Publications

The Advisory council for science, technology and innovation (AWTI) advises the Dutch government and parliament on policy in the areas of scientific research, technological development and innovation.

Publications

Below you will find the english publications by AWTI published from 2000.

2022
1. Knowledge in conflictNovember 2022
  
  Image: ©iStock
  
  Image: ©iStock
  
  The combination of geopolitical, technological, and societal trends is making international collaboration between knowledge institutes increasingly complex. The rewards are many, but there are risks, too. Governments and knowledge institutes have taken a number of steps in recent years to mitigate these risks. While these steps have been useful, the rapid pace of developments constantly throws up new challenges. Therefore, the AWTI identifies a need for a learning approach, with ongoing attention for nuance and more awareness-raising.
  
  Read the advisory report
2. Unbounded researchApril 2022
  
  Interdisciplinarity is crucial in research. It leads to scientific breakthroughs and opens the way for solutions to complex societal problems. Given its strong starting position, the Netherlands could set an example in Europe in helping to forge a more effective policy on interdisciplinary research in the Netherlands and beyond. To explore this, the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science put the following question to the Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (AWTI): How can the government encourage and facilitate interdisciplinary research more effectively, given the current challenges facing society?
  
  Read the advisory report.
2021
1. Seizing opportunities with knowledge - Strengthening the links between researchers and entrepreneursOctober
  
  New knowledge is vital to keep the economy healthy and resolve societal challenges. Key here is that businesses can benefit from the knowledge developed by knowledge institutes. Whilst that does happen at present, it is not yet optimal. The government would therefore do well to take specific measures to strengthen the links between researchers and entrepreneurs, enabling opportunities to be grasped from a basis of knowledge.
  
  Click here for the summary of the advice and the advisory report.
2. Raising the bar together - Regional and central government working together for innovationMay
  
  Image: Bas Kijzers
  
  Image: Bas Kijzers
  
  In this report the Dutch Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (AWTI) addresses the following question: What can central government do to strengthen the innovative power of the Netherlands as a whole by helping to increase the innovative power of each individual region?
  
  Click here for the summary of the advice.
3. State of knowledge - Restoring the value of knowledge and expertise in policy and politicsFebruary
  
  Image: Bas Kijzers
  
  Image: Bas Kijzers
  
  The Netherlands is a country rich in knowledge, but there are challenges in ensuring that government policy is always properly informed by that knowledge. As a result, the Netherlands is missing out on opportunities to make policy more effective and improve its public services. Although the government has taken some steps on the path to better embedding of knowledge, much more needs to be done. That is the subject of this report.
2020
1. A better start. The key to growth of knowledge-intensive start-upsOctober
  
  Image: Bas Kijzers
  
  Image: Bas Kijzers
  
  The climate for start-ups in the Netherlands has improved in recent years, but the growth of knowledge-intensive start-ups after the initial phase falters, especially compared with other countries such as the US, UK or Israel. Upon request of the Dutch parliament, AWTI analysed why too few knowledge-intensive start-ups progress to become scale-ups and advises what can be done to improve the growth of knowledge-intensive start-ups.
  
  Read the advisory report A better start.
2. Strengthen the role of science, technology and innovation in societal transitionsMarch 2020
  
  Image: Bas Kijzers
  
  Image: Bas Kijzers
  
  The Netherlands is a prosperous country with a flourishing economy. However, as a nation we face a number of urgent societal challenges in areas such as food, healthcare, mobility, safety and sustainability. Goal-oriented societal transitions are urgently needed on these and other fronts, and have to some extent already been initiated. Science, technology and innovation (STI) could play a stronger, more effective role in this process. That is the subject of this report.
  
  Read the advisory report Strengthen the role of science, technology and innovation in societal transitions
3. A more forceful choice for key technologiesJanuary 2020
  
  Image: Bas Kijzers
  
  Image: Bas Kijzers
  
  Key technologies deliver ground-breaking innovations which help progress on all fronts. They lead to better medical care, cleaner transport and more efficient and cleaner production. Key technologies thus have a major and unassailable impact on science, society and the economy. However, their development also raises questions and concerns, for example in relation to safety and privacy.
  
  Read the advisory report A more forceful choice for key technologies
2019
1. Shaking-up the systemJune 2019
  
  Global competition in higher education and research is growing. New developments impose ever-changing demands on workers and offer opportunities for a major shake-up of education and research. Student numbers have increased sharply and the system is becoming overloaded. Is the Dutch higher education and research system adequately prepared for the future? What do all these developments require of Dutch universities (universiteiten) and universities of applied sciences (hogescholen)?
  
