The National Growth Fund finances projects that contribute to sustainable economic growth in the Netherlands. In 2021, 2022 and 2023, the cabinet will decide which projects will receive money from the fund. Several applicants had to further substantiate their proposal in order to qualify for the next part of their funding. The Advisory Committee of the National Growth Fund has fully or largely approved this substantiation for 5 projects. The government accepts the committee's advice and allocates €466.2 million definitively and €51.1 million conditionally.
A final allocation will go to, among other things, the Maritime Master Plan. This focuses on the development and use of reliable, competitive and more sustainable ships in the Dutch maritime sector. A contribution will also go to the AiNed project, which aims to increase investments in and application of artificial intelligence in a human-oriented manner. In addition, money is being allocated for artificial intelligence (AI) in education. AI offers many opportunities to enrich education and make it more accessible.
The Netherlands has a strong scientific position in the field of quantum technology. The Quantum Delta NL (QDNL) program aims to strengthen this and valorize the knowledge from this program. The reserved funds for the 3rd phase of the project are now being allocated. The Circular Plastics NL project will also receive a final grant from the National Growth Fund. Within the project, process and material innovations are developed, accelerated and scaled up. The goal is to make plastic value chains fully circular. This way, greenhouse gas emissions, plastic waste and microplastic pollution can be reduced.
