Netherlands risks losing its leading position in foodtech

Foodvalley and a broad coalition of companies are sounding the alarm. Without swift action, the Netherlands will lose its strong position in food technology to foreign competitors. The sector is therefore urgently calling on the cabinet to invest at least 200 million euros in a European innovation program. This amount is expected to unlock around 400 million euros in private investment.

The industrial scaling gap

Dutch companies are developing innovative ingredients such as proteins, fats, and meat-like products. Sometimes this happens without the need for any agricultural land. However, moving from innovation to industrial scale is currently proving difficult. Building initial production facilities requires massive investments. This step is too large for venture capital and too risky for banks. Countries like China and the United States are backing these technologies much more aggressively.

Decision-making by late August

The sector is pushing for participation in the IPCEI Biobased Food and Feed Ingredients. This European framework allows for more flexible state aid for strategic projects. The cabinet must decide on the budget allocation before the end of August. This fall, the participating member states will submit their project portfolios. Without a national contribution, Dutch companies will lose access to this framework for industrial scaling. An expression of interest by the RVO is currently underway. The required funding is expected to be many times higher.

Maintaining strategic influence

With this contribution, the cabinet would follow through on its commitment to biotechnology. This is crucial for economic resilience and food security. “The Netherlands has everything it takes to remain a global leader in food technology: knowledge, companies, and entrepreneurship. But without targeted public support, industrial scaling will stall. As a result, the Netherlands will lose not only business activity, but also its strategic influence on how food is produced in the future,” the initiators stated.

Foodvalley.nl