Minister of Economic Affairs continues support for innovation in the food sector

01-07-2010 | press release

Minister Van der Hoeven (Economic Affairs) continues the financial support for innovation in the food sector. The Food & Nutrition Delta (FND) program will be continued up until 2014. This collaboration between companies and knowledge institutes to convert knowledge into concrete products in the field of food, will receive 60 million Euros. 

Minister Van der Hoeven announced this on 1 July 2010. The Minister wants to offer this financial assistance quickly and effectively to companies and knowledge institutes in the food sector. "The Dutch food sector is of major importance for the Dutch economy. The sector is good for 21 percent of total industrial exports, making the Netherlands the biggest food exporter within Europe. The conversion of knowledge into tangible products requires extra attention, therefore. It provides extra economic growth in the future."

FND is part of the innovation program Food & Nutrition. This program has been running since 2006. Its main objective is to make the Netherlands the leading and most innovative region in Europe in the field of food.  Because of FND more than 300 companies marketed their innovative ideas. Examples include the reduction of the amount of salt in meat and cheese products without loss of taste and new washing methods for washed and pre-cut vegetables using less chemicals, energy and water.

FND motivated a large group of SMEs that had little attention for innovation to start innovating. An interim survey amongst 25 participants in 2009 showed that these companies expect to create 125 million Euros extra in revenues and approx. 250 new jobs. 

In the coming period FND wants to trigger even more companies to innovate and to further promote innovation oriented thinking. On the one hand the objective is to strengthen the international competitive position of the sector, and on the other hand for the government to contribute to solutions to social issues. More specifically, FND wants to make a case for the reduction of cardio and vascular diseases as well as Type-2 diabetes II. 

FND is implemented by NL Innovation, an NL Agency division of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Source: Ministry of Economic Affairs