Pre-announcement: developing future-proof high-tech equipment

NWO is expected to launch the call ‘Future-proof high-tech equipment’ in January 2024. This call is the first call stemming from the National Growth Fund programme NXTGEN Hightech. NWO provides funding for developing a new generation of high-tech equipment aimed at sustainability, digitalisation, health and technology sovereignty of the Netherlands. A total of 10.6 million euros is available for the public-private research.

The call ‘Future-proof high-tech equipment – NXTGEN Hightech open call 2023′ focuses on research to promote the development of a new generation of high-tech equipment in the Netherlands. The Netherlands’ current strength in this field is due to the expertise and entrepreneurial spirit of various players, including companies, knowledge institutions, governments and financiers. To maintain this position, significant investments are needed to strengthen future earning capacity. For this call, 10.6 million euros is available for public-private research.

Application areas

The National Growth Fund programme NXTGEN Hightech aims to develop, deploy and apply new knowledge in six promising application domains over the next seven years. These application domains are:

  1. Laser Satcom;
  2. Energy conversion and storage;
  3. Biomedical manufacturing technology;
  4. Semicon equipment for heterogeneous integration;
  5. Flexible micro-factories for composites;
  6. Hands-free agrifood.

Research objective

The purpose of the 2023 call is to develop a new generation of high-tech equipment aimed at sustainability, digitalisation, health and technology sovereignty of the Netherlands. Here, the requested research should link at least one prioritised key technology to one of the system technologies. The prioritised key technologies are aimed at strengthening the Dutch ecosystem for the next generation of high-tech equipment and are:

  • Cyber-physical systems / robotics;
  • (Opto)mechatronics;
  • Semiconductor devices / Lithographic systems;
  • Thin film / Plasma technology;
  • Bionanotechnology.

The selected system technologies for the 2023 call play a key role in all six application domains within NXTGEN Hightech and are:

  • Smart industry;
  • Systems engineering.

System and enabling technologies

System and key enabling technologies are characterised by a broad scope or reach in innovations and/or sectors. They form the scientific basis for addressing the
crucial knowledge questions from the six application domains. These key enabling technologies are essential in solving societal challenges and/or make a major potential contribution to the economy, by creating new business and markets, increasing competitiveness, and strengthening job creation. They enable breakthrough process, product and/or service innovations and are relevant to science, society and the market.

About the National Growth Fund Programme NXTGEN Hightech

This call for proposals is part of the National Growth Fund programme NXTGEN Hightech. This programme develops a new generation of high-tech equipment focused on sustainability, digitalisation, health and technology sovereignty. This will strengthen the Netherlands’ earning capacity and address societal challenges. In 2022, the proposal for NxtGen Hightech received an allocation from the National Growth Fund.
Read more: programme page NXTGEN Hightech

About the National Growth Fund

Through the National Growth Fund, the government will invest 20 billion euros in projects that ensure long-term economic growth from 2021 to 2025. Among other things, the National Growth Fund invests in research, development and innovation projects. In a number of these projects, NWO is involved as one of the implementing organisations, including for organising grant programmes for scientific research or scientific talent.
Read more: www.nwo.nl/growthfund

Disclaimer

This is solely an announcement of an intended NWO research programme. The possibility to apply for funding will open after the call for proposals has been published in the Staatscourant (Government Gazette).

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