As a small nation, choices are something we have to and want to make. There is little use in expending our energy and resources over too wide an area. This is why we pinpoint areas in which to excel. The Dutch Innovation Platform has selected six key areas in which to promote growth and innovation.

All are characterised by their outstanding levels of ambition, economic power, organisational capacity, commitment and the presence of state of- the-art knowledge and technology. These areas include Flowers & Food, High-tech Systems and Materials, the Creative Industry, Water, Pensions & Social Insurance, and Chemicals. A detailed agenda has been developed for each of these key areas, with the support of businesses, knowledge institutes and government bodies, who are ultimately responsible for implementing the agenda.

Need to improve approach to key areas

A commission chaired by Ad Scheepbouwer, CEO of KPN, has examined the progress on the key areas at the request of the Innovation Platform and the Ministry of Economic Affairs. “The key area approach works,” concludes the commission. “It was a sensible idea to identify six areas in 2004 which can compete with the cream of the world. However, there is scope for improving this approach. The IP and the government must look more critically at what the key areas are achieving. But it would be desirable to maintain the key area policy,” says the commission.

The report was presented to the Minister of Economic Affairs on 21 January 2009.