“The Netherlands needs to conquer more key positions in value chains”

Photondelta (471 million euros), Nxtgen Hightech (450 million euros), Quantum Delta NL (615 million euros) and several other projects: The Netherlands is investing heavily in the high-tech industry through the National Growth Fund. But by 2025 all the money will have been distributed and by 2030 it will have run out. That’s ill-advised, says Arnaud de Jong, managing director of TNO High Tech Industry. He argues for a permanent successor to the Growth Fund. “It would be a shame if our investments boil dry.”

“In the Netherlands, we generally focus on high-complexity. That kind of technology thrives on long-term investment. If you start something new every five years, very little will get off the ground. ASML would not exist today. The Brainport region relies to a large extent on technology that has been invested in year in and year out: mechatronics, optics, thin film technology, semiconductors, you name it,” says De Jong.