The KIVI technology lecture is given annually by a prominent politician or engineer on the importance of technology in the Netherlands.
KIVI technology lecture 2022
By Thecla Bodewes
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Dutch solutions for Dutch challenges
Government make use of Dutch knowledge and Dutch businesses
Introduction
It is exciting, but mostly honourable to stand here today and deliver the first KIVI technology lecture. Hopefully the start of an annual tradition. I love technology and I care about the Netherlands, so I would like to give you a fresh perspective on the wealth of technological knowledge and solutions we have as a country. I am convinced that if we make full use of its potential, we can overcome challenges such as the various transitions and geopolitical tensions.
I myself learned to appreciate the technological know-how that the Netherlands possesses from an early age. As a seventh-generation shipbuilder, I grew up with technology within a manufacturing industry where development, innovation and the ability to respond quickly to market needs are a must for survival. As a child, I lived next to the shipyard my family bought in Hasselt in 1923. My sisters I could regularly be found at the shipyard for the christening of a ship or to play with the many bargee children returning to their parents on board from the, Zwolle-based, boarding school. Christmas was a celebration for us. All suppliers from the area came to bring big Christmas presents as thanks for the work they were allowed to do for our family business over the past year.
In the small Hanseatic town of Hasselt where we lived, the shipyard was the largest employer for decades. Until, in the 1990s, the shipyard was built in by encroaching marinas and recreational houses. These homes soon became illegally permanently occupied. A small number of residents then did all they could to convert that illegal status to permanent. This succeeded, the houses became worth three times as much and, as a shipyard, we faced a sudden flood of complaints and legal action for nuisance. The decisiveness of local administrators was far from forthcoming. This made us decide to close the shipyard.
I tell this story because local administrators were relieved that we left voluntarily. However, they had not sufficiently considered the consequences of the shipyard's departure. And there were, as it soon turned out. Jobs were disappearing and local entrepreneurs were suffering. After all, they were largely dependent on the shipyard. Much of the middle class also had to close its doors. The once bustling Hanseatic town now has to rely on a nice summer when the marinas are full of tourists' yachts.
Not only
What happened in miniature in the Hanseatic town where I grew up is happening on a large scale in the Netherlands with (manufacturing) industry. Consider Shell's departure from the Netherlands last year. 'Non solus'. Those words were the theme of the Elsevier Economics lecture Shell chief Ben van Beurden delivered in Amsterdam on 19 March 2018. 'Non solus'. In his lecture, he showed that non solusis the best way to deal with climate change and energy transition. No one can solve the energy challenges facing the world alone. No government. No NGO. No company. And certainly no energy company. We will have to do it together. Non solus, with Van Beurden reminding us that we always stand on the shoulders of our predecessors. The advance recognition that ultimately you cannot do it alone.
His lecture, in which Van Beurden showed that fulfilling social missions is part of Shell's corporate strategy, inspired me. The multinational successfully manages to get a supertanker to change course and is at the forefront of developments in energy transition. But thinking back on the lecture now, his words also make me sad. Royal Dutch Shell is now neither Royal nor Dutch. Since the energy company moved to London late last year, the Netherlands no longer walks the path of transitions together with Shell. In the short term, politicians will no longer face tough questions. But in the long term, with Shell's departure, our country loses precious knowledge and innovation power and income to pay for the transitions. We no longer benefit from Shell's knowledge, resources, money and influence on the global transition stage. Moreover, with the loss of a Dutch energy supplier, our independent position is in jeopardy. Let it be a lesson to politicians.
Core
In this beautiful building of KIVI's 175th anniversary this year, I want to show today that it is urgent and of great importance to nurture business, especially the manufacturing industry, and science. Only together are we able to take the Netherlands forward and face the big challenges. I firmly believe that cooperation is essential for a country to maintain its independent position and make a difference at the global level. These three quarters, rather than focusing on myself or the threats and challenges we face as a country, I will take a look at the strength of the Dutch tech industry. Our rich technological knowledge is the key to a climate-neutral future and essential to meet geopolitical challenges. It is up to all parties, but especially politicians, to harness that potential.
Climate change is a global problem. Even if the Netherlands succeeds in becoming climate-neutral in time, we are not immediately free of climate change, and with it rising sea levels and more extreme weather. With all its consequences, also for the Netherlands.
I stick as much as possible to the fields of water technology, delta technology and maritime technology that are familiar to me. Sectors that form the basis for the existence, safety and prosperity of our beautiful delta Netherlands. Sectors, moreover, in which the Netherlands leads the way when it comes to knowledge and innovation. I call on politicians to capitalise on that knowledge and break taboos.
