Over the centuries, the Netherlands has grown into an economically prosperous society, rich in culture and with a reputation for tolerance. Innovation has been instrumental in this development. As we look to the future, we want to reinforce this economic prosperity and welfare for the benefit of future generations. This is why we are working to strengthen the Netherlands’ powers of innovation and promote our knowledge economy.

The Netherlands: a tradition of innovation
During the Dutch Golden Age in the seventeenth century, the inhabitants of the Low Countries created the fundamentals for the modern day Netherlands. The country took shape as an independent state, where art, science and trade flourished, and it developed into a world power with colonies in Asia and America. This prosperous development was rooted in innovation across a range of areas. Painters like Rembrandt and Vermeer devised new styles of painting. Antoni van Leeuwenhoek developed improvements to the microscope. In 1657, Christiaan Huygens patented the pendulum clock, improving navigation for ships. Spinoza and Descartes, who both found a safe haven in the liberal Netherlands, presented groundbreaking philosophical treatises. The Dutch East India Company, or VOC, became the first company in the world to issue shares and use these to finance its trade missions to the Far East.

The Netherlands today
This tradition of innovation continues today and lies at the heart of a prosperous democracy. In science, trade and the arts, the Netherlands remains at the forefront, spawning numerous Nobel Prize winners. Rotterdam has developed into the largest port in Europe, and Dutch multinationals such as Shell (oil), DSM (chemicals) and Philips (electronics), continue to be based in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands remains a key player in international culture. The paintings of Mondriaan and the architecture of Rietveld have become modernist icons. But our modern era also has its fair share of leading cultural figures, including photographer Rineke Dijkstra, DJ Armin van Buuren and architect Rem Koolhaas. Finally, the open and outward looking character of Dutch society has continued to develop. This is a country of social experimentation, which started in the seventeenth century when it became a place of relative religious freedom for Jews, Catholics and Protestants. This tradition of social innovation continues in the Netherlands today. The far-reaching participation enjoyed by employees in the management of organisations and businesses is a prime example and lies at the root of what is known as the ‘polder model’. As part of this democratic model, employers and employees work together to solve socio-economic problems. This powerful social innovation has proved inspirational to countries around the world.

The future of innovation
The Netherlands is a prosperous and tolerant society, blessed with economic and cultural wealth. In recent centuries, innovation has been instrumental in achieving this prosperity. With the establishment of the Dutch Innovation Platform in 2003, the Dutch government acknowledged this tradition of innovation, recognised its importance for the future and demonstrated a powerful commitment to ensure its continuation.