Winning Strategies for Dutch Deep Tech
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The potential of emerging technology in the Netherlands Analysis of Dutch deep tech ecosystems’ potential impact to determine winning strategies Published: June 2021 Authored by: Bas van der Starre, Elmar Cloosterman, Dolfine Kosters & Bella Suwarso Commissioned by: Contents • Research question & scope p. 4 • Deep tech opportunities p. 8 • Analysis: the current Dutch position in deep tech p. 20 • Analysis: the scope of impact of Dutch deep tech p. 30 • Appendices p. 40 Research question What are winning strategies to intervene in the deep tech ecosystem? The Netherlands is one of the most competitive economies. Despite its size it Research questions for winning manages to be 4th on the World Economic Forum competitiveness index. strategies Part of this success is due to the thriving Dutch start-up ecosystem. Its tech Deep tech investments in start-ups have attracted over 1,8 B€ in investments in 2020* and are the 2020 as part of total tech fastest growing job engine in the Netherlands. investments (in M€) A. What are the most promising Deep tech Other An increasing share of start-ups is focused on deep tech. These companies are deep technology-industry areas on the frontier of science and technology, facing great risk and a long runway 100% for the future of the Netherlands to market application. The potential for deep tech start-ups to transform that can add value to the Dutch innovation ecosystem? markets and industries is enormous. Despite this potential, only 15% of 80% investments in the Netherlands (267 M€) in 2020 was in deep technology, lagging behind other European start-up ecosystems.* 60% There is a need for intervention in the Dutch deep tech start-up ecosystem. Public guidance and new resources are required to support the generation and 40% B. What are possible growth of deep tech ventures. But public resources are not unlimited, if these interventions in each technology- are spread too thin across markets and technologies the potential impact of industry area so that public these actions might be too little and private actions might not follow suit. 20% resources are used most 8.900 Dutch deep tech start-ups might lose their transformative opportunity. To 267 effective? make the right choices, we need insight in the most promising technology- 0% industry areas. And we require winning strategies on how to stimulate NL Europe these areas. This leads to our research questions, stated on the right. Sources: World Economic Forum (2019), The Global Competitiveness Report 2019. Techleap.nl, CBRE & Dealroom (2020), Startup jobs are a growth engine worth strengthening. 2nd edition. 4 September 2020. * The state of Dutch Tech (2021) & Atomico (2021). The state of European Tech 2020. Scope of research 9 key enabling deep technologies across 9 industries and 4 challenges This research focuses on clusters of deep technologies, coupled to crucial Deep technologies Crucial industries industries in the Netherlands and current societal challenges. • Deep technologies: “Deep-tech innovations are defined as disruptive solutions Augmented & Virtual Reality Chemical Industry built around unique, protected or hard-to-reproduce technological or scientific Artificial Intelligence & Data Construction advances.” The companies that engage in deep tech innovation have a strong Blockchain Energy research base and attempt to advance the technological frontier. These nine deep technologies represent (overlapping) key areas of promising technological Internet of Things Food innovation in the coming decade. Robotics Logistics • Biotechnology overlaps with several deep technologies but is not made a separate category, see Appendix for rationale. Advanced Materials High Tech Industries Photonics ICT • Crucial industries: These are crucial industries for the national economy (in Nanotechnology Health & Pharma terms of jobs, exports, or products that they provide) that at the same time are × faced with international competition, technological innovation and the Quantum Technology Financial services potential to play a role in societal challenges. Deep technologies have the Energy & Sustainability potential to change one or more of these industries. • See appendix for description of each industry. Food & Water • Societal challenges: These are (international) areas of concern where deep Health & Wellbeing Societal technologies are expected to play a part in the solution. They are based on challenges Dutch mission driven innovation policy. Safety & Security • See appendix for description of each challenge area. Technology selection based on BCG & Hello Tomorrow (2018). From Tech to Deep Tech, the Dutch key enabling technology strategy (2019) and European Commission (2020), Advanced 5 Technologies