Advisory council requests billions of euros for useful research

The political parties D66 and CDA want to form a new cabinet as soon as possible and send Prime Minister Dick Schoof's ministers packing. The two parties have agreed to allocate more funds for research and innovation.

This sounds like music to the ears of the Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (AWTI), which is calling for billions in investments in research and innovation to solve problems that would otherwise have a "disruptive effect on society and the economy."

The independent advisory council issues several recommendations each year, which are received with appreciation in political and scientific circles, or otherwise taken into consideration.

Bruins
AWTI became more prominent in 2024 when its chair, Eppo Bruins, surprised friends and foes by joining a cabinet with the far-right party PVV. A member of the NSC party, Bruins served as Minister of Education and was responsible for severe cuts to the education and research budgets.

Meanwhile, AWTI continues to argue for the opposite. In a document called “Resilient and Future-Proof”, the council members explain how the Netherlands can tackle major problems by spending billions of euros on research and innovation. The price tag: 0.5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or around 5 billion euros per year.

According to AWTI, this would allow the government to create an “instrument” that finances “large-scale and long-term research and innovation”.

Graaifonds
Previous attempts at such large expenditures did not live up to expectations. The Economic Structural Reinforcement Fund (1995-2011) was temporary, and the way the money was distributed was heavily criticised. The more recent National Growth Fund was nicknamed the National Grab Fund after political parties in the House of Representatives started using the money for other purposes, such as lower excise duties on fuel.

This type of temporary funding does not help to achieve anything structural, according to AWTI. Instead, politicians should identify themes on which the Netherlands either needs to become stronger or needs to iron out its weaknesses. The funding for these themes should be long-term, so that the business community also has an incentive to participate.

Flemish example
AWTI looks to its southern neighbours for an example. Belgium has set up Strategic Research Centres, with funding linked to specific objectives. Politicians have less say in the matter, and the centres are evaluated periodically.

There is still some way to go before this can be achieved in the Netherlands. AWTI suggests starting with pilot projects. This is a politically astute recommendation, as experience shows that ministers are more likely to gain support for an experiment than for a system change. However, such an experiment could serve as a stepping stone to a different system.

Informateur Sybrand Buma is talking to other parties about the agenda that D66 and CDA have drawn up together. There is still a lot of room for manoeuvre. It is, therefore, still up in the air how investments in research and innovation will take shape in the new cabinet.