Knowledge economy here to stay

01-12-2010

Michiel Rijsdijk

Traditionally, the Netherlands has an excellent reputation for its knowledge economy.

Research and development form a major part of Dutch economic activity, and many companies, such as pharmaceutical companies, profit from the Netherlands as a knowledge science centre with its favourable innovation climate. The Dutch government thinks that pharma research plays a particularly important role in innovation and therefore in the Dutch economy.

It only became clear what is at stake for this knowledge economy when the US-based pharmaceutical company MSD & Co recently announced it would move its subsidiary Organon to the US. Organon’s R&D department is currently based in the Netherlands and employs about 1,100 highly educated and specialised researchers in a specific pharmaceutical field, which would be lost if a transfer is continued.

Since this announcement, the Dutch government is alerted and now plays an important role in its attempt to keep knowledge and skills up and running in the Netherlands.


Knowledge economy

WIPR