Cabinet wants to spend 30 percent more on sustainability, digitalization, innovation

The Cabinet wants the government and companies to spend 30 percent more money on research and innovation in the coming years. Ministers Micky Adriaansens (Economy) and Robbert Dijkgraaf (Science) want the greatest attention to be paid to sustainability, digitization and key technologies such as artificial intelligence. This should provide more economic growth and reduce dependence on other countries in the world.

Currently, 2.3 percent of annual income –– or gross domestic product –– is spent on research and innovation by companies and governments in the Netherlands. According to a spokesman for Adriaansens, it should be 3 percent "in a few years."

With this move, the government hopes to develop more products and services that will add value to the economy in the future by being more selective about where research and innovation money goes. At the top of the list are sustainability, digitization and so-called key technologies. Followed by health, agriculture, water, food and security.

This measure is also intended to lead to more "strategic autonomy." According to this, that the Netherlands wants to be less dependent on third countries for items like computer chips and batteries.

The government itself will spend more on knowledge and innovation in the coming years, for example through the National Growth Fund of 20 billion euros. But it also wants to reach agreements on this with companies and knowledge institutions, which must also contribute to this plan.