Economic growth will not happen without a good social infrastructure

8 December 2011

A good social foundation is vital for economic growth in the Netherlands. Research in the Top sectors is therefore inconceivable without a clear contribution from the social sciences and the humanities. With this message NWO’s Division for the Social Sciences (MaGW) and Division for the Humanities (GW) jointly presented the Social Infrastructure Agenda yesterday to State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science, Halbe Zijlstra.

The Social Infrastructure Agenda (SIA) details the contribution that the social sciences and the humanities can make to a healthy social climate and a sustainable socioeconomic system. This includes research into an improved link between education and the employment market, the move towards a sustainable pension system, the transition towards more efficient forms of organisation and progress towards a good link between technological innovation and people. A sustainable and profitable knowledge economy is only possible if efforts are also directed at solving these issues, states the SIA.

'The Social Infrastructure Agenda brings together integrated high-value research and contributes towards the positioning of our country as 'Location the Netherlands', in which optimising the Netherlands as an attractive location is a priority,' said professor Henriėtte Maassen van den Brink, chair of the NWO-MaGW Divisional Board during the presentation of the SIA.

State Secretary Zijlstra said that he fully recognised the importance of the agenda. 'Without a good social infrastructure the economy cannot function. You shouldn’t try to build a house on the sand,' said Zijlstra.

The Dutch Government has recognised nine Top sectors in which academia, industry and the government will invest over the coming years. During the development of the research agendas for these Top sectors, NWO will emphasise how the social sciences and the humanities can contribute to the flourishing of the Top sectors via the SIA. Zijlstra supports this. He is of the view that the SIA fits superbly within the so-called Human Capital Agendas of the Top sectors.

Representatives from the three parties will be involved during the realisation of the SIA: industry and public organisations, knowledge organisations and knowledge institutions, and the government. As the coordinator, NWO will safeguard the progress and quality of the agenda in collaboration with TNO.

About NWO

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) is the national research council in the Netherlands and has a budget of more than 500 million euros per year NWO promotes quality and innovation in science by selecting and funding the best research. NWO manages research institutes of national and international importance, contributes to strategic programming of scientific research and brings science and society closer together. Research proposals are reviewed and selected by researchers of international repute. More than 500 scientists can carry out research thanks to funding from NWO.

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last modified on 6 February 2012