An acceleration of the Dutch Cleantech sector is only possible if choices are made in sub sectors in CleanTech and several focussed measures are implemented.

Due to the large investments in installations and knowledge infrastructure involved in the CleanTech sector, a stable investment climate and long lasting innovation support is necessary according to the Dutch Innovation Platform.

The advisory board urges the Dutch government to make renewable energy a key growth sector. This involves  also making choices within the broad range of CleanTech subsectors.

According to this group of wise men, the Dutch economy should focus on the value chain of bio energy and materials, (offshore)wind, PV and small scale co-generation.

The current share of renewable energy in the Dutch energy mix is just 3.5% of the domestic use making the Netherlands a largard in use of renewable. Even though the size of the economic activity in the Netherlands is still relatively small (2 billion euro’s). The opportunities remain vast. A high growth rate of 15% per year until 2020 is projected with the expectancy to grow further from there.

By using focused stimulation measures the direct economic return may add up to circa 10 billion euro per year in 2020. Spin-off to other sectors is expected to be between 20 and 35 billion euro per year. Opportunity costs of delaying the stimulus measures range between 10 and 25 billion euro for the Dutch economy.

While the choices in the subsectors remain are still topic of debate. The advice to chose local economic regions to stimulate and to keep regulation and stimulus measures consistently in place is an advice all can agree on.