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Key changes

ICT PROMOTED

TO TOP SECTOR

Since 1 January 2020, ICT has been promoted from
a cross-cutting theme to a fully-fledged top sector.
Fred Boekhorst, Director Team Dutch Digital Delta (ICT),
tells about the significance of this for opportunities
in ICT innovation and research.

By Sonja Knols

At the start of 2011, the Dutch government initiated the top
sector’s approach. Nine top sectors were designated within
which funding was made available for public-private partner-
ships, and fifteen associated Top Consortia for Knowledge
and Innovation (TKIs) were established. At that time, ICT
was not designated as a top sector but as a cross-cutting
theme that was added to the roadmaps of the Top Sector
High Tech Systems & Materials.
Profiling ourselves more
‘In the new decree for the top sectors, which became effective
on 1 January 2020, the decision was taken to designate ICT as Researchers will experience few immediate changes, he says.
a separate top sector, a clear recognition of this field’s impor- For example, the ICT sector will remain to be served by the
tance for the Netherlands from both a societal and economic TKI office of High-Tech Systems and Materials. ‘However,
MORE INFORMATION: DUTCHDIGITALDELTA.NL/EN
perspective’, says Fred Boekhorst, who is leading this transi- researchers will certainly notice that the ICT sector profiles
tion from within Dutch Digital Delta. ‘This expands our possi- itself more. In recent years, we have put several subjects on
bilities, for example in the area of international connections the agenda such as big data, blockchain and AI. Now we are
and participating in strategic grants for which extra funding busy with similar initiatives for cybersecurity and beyond 5G.
is now becoming available.’ Furthermore, we will not only devote a lot of attention to
knowledge acquisition but also to knowledge dissemination
The top sector has decided to concentrate on a limited and valorisation. Our explicit objective is to make new digital
number of key enabling technologies, he says. ‘In addition innovations available for all parties, whether those are SMEs
to this, we want to concentrate on innovation in the key or multinationals.’
areas but also innovation with the key areas, which amongst
other things will focus on the themes chosen by the Dutch Although the designation as a top sector is a significant
cabinet in the context of the mission-driven innovation policy.’ recognition of the importance of ICT, a lot of mission work
‘Meanwhile, as ICT, we already participate in discussions still needs to be realised, notes Boekhorst. ‘Even though the
and dialogues with all parties concerned’, says Boekhorst other top sectors can see the importance of digitalisation for
with satisfaction. ‘It’s fantastic to see how a handful of key their sector, they still tend to focus too much on what they
enabling technologies are meaningful for every sector. For have already done. As an ICT community, we need to join
example, the AI specialists in the hospital help to establish forces. For example, the ICT Research Platform Nederland
more accurate diagnoses, but that technology can equally can help us by providing a clear vision about what is possible
help to make precision agriculture possible. In our vision in the future and stating what is needed to complete the
and mission document, we have described how missions knowledge chain from fundamental research to start-ups
and key enabling technologies go hand in hand.’ and scale-ups.’

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