  Read the advisory report Shaking-up the system
2018
1. Spread of innovation - The underexposed side of innovation policySeptember 2018
  
  Image: ©AWTI
  
  Image: ©AWTI / Ernst de Vogel
  
  The Netherlands has a long tradition of innovation; past innovations have made a visible contribution to the wealth of the country; and today one of the great strengths of the Dutch is still the ability to develop new products, services and processes. In order to be of genuine value for the economy and society, however, innovations must also be able to spread readily and widely, so they can be used by lots of people and organisations. That is the focus of this report.
2. Focus on IndiaMarch 2018
  
  India is an emerging global power. It has a relatively young and growing population of 1.3
  billion, equivalent to 18% of the total world population. India is the biggest democracy in
  the world, located in a region marked by tensions. Consequently, it is a country which
  occupies a key geopolitical position.
  
  Read the Advisory Letter Focus on India
2017
1. Vital links - The future of applied researchAugust 2017
2. STI Diplomacy - Advancing the internationalisation of science, technology and innovationMay 2017
  
  The Netherlands is losing ground to its neighbours in its support of the internationalisation of science, technology and innovation (‘STI diplomacy’). This will hamper the competitiveness of the Netherlands, as it will become more difficult to attract and retain talent, while R&D will more and more shift to other countries. Therefore, in its advisory report “STI Diplomacy”, AWTI calls upon the Dutch government to strengthen its STI diplomacy by establishing a clear strategy and expanding the instruments and available budget.
  
  Read the report STI Diplomacy
2016
1. Maintain the basicsDecember
2. Grasp the challengeNovember
3. Flexibility, differentiation, sharper choicesSeptember
4. Capturing, processing and valorizing knowledgeJuly
5. Dare to shareJanuary
  
  Image: ©Awti
  
  Image: ©Awti
  
  This advisory report is about open science, and more specifically about access to scholarly publications (open access) and research data (open research data). What impact is this likely to have for the world of science itself, for society and for business? What level of openness is publicly desirable and what does this imply for government policy?
  
  Read the report Dare to share.
2015
1. Collaborate to innovateOctober 2015
  
  This study describes aspects of Brazil’s knowledge and innovation system that affect Dutch-Brazilian cooperation in the field of research, technology and innovation. Extra attention is given to Brazilian-Dutch cooperation in the sectors: agriculture, biomass; water, life sciences (health care) and aeronautics. This selection is by no means a complete overview but rather intended as a first impression of the possibilities for Dutch-Brazilian cooperation.
  
  Read the report 'Collaborate to innovate'.
2. Ready for the Future?September 2015
3. The relationship between teaching and research in higher educationJune 2015
  
  In this report the Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (AWTI) addresses the question of how policy can help ensure that the relationship between teaching and research in Dutch higher education makes a strong(er) contribution to the quality of both teaching and research and to the future prospects of students.
  
  Read the summary of the repport 'The relationship between teaching and research in higher education'
4. SMEs and Universities of Applied SciencesApril 2015
2014
1. Regional innovation hotspotsNovember 2014
2. Status of the top sectors in 2014October 2014
3. Standing out from the crowdApril 2014
  
  Dutch public research institutes and public research funders have far-reaching freedom in determining their research policy. The inter-relationships between the autonomous Dutch research institutes are marked by a mix of maintaining a distance at the institutional level, competing for staff, students and resources at the faculty and discipline level, and collaboration. In recent years, the national government has restricted itself to developing preconditions and funding without a great deal of steering.
  
  Read the summary of the report 'Standing out from the crowd'.
4. Growth-driversMarch 2014
  
  The Council adviced the Dutch government on how to increase the innovative and growth capacity of SMEs. The Council adviced to focus specifically on so-called 'growth-drivers': companies with the ambition and potential to innovate and grow. For these companies, effective ecosystems are essential.
  
  Read the summary of the report 'Growth-drivers'.
5. The power of social innovationJanuary 2014
  
  AWT sees social innovation as a collective term for contemporary initiatives by people and organizations focussed on devising innovative solutions to societal problems. Interest in social innovation is growing worldwide and expectations are high. The AWT was asked for advice: What exactly does social innovation mean, and does the government have a role to play in this regard?
  
  Read the summary of the report 'The power of social innovation'.
2013
1. Going DutchNovember 2013
  
  What will the knowledge society of the future look like? What does internationalization mean in the context of knowledge, research, technology and innovation? The AWT intends to provide input and inspiration for the debate in politics and society on the future of the knowledge society. Based on its analysis, it has formulated four recommendations to help make Dutch policy on knowledge and innovation more strategic and future-proof.
  
