Dual-use innovations
Dual-use goods are products, technologies or software that can be used for both civilian and military applications. This means they can be used for normal, peaceful purposes, but also for military applications. An example is drones. These are widely used, including for monitoring shipping in the port of Rotterdam. But drones can also be used militarily to reconnoitre areas and monitor infrastructure. For Defence, dual-use innovations are important because they allow them to use technology developed outside the armed forces.
Investing in innovation
Defence focuses on five technology areas in which the Netherlands is strong: smart materials, sensors, quantum technology, space travel and intelligent systems (AI). Making the most of this knowledge and innovation strength requires close cooperation between government, Defence and companies. In North Holland, therefore, Defence, the province, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Business Representation Steering Group and ROM InWest work together in the Defence North Holland Regional Team. Within this network, there is two-way traffic: issues from Defence can be shared with innovative entrepreneurs who have a possible solution for this and vice versa, entrepreneurs who have an interesting proposition for Defence are assisted in setting up a cooperation. In this way, dual-use technologies not only contribute to the safety and resilience of the Netherlands, but also strengthen the future earning capacity of the region.
Faster to collaboration
Niels Blij chairs the Business Representation Steering Group and explains what it does: “The Steering Group is the voice’ of the regional companies towards Defence. Together, we look at opportunities, make valuable connections and build bridges to the armed forces. And we help companies working on potential dual-use products to get in touch with Defence more quickly. Those lines are often too long now, while we no longer have that time. Especially in peacetime, we need to open the channels and invest in technology and cooperation. That way, we ensure that the infrastructure is ready to scale up quickly when circumstances change. Moreover, an important advantage of dual-use is that if military equipment runs out, you can fall back on technology that is also used civilian and is more widely available.”
From personal experience
Chairing the steering committee seems right up Niels' alley. He worked in the Army for eight years, then had his own company and is now head of Defence Innovations & Relations at Avy, one of the largest Dutch drone developers. In this role, he bridges the gap between Avy and Defence. Avy's long-range drones have also recently become dual-use and can be used for, for example, reconnaissance of areas, monitoring infrastructure and supply routes, and transporting medical supplies. Niels: “As a former soldier with combat experience, I speak the language of Defence and know what the people in uniform need. We are now discussing where our drones have the best applications.”
Call: working together for the Netherlands
Niels appeals to North Holland companies that already have dual-use products, but also to entrepreneurs who doubt whether their product is dual-use: “We want to map all potential dual-use companies in North Holland, even if they do not yet have a concrete defence application. These may be companies that make a specific product, but the supply chain is also important, such as certain plastics. We invite these companies to participate in our working group. In the working group, we share knowledge with each other and a lot of valuable cross-fertilisation takes place. All innovative entrepreneurs are welcome, even if a company's activities fall outside the five focus areas. In that case, we jointly consider whether participation in the working group is of added value. It is important that dual-use companies unite and that ideas from companies come to Defence more quickly. This is how we work together for the Netherlands from North Holland. The brand-new Regioteam is ‘open for business’, so sign up!”
Do you want to contribute to security, strategic autonomy and innovation with your company? Then we would like to get in touch! Apply to our Business Developer Dual Use René Schmitt. He can also tell you how to apply for funding from the SecFund, a special fund for Dutch startups, scale-ups and innovative SMEs developing dual-use technologies.
