Secretary-General of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) Jan Hendrik Dronkers and Director of the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) Han Dolman signed an agreement framework for further strategic cooperation on Friday, September 26, 2025.
Rijkswaterstaat manages (the Dutch part of) the North Sea, the Wadden Sea, the Southwest Delta and the sea areas around Dutch Caribbean islands. The research that NIOZ conducts (and will conduct) is important for shaping the management of these areas. Think of spatial planning at sea or nature policy.
Agreement Framework
The IenW-NIOZ agreement framework describes how the partners will fulfill their cooperation. This includes governance with consultation structures, cooperation instruments, and conditions for procurement or grant provision.
By signing an agreement framework, cooperation with NIOZ becomes easier. NIOZ is the expertise center of the Netherlands for ocean, sea, and delta. They manage the Dutch research fleet and possess the knowledge and facilities to conduct research on marine systems and sea life.
Jan Hendrik Dronkers: ‘NIOZ has unique expertise on the North Sea, Wadden Sea, the Caribbean (deep) sea, and the ocean system. Expertise that is essential for broadly advising on national and international ocean policy and implementing this policy. By strengthening the ties between IenW and NIOZ, we remain capable of effectively performing our tasks. It is important that the knowledge, research methods, research vessels, and facilities of NIOZ are always available.’