  Read the report.
2. Create value from societal challengesOctober 2013
  
  Citizens, the business community, scientists and academics, and the government are all facing serious societal challenges. But in addition to presenting us with problems, these challenges are also opportunities to be seized. For businesses, they are the markets of the future. For ambitious entrepreneurs, they represent the opportunity to create new value. For creative scientists and academics, they are a path towards recognition by peers and wider society. For citizens, they are an invitation to become involved in the development of a safer, more sustainable and healthier society. And for government, societal challenges are both a call and an opportunity to redefine the meaning of public service. The government’s new role might be one of participant and supporter, broker or coordinator of a mutual approach, or even as an entrepreneurial trailblazer. In today’s world, challenges in society call for a government with the expert knowledge required to inspire and motivate, confident in its role and consistent in its policy.
  
  Read the report.
3. Choosing for knowledge workersSeptember 2013
4. Size and suitabilityMay 2013
  
  This report addresses the question which strategy the Netherlands should follow with regard to public investments in large-scale research facilities and optimal use of these facilities. The Ministers of Education, Culture, and Science, and of Economic Affairs asked the AWT to develop this report, taking account of current policies to promote specialisation in Dutch universities and research institutes, industrial policies to promote ‘top sectors’, current developments in European research policy, and the greater emphasis in European policy making on regional specialisation.
  
  Read the report.
2012
1. Valuing ServicesDecember 2012
  
  Innovations are increasingly occurring in value chains of raw materialproduct-service-user. This development requires skills at companies other than only the ability to invent and develop new technology. Other forms of innovation are becoming more important, such as new interactions with users and new joint venture partners, organisational structures and/or revenue models. The current innovation policy focusses too strongly on stimulating technological innovation. The AWT therefore advocates expanding the paradigm underlying the innovation policy. Science and technology alone are not enough, the government must also value services and, to this end, must review the intervention logic of the innovation policy.
  
  Read the report.
2. China's extended handMarch 2012
2011
2010
1. Let finance follow and flowNovember 2010
2000 - 2009
1. Let it happen!March 2008
2. Carefully considered IncentivesNovember 2007
3. Balance in policyApril 2007
4. A radiant futureMarch 2007
5. To bid and to bind, that's no questionJanuary 2007
6. Opening upJuly 2006
7. More Open innovationJuly 2006
8. Essay competition 'Open innovation'January 2006
  
  In the summer of 2005 AWT organised an essay competition on the subject of 'Open Innovation', because the Council is in the process of preparing recommendations on the subject. Open innovation refers to the trend whereby companies are innovating more and more as part of networks, i.e. in conjunction with other companies, universities, users and customers. To prepare these recommendations, AWT is investigating how the government policy should be geared to this development.
  
  Read the report.
9. Time for a KIQ start!October 2005
10. To better serve servicesSeptember 2005
11. Design and developmentAugust 2005
12. Innovation without inventionJuly 2005
13. Knowledge for policyMay 2005
14. The value of knowledgeApril 2005
15. Myth and realityMarch 2005
16. Together smarter in supply chainsDecember 2004
17. Time to pick the fruits of the loomJune 2004
18. The price of successApril 2004
19. Dutch Compass for the European Research AreaJanuary 2004
20. Knowledge networkingNovember 2003
21. What comes from afar...October 2003
22. 1+1>2September 2003
23. Backing winnersJuly 2003
24. Wise after the eventJune 2003
25. Towards a new social contractJanuary 2003
26. Perspectives on the knowledge-based societyDecember 2002
27. Academia in the 21st centurySeptember 2002
28. Just do it?!July 2002
29. Making FP6 workJune 2002
30. Engaged humanitiesJune 2002
31. Looking at the futureDecember 2001
32. Innovation²October 2001
33. High school of knowledgeJuly 2001
34. Protecting the digital endeavourJune 2001
35. Trading in knowledgeJune 2001
36. Intellectual property rights in a knowledge based economyJune 2001
37. To long for the endless immensity of the seaJanuary 2001
38. Fixed and Fuzzy Boundaries in Higher EducationJanuary 2001
39. Flow or floodJune 2000
40. Flow or flood (background study)June 2000
41. Investing in researchMay 2000
42. Building on knowledgeMarch 2000
43. Half-hearted scienceJanuary 2000

Publications

Publications

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2000 - 2009

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