How should the Netherlands stay at the top in the field of water?
‘We are still at the forefront internationally, given our knowledge and expertise on water. Our own delta shows this every single day. But it is imperative to continuously work to maintain that position. We also need to make it clear that water is not an isolated field of activity. Water is a precondition for many other sectors, such as food and energy. We can do without many things in life, but we certainly cannot do without water. Water is also core in achieving the SDGs. So we need to focus more than ever on water and continue to invest in it. My message to our politicians who are now forming the next government is that water deserves a prominent position in the Netherlands’ next coalition agreement.
It is also important to recognise, stimulate and harness innovations. There are very smart specialists working on solutions at large companies, SMEs and of course start-ups. They themselves see their solutions as normal but they are actually incredibly clever. Let’s be more proud of these and see how we can make the most of them through cooperation and consortia building with public and private entities, researchers, entrepreneurs, start-ups and large experienced concerns.
We need to continue to innovate to maintain and strengthen our lead. This attracts new talent, so that we can build up new human capital. The influx of young talent is key to continue innovating. By the way, our reputation goes beyond technology. We also have a reputation for being reliable and delivering on time, and what we make works well. We should cherish these aspects too, and continue working together on them.’
