In an open letter to the government today, 24 businesses in the Netherlands and 15 national start-ups and scale-ups issued a warning about the severity of the proposed cuts to teaching, research and innovation and the consequences for the future of our economy and society.
'Cuts to knowledge and innovation are in fact cuts to the future earning power of the Netherlands. Moreover, withholding the remaining 7 billion euros from the National Growth Fund means that our country will miss out on large-scale investments in public-private innovations. Research and innovation are the backbone of an innovative and competitive economy. We therefore call on this government to invest in the power of science and innovation', the signatories said. The letter is a joint initiative of employers' organisation VNO-NCW and Universities of the Netherlands (UNL).
Ingrid Thijssen, chair of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW): 'From small to ground-breaking inventions, they all start with research and teaching. This is about the future of our country: where will we make our money in the future? And how do we ensure that we keep society running with fewer people? Investments in research and innovation are the driving factors in this. Moreover, these investments are actually worth more money in the long run than they cost.'
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