Toespraak van minister Kamp bij de Smart Cities Bilateral Innovation Day

Toespraak | 04-02-2016

Ladies and gentlemen,

Some 50% of the world’s population lives in cities and this percentage will rise to 70% by 2050. This makes cities important centres of social, economic and political life and the foundation of our future. Cities are key to coping with climate change and realising a circular economy. And cities contribute to smart, green and inclusive growth.

To be future-proof, cities need to become safer, more energy efficient, more easily accessible and more connected. Israel and the Netherlands are natural partners in this. We have cutting-edge R&D, world-class start-up ecosystems and strong investment climates. Our business cultures are compatible and we both believe in the power of public-private partnerships. The best smart city solutions are created when governments, knowledge institutions and the private sector work together on innovation, research and new products and services.

This Innovation Day is proof of that. I was just touring the presentations outside and I was struck by the diversity and the dynamism. I saw companies innovating in the areas of smart mobility, smart energy and cyber security. There were innovation clusters like The Hague Security Delta and the Brainport region.

In addition to many Dutch parties, I am pleased to welcome so many of our Israeli friends. In 2013, our countries established a bilateral cooperation forum of which innovation is the main theme. Since then, Israel and the Netherlands have organised quite a number of innovation-related events. These are proof that the forum structure works and today’s meeting reiterates that.

In fact, Israel and the Netherlands have been working together on smart city innovation for a few years now. I was in Israel last September with Startup Delta and Amsterdam Smart City to leverage the Dutch and Israeli innovative cultures and technology development. I was impressed by Israel’s innovation climate and its progress in areas like sustainable energy and cyber security. Tel Aviv, for example, was the winner of the World Smart City Award 2014. The city was recognized for apps like Tel Aviv DigiTel, a personalized communication platform for local information and services.

The Netherlands is also a smart city leader. Amsterdam, often a runner up in the World Smart City Award, takes part in City-zen. This project, which is supported by a European Union Horizon 2020 grant, tests innovative solutions in smart grids, heat networks and sustainable housing. It does so in an actual Amsterdam neighbourhood, where citizens are encouraged to produce their own energy and supply it to the grid. Houses are supplied with water heated by the local garbage incinerator. Young people, meanwhile, can play a game that encourages them to use less energy at home.

These examples are only the tip of the iceberg of what is happening in Israel and The Netherlands. Our purpose today is to get a fuller view of all developments and to explore opportunities for co-operation. There are many areas in which we can do this and there are two I would like to highlight.

The first is electric driving and autonomous vehicles, which are key trends shaping the future of transport and logistics. The Netherlands is encouraging developments in both areas and the number of electrical vehicles, for example, has grown to 90,000 today. We expect that this number will rise to 200,000 in 2020 and 1 million in 2025.

To contribute to and capitalise on this transformation, Dutch companies are active in solar car research, charging infrastructures, parts manufacturing and the production of light electrical vehicles. Companies like Allego, which is present here today. Allego enables municipalities, businesses and public transport companies to charge their electric cars. Other interesting companies in this field are Ebusco and Gogoro.

The Netherlands is also one of the most forward-looking countries in the world in the area of intelligent transport systems. This is due to support from the Dutch government and strong investment by industry giants like TomTom and NXP Semiconductors. I see a similar development in Israel, which boasts successful companies like Mobile Eye, a spinoff from Hebrew University. These and other Israel firms could partner with our automotive campus in Helmond and other parties in our thriving ecosystem to create the future of intelligent transport.

In addition to transport, I think there are great opportunities in the area of cyber security. Smart city technology is valuable, but can leave our critical infrastructure vulnerable to digital attacks. Smart cities need to be safe cities, too, and we must protect our drinking water, telecommunications, electricity grids, financial services and autonomous vehicles.

Israel has extensive experience with cyber threats. Last year I visited the CyberSparks campus in Be’ersheva, which is a major centre for cyber security research, education, and innovation. On the campus, academic institutions like Ben Gurion University are working with Israeli cyber tech companies to make the world a safer place. Dutch financial firms and utility firms like Alliander are working with Israeli companies to secure their systems.

The Netherlands is at the forefront of cyber security developments in Europe. The City of the Hague is the security capital of Europe and The Hague Security Delta is the largest security cluster in Europe. This cluster – with regional hubs in The Hague, Twente, and Brabant – brings together 400 organisations in government, academia and business on cyber security solutions.

Individual Dutch companies are also making a name for themselves, such as Eindhoven-based Security Matters and Fox IT, which works with the FBI on internet crime. The Netherlands is also leading in the area of responsible disclosure, which encourages the ethical use of hacking to find and fix cyber vulnerabilities. HackerOne is at the cutting edge of these developments. All three companies are present here today and I invite Israeli companies to discover how they can partner with them.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Smart cities are the future, there is no doubt about it. It is up to you to envision and realise that future. Today will bring you a step closer to that and I hope that Israel and the Netherlands will continue to work closely in this exciting and important field. I wish you a fruitful day and I look forward to using your results in real life.

Thank you.