New innovative technology is the answer to challenges in areas such as safety, healthcare, sustainability, and digitization. It is also necessary to cope with the significantly increased international competition, to prevent unwanted technological dependencies, and to keep the Netherlands economically strong. Therefore, since the beginning of 2024, the cabinet has also established a National Technology Strategy. Entrepreneurs have also started to invest more in innovations related to this through the WBSO in the past year. This includes, for example, quantum technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), smart machines & systems (mechatronics), and clean energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydrogen.
Minister Dirk Beljaarts (Economic Affairs): “Innovation is not a secondary issue, but a primary issue. For a safe, resilient, healthy country and for our jobs and income. It is therefore essential that entrepreneurs, from small to large, invest in research and development themselves. It is good to see that this has been done extensively with the help of our largest innovation scheme, WBSO, despite economic challenges. The lagging private investments in the Netherlands in the field of innovation remain a concern. That is why the cabinet has structurally increased the WBSO budget starting this year.”
WBSO scheme in 2024
The amount for innovation projects (8.36 billion euros) through the Promotion of Research and Development Act (WBSO) consists of 5 billion in wage costs and 3.3 billion euros in non-wage costs. The €8.36 billion is slightly lower than the record amount from 2023, but nearly two billion more than ten years ago. The work for which companies received WBSO funding has involved almost 91,437 high-quality jobs (full-time positions). Of the nearly 19,000 companies that used the WBSO in 2024, 97.2% belong to SMEs. Most companies are located in the regions of Greater Amsterdam, Southeast North Brabant, and Utrecht.
The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) implements the WBSO scheme on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Practical examples and information can be found in the WBSO annual report.