Urgency
More than ever, the Netherlands feels the urgency to take steps in the various transitions. Today, we not only face major social issues, such as climate change and biodiversity loss, but also geopolitical challenges that make it painfully clear how dependent we are on foreign countries, including for our energy supply. Logistical chaos ensued during and after the pandemic outbreak two years ago. With society completely shut down in China, containers were no longer available. These are now made in only one place in China. Moreover, many ports, including European ones, are Chinese-owned. As a result, the supply of goods for export to European markets stagnated tremendously.
More recently, the war between Russia and Ukraine made it painfully clear to us how Europe, and with it the Netherlands, depends on superpowers like Russia, China and the Middle East for energy and raw materials. These benefit from extreme poverty in countries like Africa, India and Latin America. They are not out to improve working conditions, freedom, security and democracy, but plunder raw materials in those countries to further increase their power. With distressing reputations and without any respect for people and the environment.
Recent political threats make us, as a country, diligently look for alternatives to Russian gas and strive for independence.
International cooperation is important and that is what we Dutch are good at: working together. However, our business climate must allow for this. Abandoning our utilities and tendering to the Chinese who are allowed to dredge here and not us in China has a negative effect nationally and globally. As does limiting export credit insurance for our own offshore maritime market, which prevents developing countries from developing in a socially responsible and sustainable way
Role of government
The Climate Agreement sets ambitious targets for 2030 to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, the Netherlands must adapt to climate change. Climate mitigation and adaptation are two sides of the same coin. The Delta Programme focuses on the consequences of climate change for water management. The Netherlands must be climate-proof and water-robust by 2050. Consideration is also being given to the period after 2050, including how to deal with rising sea levels.
To realise these goals and minimise the consequences of climate change, very drastic measures are needed. Here, the knowledge of Dutch business can make the difference. We will also have to adapt to climate change. The processes, sea level rise and more extreme weather we cannot control as a country alone. Instead of adapting land and water to our needs, we will therefore have to adapt better to the limits of the water and soil system. We will have to exploit and enhance the opportunities offered by the natural system.
A clear vision is needed on how we want to use the water and soil system in the Netherlands as a starting point to make our country climate-proof. The coalition agreement states that water and soil will become guiding factors in spatial planning. The Netherlands has a lot of knowledge about soil and subsoil. There are now numerous projects that show how to use the soil-water system to prevent flooding and drought on a local and regional scale. With a collection of inspiring climate adaptive projects successfully applied in the Netherlands, knowledge is developed, disseminated and secured.
As an example, I mention Nico Neppelenbroek and his brother Guido, dairy farmers in Zuidwolde in the province of Drenthe. They grow silage grass and maize on their plot for their 150 cows. Previously, they suffered from drought in summer and flooding in winter. To overcome both problems, Nico decided to use a modified form of level-controlled drainage. Drainage has long been used for dewatering. Recent developments in this technique make it possible to also use drainage systems to combat drought and control groundwater levels. Level-controlled drainage is called this. The drains are permanently below the groundwater level. With the drains, the groundwater level can be varied and water can even be introduced in dry periods. Because the water supply takes place underground, less water is lost through evaporation than with irrigation. It is therefore in many situations a good alternative to irrigation from deeper groundwater wells.[1]
Another example is the Dutch invention Hydraloop. A simple circular water recycling system to drastically reduce global water consumption. The Hydraloop reduces up to 45% of total water consumption in a household or building without adding chemicals and without filters or membranes. A development of a start-up within the research institute Wetsus. Projects like this show how to think big, and start small.
In recent years, the debate on the possible solutions of the energy transition has become polarised. Supporters and opponents of certain technologies use 'alternative facts', 'framing' and 'cherry picking' to reinforce their positions. Political pressure and political opinion paralyse administrators and prevent them from taking decisions that are sustainable in the long term and can be properly implemented to contribute to the prosperity of our country. Unfortunately, I see that the Netherlands lacks respectful cooperation and administrators with sound substantive knowledge and experience in the relevant policy areas. The digital age we live in does not help. A lot of nonsense and fake news is posted on all kinds of social networks at high speed. Even good administrators get carried away by this. They take ill-considered decisions that may be popular but are hardly constructive.
