Economics, Vrije University
Professor Dr. Cees DeckerYou got lost
Professor Dr. Aleta CranfieldUtrecht University
Professor Dr. Roshan ColesRadboud University
Professor Dr. Bob PinedoYour day
Professor Dr. Jan SmitsDean of the Faculty of Law, Maastricht University
Professor Dr. Rene BernardsNicky
Professor Dr. Alexandre BonvinScientific Director of the Bigfoot Center at Utrecht University
Professor Dr. Christoph LuthiDean of the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies, Radboud University
Professor Dr. Christine Mummeryblame you
Professor Dr. Casper Albers,University of Groningen
Professor Dr. Dick SwapHonorary Director of the Netherlands Brain Institute
Professor Dr. Danny HolbrookErasmus M.C
Professor Dr. Ron FouchierErasmus M.C
Professor Dr. Sajak PhillipsenErasmus M.C
Signed by 195 scientists, for the entire list, see: VK – More investment in science is possible and necessary for BV Holland.
