Key enabling technologies will change the way we live, learn, innovate, work and produce in the future. These are essential in solving our societal challenges and make a major potential contribution to our economy, increase competition and strengthen the labor market.
At the beginning of 2023, the basic list of key technologies from 2018 was revised based on current developments in society and in science and technology worldwide. The new list reflects, for example, the rapid advance of artificial intelligence, the importance of quantum technology and the climate transition. The revised list consists of 8 categories with a total of 44 individual technologies and is part of our mission-driven innovation policy. The revised list contains a description per cluster and technology, in which attention is paid to interfaces and cohesion between key technologies. In the ordering, the focus is on the technology instead of the application.
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Key technologies and innovation
This list of 44 key technologies plays an important role in the knowledge and innovation agenda (KIA) Key Technologies, key technology development within the Top Sectors, the National Growth Fund and NWO calls, and forms the basis for the use of regional resources and EU co-financing. In addition, this list forms the basis for the National Technology Strategy of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, which will be announced later this year.
Revised list 2023 Key Technologies
Advanced materials
- Energy materials
- Optical, electronic, magnetic and nanomechanical materials
- Meta materials
- Soft/bio materials
- Thin films and coatings
- Construction and structural materials
- Smart materials
Photonics and optical technologies
- Photovoltaics
- Optical systems and Integrated photonics
- Photonic/Optical detection and processing
- Photon generation technologies
Quantum technologies
- Quantum computing
- Quantum communication
- Quantum Sensing
Digital and information technologies
- Artificial intelligence
- Data science, data analytics and data spaces
- Cyber security technologies
- Software technologies and computing
- Digital Connectivity Technologies
- Digital Twinning and Immersive technologies
- Neuromorphic technologies
Chemical technologies
- (Bio)Process technology, including process intensification
- (Advanced) Reactor engineering
- Separation technology
- Catalysis
- Analytical technologies
- Electricity-driven chemical reaction technologies
Nanotechnology
- Nanomanufacturing
- Nanomaterials
- Functional devices and structures (on nanoscale)
- Micro- and nanofluidics
- Nanobiotechnology / Bionanotechnology
Life science and biotechnologies
- Biomolecular and cell technologies
- Biosystems and organoids
- Biomanufacturing and bioprocessing
- Bio-informatics
Engineering and fabrication technologies
- Sensor and actuator technologies
- Imaging technologies
- Mechatronics and opto-mechatronics
- Additive manufacturing
- Robotics
- Digital manufacturing technologies
- Micro electronics
- Systems engineering
What is a Key enabling technology?
- Key enabling technologies have a broad application area or reach in innovations and/or sectors
- Key technologies enable groundbreaking process, product and/or service innovations
- Key enabling technologies are essential in solving societal challenges and/or make a major potential contribution to the economy through the emergence of new activities and new markets
- Research into key enabling technologies can be fundamental, but with a view to medium/long-term application