Objective and factually accurate information is essential for determining policy. Technical and effective feasibility and long-term consequences should be verified in all major decisions taken by the cabinet. Hence the increasing importance of knowledge institutions such as NIOZ, TUD, Marin, TNO and Deltares. They are expected to provide independent and expert technical-scientific advice. That advice should be respected, rather than subordinated to popular, short-term considerations of administrators.
Role of business and knowledge institutions
The Dutch knowledge institutions and industry have much to offer in the field of security, sustainability and solutions to transitions and geopolitical challenges. I would like to mention some examples of technological solutions that exemplify the innovative strength of the Netherlands. As a country, we face the challenge of reducing the use of fossil fuels. In the future, we need to focus on wind and solar energy, electric transport and innovative battery technologies. The transition to a more sustainable energy system leans heavily on metals, such as nickel, copper and cobalt. Cobalt, for instance, is a crucial raw material for batteries and accumulators of smartphones, laptops, tablets and electric cars. Demand for metals will rise further in the coming years due to developments in electric transport and wind energy. For example, an electric car requires six times more metals than a car running on petrol or diesel.
For the extraction of metals, such as cobalt, we depend on a limited number of countries. Congo is one of the world's largest suppliers of cobalt. A significant proportion of the metal is mined there under poor conditions; child labour is often involved. Car manufacturers cannot always say with certainty where the cobalt in their electric cars comes from, according to Amnesty International.
The need for alternative raw materials and more sustainable extraction is therefore great. Fortunately, Dutch industry has an answer. The company Allseas, which specialises in offshore installation of pipelines for oil and gas transportation, is investing hundreds of millions in technology that can contribute to the energy transition and a climate-neutral future. The family-run company has been working for years, in Delft, with a team of smart scientists and engineers to develop and build a vessel that can suck up polymetallic nodules from the ocean floor at depths of more than 4 kilometres. Polymetallic nodules contain valuable metals such as cobalt, copper, manganese and nickel. This so-called deep-sea mining involves working not in the seabed, but on the seabed. The tuber collector acts as a kind of large hoover on the desert-like seabed. In the process, the ecological area in the ocean is disturbed as little as possible.
Technology aimed at developing ecologically sustainable extraction of polymetallic nodules from the ocean floor is currently one of the biggest technological developments in the world. Through the use of remotely controlled underwater robots, specially developed vessels and ore refineries, negative ecological and social impacts of mining on land can be avoided. We should therefore highlight and leverage companies like Allseas to implement other sustainable technological developments, such as accelerating the installation of wind farms.
Another route could be to reduce dependence on hard-to-extract resources. There are scientific breakthroughs in research on silicon and graphene batteries. The raw materials for these are available in abundance everywhere. The Netherlands could contribute to the development of those technologies.
Nuclear energy
The Netherlands has enough knowledge and capacity to build large solar and wind farms on land and sea. However, that form of energy will not be sufficient. For instance, if the sun does not shine and there is little wind. Additional, always controllable energy, is then necessary. Moreover, the security of transformer platforms vulnerable in the open sea needs to be carefully considered. Is security a government task and is it feasible? Other CO2-free options, such as geothermal, bioenergy, aquathermy and nuclear power should therefore also be investigated. For instance, modern nuclear power plants are low-CO2, environmentally friendly and safe. In addition, they emit far less particulate matter than other power plants. The advice is therefore to keep the Borssele nuclear power plant open until 2050 and maximise its production. This will significantly reduce the carbon footprint and can provide us with the energy we need as an alternative to Russian gas.
Besides the potential to produce clean energy, nuclear research is vital. PALLAS, the new medical isotope reactor in Petten, will play an important role in this. With the arrival of PALLAS, the Netherlands will be able to treat or examine millions of people with radioactive substances in the nuclear department of a hospital over the next 50 years by producing medical radioisotopes. This will make the Netherlands a top global producer.
The Netherlands has a nuclear knowledge infrastructure that is very valuable. The Reactor Institute Delft (RID) and the scientific department RST have together formed the Dutch knowledge centre for radiation research for more than 50 years. New materials for sustainable energy, such as solar cells and batteries, are developed at the institute, and work is being done on nuclear reactors of the future. There is no shortage of knowledge to build new modern, safe and clean power plants not only at the Maasvlakte, but also at sea. It is up to the government to support that. For instance, TU Delft's knowledge infrastructure should be strengthened by expanding the number of chairs and PhD places in nuclear technology.
