Grand Opening IPFN

Toespraak | 30-09-2010

Ladies and Gentlemen,

• It is wonderful to be here today! To me, an Innovation Programme like Food & Nutrition is all about bringing people together around a common ambition. The ambition to make the Netherlands the number one innovation region for Food & Nutrition in Europe. The set-up of this Grand Opening illustrates our intention to do just that: reinforce as well as enhance the competitive position of our food and nutrition industry through collaboration. And (need I mention it?) we aim to do so in a way that will prove truly sustainable.

• Businesses, small and large, research institutes, advisory bodies and government representatives: so many of you are here today! Your joint commitment I consider to be of vital importance to the Programme’s continued success.

• Today has been about moving the frontiers of our problem-solving abilities, by finding new ways of sharing knowledge and expertise. Travelling together, where we might fear to tread on our own. Or where we might simply be unable to tread on our own.

• I am sure this morning’s programme of workshops has opened up new horizons, new insights into how we can realise our common ambitions, new opportunities to do business.

• That, I believe, is at the core of what we now refer to as ‘open innovation’: joining hands, developing mutual trust, keeping an open mind. But there’s more: ‘open innovation’ also means stepping out of our comfort zone, welcoming unexpected guests (new kids on the block, so to speak), relinquishing some sense of control, and showing the courage to leave the beaten track.

• As you all know, the stakes are high. In business and in society at large.

• It is most heartening to see that the Dutch Food & Nutrition industry is building up a front-runner position in Europe. The Food & Nutrition programme has provided the Netherlands with a real head start in Europe. It is essential to maintain this dynamic. For economic reasons, of course, as well as in service of what I will call ‘the greater good for society’.

• Figures for 2007 show that the industry’s annual turnover exceeds 50 billion euro. Well over a 100,000 people find work in the field of Food & Nutrition.

• I would like to stress that the industry’s main market opportunities are to be found in developing products that serve a very distinct consumer interest.

• The Innovation Programme on Food & Nutrition, involving both the Top Institute Food & Nutrition and the activities of the Food & Nutrition Delta programme, has a clear focus: food and health. New products that support a healthy dietary plan and lifestyle and appeal to our taste buds at the same time: that is what we are about.

• Examples from the Food & Nutrition programme here involve the development of low-salt food products. Top Institute Food & Nutrition this year reported a new technology to reduce salt with 25%, without a loss of taste. Research also looks at dietary solutions for obesity-related health problems. Here we also work within a European research framework.

• The 2009 mid-term evaluation of the programme sets out that the turnover from healthy foods over the past year in the Netherlands has more than doubled to almost 20%. This is a growth market if ever there was one!

• Open innovation is key to maintaining a prominent market position, so much is clear. Still, the fruits of our relentless effort to boost innovation are far from self-evident. International competition is fierce; the pressure is mounting. So how are we to benefit from past experience?

• Well, let’s briefly look back on the first 4 years of the Innovation Programme Food & Nutrition.

• We have profited hugely from investing in a strong Dutch Food & Nutrition knowledge infrastructure. State-of-the-art R&D programmes, projects and facilities pave the way to future business in our field of work.

• The evaluation in 2009 shows that the Top Institute Food & Nutrition realised excellent scientific output with almost 25% of publications in peer reviewed journals in the top 10% in their respective fields. Further, the industry partners estimate that this knowledge is being used in developing new products with a turnover of 710 million euros a year.

• Since 2006 some 326 companies have benefited from participating in Food & Nutrition Delta projects. Over 80% of those companies are SMEs, including companies that had little or no prior involvement in innovation activities.

• It is important that international companies find their way to the Netherlands. Danone, for instance, has strengthened its R&D position in our country. Its expertise in specialised nutrition will contribute to an even better research and business climate in the Netherlands.

• As I said, we must continue to stimulate the innovation capacity of the Dutch business community. Let me stress that we must do so in the SMe sector especially. It is often small scale companies and independently based entrepreneurs that come up with clever ideas, develop new ways of working and provide us with ‘out of the box’-solutions.

• I was particularly intrigued by the innovation project initiated by Jos Nelissen, one of the speakers today, that runs as part of the Food & Nutrition Delta programme. Only 4 years ago he set up his company Newtricious BV. His aim is to improve our quality of life through food. In cooperation with FrieslandCampina and Wageningen University (WUR) he has found that a bio-active peptide from eggs may help prevent Metabolic Syndrome, illnesses related to obesity.

• Another example that illustrates the importance of small-scale initiatives is the company Ojah, with a project that runs as part of the same programme. The results of the project are soja-based meat substitutes, that can hardly be distinguished from the real thing. You might have tasted it yourself today on the information market this afternoon.

• Next month a ‘vegetarian butcher’ will open up premises along the Spui in The Hague. The shop will be selling the soja-based meat substitutes of Ojah.

• If we take a broader scope and look at our overall approach as evident in innovation programmes in key innovation areas, we can see that the other programmes have been successful too. You may think of Point One here, and our efforts in the field of Life Sciences & Health. Evaluation reports on key innovation areas show that we are moving in the right direction.

• Again, I would like to underline the importance of international cooperation. If we are to further improve our current position, we will have to work together with international partners. We have much to offer them in terms of R&D facilities, good infrastructure and a high overall standard of public services. I am glad to see that Nelson Almeida, Vice President Research, Quality and Technology of Kellogg is present today, as one of the new partners in the Top Institute Food & Nutrition.

• The Dutch government will continue its commitment to innovation. The Innovation Programme for Food & Nutrition is to receive a stimulus of a 100 million euro for the period 2011-2014.

• As I stated before, your joint commitment is of vital importance for the Innovation programme’s continued success. We count on you to actively participate and help make the Netherlands the leading region in the field of Food & Nutrition in Europe. We are well on course – and I wish you all the very best for the future.

• Thank you.