Netherlands
Policy Background
Research and innovation policy is incorporated in the document To the top: Towards a new enterprise policy, published by the Ministry of Economics, Agriculture and Innovation in 2011. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science have the strategy document Quality in diversity: Strategic Agenda for Higher Education, Research and Science, and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research also published the Connecting Science and Society NWO Strategy 2019-2022.
Nine top sectors are identified for research and innovation:
- Agro-food
- Horticulture and propagating stock
- High-tech materials and systems
- Energy
- Logistics
- Creative industry
- Life Sciences
- Chemicals
- Water
Transport research greatly contributes to transport policy in the Netherlands. A number of strategy and policy documents provide the foundation for the transport policy and research including:
- Strategic Road Safety Plan 2008–2020;
- National Policy Strategy for Infrastructure and Spatial Planning up to 2040.
Thematic White Papers are regularly issued which provide guidelines for the preparation of national legislation and regulations on transport.
Institutional framework of transport research
The organisations in research and innovation system and its governance are the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science responsible for higher education, science and basic research and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, responsible for application-oriented research and innovation.
The governance system includes several advisory bodies involved in policy analysis and evaluation:
- Advisory Council for Science and Technology Policy;
- Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences;
- Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis;
- Scientific Council for Government Policy.
Policy is implemented by four intermediary organisations:
- Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research;
- Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences;
- NL Agency;
- Technology Foundation STW.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment is responsible for developing transport policy. The key themes for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment are knowledge, innovation and strategy and are developed in specific Directorates. This responsibility is shared by several Ministerial departments:
- Inspectorate for Transport, Public Works and Water Management
- Directorate General for Civil Aviation and Maritime Affairs
- Directorate General for Mobility and Rijkswaterstaat.
The Netherlands Institute for Transport Policy Analysis also provides knowledge inputs for the preparation of mobility policy with the Minisrtry.
Different sources are available to fund transport research including public funds, dedicated transport research programmes, and international and EU programmes.
Funding Sources and Support Initiatives
There are several thematic funding sources, institutions and programmes which are funding research on transport related topics, including:
- Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO)- Reliable and Sustainable Mobility – helps to develop new knowledge on mobility and logistics
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Research Programme Dutch Research Agenda - aims to build bridges between various scientific fields, between different types of research (fundamental, implied, practice-oriented) and between various national and international agendas
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CROW: Information and technology centre for transport and infrastructure (information system)
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SWOV: Institute for Road Safety Research - an interdisciplinary and independent scientific institute responsible for research on road safety and by doing so enhancing traffic safety
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Prorail – has a research department that focuses on new infrastructure innovation (concerning infrastructure and stations), safety and environment.
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National Aerospace Centre (NLR) - Supports the aerospace sector (governments, industry and users) by developing and applying advanced technologies for innovative products in a sustainable, safe, efficient and effective manner.
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The Netherlands Institute of Housing and Planning - works to maintain and improve standards in planning policy and practice, including mobility and the contribution of mobility and infrastructure to the spatial debate.
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Netherlands Institute for Transport Policy Analysis - carries out transport policy studies and analyses, which are used to strengthen the strategic knowledge base for policy-making.
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CONNEKT: Public private innovation network for traffic and transport
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TRAIL: The Netherlands Research School for Transport, Infrastructure and Logistics - a Dutch research school for Transport, Infrastructure and Logistics that trains PhD candidates and performs scientific and applied scientific research in the fields of mobility, transport, logistics, traffic, infrastructure and transport systems.