Innovation and innovation policy

The Netherlands is an innovative country. Its strengths lie in developing new products, services and processes, putting it high on the international innovation rankings. Innovation is a driving force behind the growth and development of economies and societies. It leads to greater prosperity, improved welfare and more employment. It can also contribute to finding solutions to a diversity of societal issues such as climate change, scarcity of natural resources, population ageing and pressures on health care. It is therefore important that the government stimulates innovation by companies, public authorities and in areas of the public sector such as care and education.
AWTI regularly advises on the government’s role in relation to innovation. The Council consistently calls for a broad view to be taken of innovation and innovation policy, arguing that innovation policy should be focused on all phases of innovation trajectories. The Council also looks at the role of non-technological aspects of innovation and at new forms of innovation, including open innovation, services innovation and social innovation. In addition, the Council regularly looks at the Top Sectors policy, advocating the joining up of innovation policy to societal challenges through concrete missions and a joint approach.