NGOs use nuclear waste as a political weapon to make a rational conversation about nuclear power impossible. In 1993, Greenpeace had a major, successful, campaign on climate change. In it, nuclear waste was labelled dangerous. Since then, a rational conversation seems impossible. While having that conversation is desperately needed right now. Not because nuclear energy is sacred; like any energy source, it has specific pros and cons. But science and engineers, including from KIVI, are running at full speed. Nuclear physicists in Belgium are building a research reactor that could eventually render nuclear waste harmless. In the nuclear reactor, nuclear waste from existing nuclear power plants can be reused as fuel. The nuclear waste mountain will thus become smaller and less harmful.
In the Netherlands, the very last remnants of nuclear waste cannot yet be stored sustainably enough. In Finland, a permanent repository is being built very deep in stable rock. Unfortunately, Finnish law does not allow this disposal to be made available to other countries. Together with national and European politicians, the industry could investigate whether this type of disposal is also possible elsewhere. It is time to make a sober assessment of what place nuclear energy should have in a sustainable energy supply."[2]
CO2 emissions
Dutch scientists are also leading the way when it comes to devising solutions that can solve the nitrogen problem and reduce CO2 emissions. For example, Dutch researchers discovered traces of the tiny plant Azolla in the ocean sediment during a North Pole expedition in 2004. This floating duckweed fern has been around for more than 55 million years and can grow under a variety of conditions. Research has shown that the Azolla plant could become the new crop of the future.
The Azolla plant gets nitrogen from the air rather than from the soil and produces three times more protein than, say, maize. If we can grow Azolla as a crop, to make animal feed among other things, it will have a huge positive ecological impact. We can then drastically reduce imports of soy, the main ingredient in animal feed. The great potential for the fastest-growing floating fern can be used against CO2 emissions in drained peatland areas.
A team of excellent scientists from different disciplines is currently researching geological history and hopes to come up with sustainable solutions, such as Azolla plants that absorb CO2 and remove nitrogen from the air.
What are we still waiting for? Surely, without legal and political obstacles, we can apply the science about this fastest-growing aquatic plant and create a testing ground on, for example, the Markerwadden? We can then monitor how much we need to absorb CO2, make animal feed more sustainable and produce biofuel. After proven success close to home, we can scale up in Europe and then delight the rest of the world with this nitrogen and CO2 scavenger.
Investing in knowledge
The above examples show that there is no shortage of Dutch technological knowledge. It is up to the government to exploit that knowledge and prevent companies from being forced to leave the Netherlands. Let me reiterate Van Beurden's motto: not alone. The importance of investing in more Dutch content is obvious. The government receives a 125 per cent return on every euro spent in the Netherlands, as opposed to spending abroad. It lowers risk and thus costs for initial investments. Moreover, it ensures long-term employment and national income.
Fortunately, there are examples of how to do it. The maritime industry in the Netherlands excels in technologies, such as those behind zero-emission sailing and submarine technologies. A few years ago, Huisman, manufacturer of the world's largest offshore cranes, developed and invested in its Schiedam location. The leading designer and manufacturer of innovative engineering solutions can now safely and easily transport Walrus-class submarines from its production hall to port and vice versa. Huisman also has the technology required to produce the pressure skin and is able to assemble other submarine components, including the shipbuilding systems. This in close cooperation with the Dutch maritime cluster including TNO, Marin, Damen, IHC, Thales, innovative SMEs and the Royal Netherlands Navy. Together with industry, this has integrated 115 years of Dutch expertise and knowledge.
The replacement of the four Walrus-class submarines is Defence's biggest equipment project in the coming years. The new boats have yet to be designed and built. With the expansion of its submarine facility, Huisman is making an important contribution to the Dutch maritime cluster and the role Dutch industry can play in the replacement of the submarines. Dutch knowledge is unquestionably unique in the world and vital for effective deployment of Dutch submarines. The maritime sector has everything our government stands for: digital innovation, transition to zero-emission ships and companies that continue to innovate and invest to stay ahead. Technologies developed for the Royal Navy and the National Shipping Company, for example, also have an important spin-off to the entire maritime sector and other economic sectors.
It is very important for the knowledge institutes, training courses and industry that the above-mentioned projects receive attention and are implemented in the Netherlands. Preferably in the short term to avoid losing knowledge and companies in the Netherlands. With all its consequences for the economy. I think back again to the departure of our family business from the Hanseatic town where I grew up. And the reason I am a proud figurehead of Top Sector Water & Maritime. The top sector policy is a good step towards allowing innovation from Dutch soil to flourish.
