Ten years ago, five Dutch research institutes began formalizing a partnership. Between September 2020 and March 2021, the five institutes, including TNO, WUR and Deltares, were evaluated. Based on this, 'strategic plans' were drawn up for the period 2022-2025.
The evaluation committee expressed satisfaction with the results achieved, especially considering the 'relatively low expenditure' of the Netherlands on applied research. For its part, the committee is making recommendations, stated outgoing Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Change Stef Blok in a letter to the Lower House.
One of these, in addition to a lot of specific beta and technical research, is to bring together resources and knowledge from different fields, technologies and disciplines in order to solve 'big problems'.
Cucumber cultivation in WUR's Winter Light Greenhouse in Bleiswijk, the Netherlands