for Industry – General findings. Industry and challenge areas selection based on Dutch Mission driven top industry & innovation policy (2019). See appendices for technology, industry & challenge area selection methodology. Research framework Our method identifies four variables that are crucial for deep tech success Current Dutch position Scope of impact 1. Scientific leadership Is the Netherlands at the forefront of 3. Economic potential of technology Does the Netherlands have industrial technology development relative to strength in relevant industries to other nations? provide start-ups with a primary market? Based on scientific quantity, quality, focus and academic spin-offs. Based on jobs, exports, added value and R&D leadership. 2. Start-up activity Is the Netherlands able to start new 4. Societal impact of technology How important is the deep technology deep tech firms that have growth for contributing to solutions in potential and attract investment? (international) societal challenges. Based on start-up populations for Based on expert expectations on the each technology, growth, investments role of deep technologies in specific and technological readiness. agendas.* 6 * Based on the mission driven innovation policy framework: MinEZK (2019). Missies voor het topsectoren- en innovatiebeleid. Report structure Two main sections: winning strategies and background analysis Deep tech opportunities: Analysis: Answering the research questions to identify winning strategies Supporting evidence for the winning strategies 1. Scientific leadership Current Dutch position 2. Start-up A. Areas of opportunity activity 3. Economic potential Scope of B. Opportunities for impact intervention 4. Societal impact 7 Deep tech opportunities 8 Deep tech opportunities A guide of our analysis of possible deep technology-industry combinations • A. What are the most promising deep technology-industry areas for the future of the A.1 The stronger the deep tech Netherlands that can add value to the Dutch innovation ecosystem? ecosystem, the higher the score in 1. scientific • We analyse the transformative potential of deep technologies in different industries, based on the expectations of leadership and 2. start-up reports and roadmaps on the application of new technology. activity on a 1-5 scale based • For each deep technology we provide strategies to realise opportunities based on the current Dutch position. on the combined of indicators. • For each crucial industry, we relate the start-up ecosystem in that industry with the Economic potential. • A.2 Here each ecosystem is • We score each deep technology and crucial industry on its potential Societal impact. compared on a 1-5 scale based • Based on these results, we present three focus areas that represent high economic potential and/or societal on 3. economic potential (a impact and where the current Dutch position shows promise. combination of economic indicators), relating to active B. What are possible interventions in each technology-industry area so that public resources start-ups in the ecosystem. are used most effective? • A.3 Looking at the proposed • We formulate ‘reasons for intervention’, answering the question: what are signals to act on for specific deep solutions for missions we technologies? define the role of technologies • We analyse the existing start-up landscape to find hot spots (places where deep tech activity is abundant) and or industries as ‘driving’ or white spots (places where activity is expected but has not manifested). ‘supporting’ in a particular • We combine these analyses to explore the options public policy and public private partnerships have to intervene societal challenge for 4. in each of the focus areas. societal impact. 9 A. Areas of opportunity Deep technologies have the potential to augment & transform industries • SU ×ILLUSTRATIVEIndustry matrix? & NOT Chemical High tech Health & Financial Construction Energy Food Logistics ICT EXHAUSTIVE industry industries Pharma services Navigation & Rehabilitation & BIM on site Assisted production (Serious) games Augmented & Virtual Reality hazard overlays accessibility Process Predictive Smart Precision farming, Autonomous Autocorrected Data science, Diagnoses through Fraud detection, Artificial Intelligence & Data optimisation maintenance infrastructure food sorting supply chain processes automation data & imaging financial planning Tracking materials Smart grid Validation of Multi-stakeholder Secure patient data Crypto, smart Ledgers Blockchain in supply chain transactions product origin supply chain transfer contracts Equipment Production Crop monitoring & Supply chain (Security) devices, Sensing for Operations & safety Machine sensing Health monitoring Internet of Things optimization monitoring care tracking smart cities insurance Production