Finally, the use of data collected by citizens is also influential. This may not be possible for the maritime manufacturing industry, but figures collected during insect and bird counting days are. Divers and athletes at sea also help to better map currents for Deltares, making shipping routes more efficient and reducing emissions into the air. The aforementioned collaboration with, in this case, citizens makes the bridge between science and society smaller.
Knowledge up to date
As I have outlined, scientific research and innovation are essential for our society, now and in the future. Not only to formulate good policy, but also for companies and other organisations to be effective and competitive. The national knowledge infrastructure must therefore be restored to a sufficient level to remain internationally competitive. We cannot lag behind countries like Germany. Last year's German coalition agreement includes a commitment to invest 3.5 per cent of GDP in research and innovation by 2025. By comparison, in the Netherlands the figure is 2.18 per cent. Both government and industry therefore need to invest extra structurally. In addition, it is important that institutional barriers are also removed.
Due to rapid technological developments, keeping knowledge up to date is crucial to maintain broad prosperity. The Netherlands should therefore actively participate in, for instance, the European Skills Agenda to maintain, and if possible strengthen, its competitive position in the field of technological knowledge. Encourage lifelong learning programmes. The Royal Institute of Engineers, for instance, has a Dutch Chartered Engineering programme and the European EUR-ING certificate for this purpose. Those programmes are of great importance in today's society, including for engineers. Linking research to education and industry ensures that we train for the technology of the future. This link should be made not only at the scientific level, but also at the college and mbo level. Our society needs technically educated people at all levels in order to maintain our broad prosperity and achieve the necessary transitions. While often an afterthought on the agenda, human capital should actually be a linchpin on the technology agenda.
Because what worries me is the labour market. The transitions are going to create a lot of technical work. Those hands and brains need to be there. The lack of sufficient skilled personnel is one of the biggest challenges in the energy transition. There is almost no unemployment in the Netherlands and working with your hands is still looked down upon, even though these are well-paid jobs, which undergo major technological developments and in which you really add something. But also in higher education, we see that enrolments are declining. Universities do attract slightly more technically-oriented students, but not nearly enough to meet market demand. Politics, education and business really need to get round the table to solve this problem.
Close
In these times of polarisation, are we capable of carrying through the major transitions while preserving as much prosperity and well-being as possible? Can and do we still dare to carry out major projects, such as the Delta Works? What does this mean for all of us, (government, NGOs, knowledge institutes and companies), with regard to cooperation, human capital, innovative capacity, support and so on?
I have hopefully shown you convincingly today that if the government leverages Dutch technological knowledge and collaborates with its innovative business community, we can make deep impact as a country. I am convinced that together we can successfully implement societal transitions and address geopolitical tensions. But that will take some doing. What does the tech sector expect from the government? Reduce bureaucratic complexity and long decision times to enable technological innovations for major transitions. Offer sufficient certainty to companies at an early stage. Uncertainty is not only a troublesome emotion, but also a risk: financing is made more difficult and development and construction processes become more expensive and longer. Encourage targeted research, but ensure that findings can also be applied in practice. All this in cooperation with science, knowledge institutes and companies that look ahead to tomorrow's challenges and find solutions for them.
I myself have always had the desire to make an impact. Since I am at the head of our family business, I am aware, every day, of the consequences of the steps we take. Like many other family businesses, we are used to looking far ahead and continuing to innovate. The ships we build are cleverly designed for optimal use. For more than a decade, we have been building ships with diesel-electric propulsion, prepared to sail emission-free. The first passenger ship, sailing on hydrogen in Amsterdam, was also built at our yard. My job is to steer our company, like a ship and its crew, safely and future-proof into the next generation. This is only possible if we care about the people around us and society. Because for me too: I cannot do it alone.
About the speaker: Thecla Bodewes is, among other things, a prominent Dutch shipbuilder, figurehead of the top sector "Water and Maritime" and Business Woman of the Year in 2011. See Wikipedia.
Questions: Do you have any questions about this lecture? Please contact the chairman of the RWTM: jan.wind@kivi.nl
Disclaimer: This lecture was produced in consultation between the speaker and the Council for Science, Technology and Society (RWTM). This is not an official position of KIVI. The association accepts no liability for anything put forward in this lecture.
Full or partial reproduction of the text only by agreement and with acknowledgement of source.
Photo: World Port Days, Kees Torn CC BY-SA 2.0
[1] Source: Rijkswaterstaat: www.bodemplus.nl/@202003/examplebook-climate-adaptation
[2] Source: Mario Borst, chairman nuclear engineering department and former director Borssele
