VoordrachtSeminarIndia-4sept06

Seminar on ”India-The Netherlands:
Connecting Innovative Gateways”

September 4, 2006, New Delhi

Dear Friends,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be part of today’s meeting and dialogue at FICCI.

Today is about ”connecting India and The Netherlands on the platform which is called innovation”. When talking about innovation, I am always inspired by so many companies, some of them being my clients and/or members of NICCT, who have done a remarkable job on innovation in recent decades.

I am also truly inspired by Professor CK Prahalad’s book, which is called ”The Fortune at the bottom of the Pyramid”.
In this book Prahalad outlines a simple yet revolutionary proposition: ”If we stop thinking about countries like India as victims and as burden, and if we start to recognise them as resilient and creative entrepreneurs and value-conscious consumers, a whole new world of opportunities will open”
India is, and can be, more than ever an engine of the next round of global trade, And about all India can be a key-source of innovations. Actually, this new mindset and way of thinking about India is not strong in place in The Netherlands, also thanks to so many Indian companies who have already found their way to the Netherlands. Other proof of this is the number of visits of Dutch companies to India, and the number of participants in the trade missions to India.

The interesting thing is that in The Netherlands companies and institutions will focus the coming decade on the following 5 topics in which innovation is of the utmost importance:
1. high quality use of space (we are a small country, as you know!)
2. ICT
3. sustainable system and process innovation
4. micro systems and nano-technology
5. Health-nutrition, gen and bio-technology

Innovations in these areas have to go beyond the concept of `patents’. These innovations instead must be of the highest scientific quality and must contribute directly to the so-called ”Dutch Knowledge Economy” by market feasibility.
Looking at the strengths of the Indian economic drivers, it needs no further explanation that Indian companies and institutions will and can co-create value for the innovations challenges which their Dutch counterparts face.
The agenda of India touches upon 4 of the 5 Dutch focus areas.

Professor Prahalad also states that there are some practical principles for creating innovative products and services together. This can be done for example by blending old and new technologies, the so-called `hybrid solutions’, by focusing on a broad architecture which will enable a quick and easy incorporation of new features.
And also YOU will have many practical ideas and proves ways for a strong take-off of co-innovation between India and The Netherlands.

It is good to know that not only internationally known Dutch institutions like TNO, and our technical universities have the ambitions to take their innovations to the next level. There is also a group of Dutch knowledge-intensive companies, assembled in the so-called ”Innovation Platform”, who have set as their objective to bring The Netherlands back on top as an innovation power within Europe, by 2010.
The Embassy, the Ministry of Economic Affairs as well as the NICCT could support you in getting in touch with the right people.

Innovation in The Netherlands is also promoted by reforms in the framework conditions (therefore improving the business climate), by reforms in the tertiary education system and by renewing the various forms of government support to innovation. On top of that we are glad to say that after a slow period in the Dutch economy, the economic climate has been picking up quite favourably recently.

Today is a formal face-to-face moment of connecting Innovative Gateways. But please note that Dutch companies realise more than ever that they are already connected with the ”Fortune of Innovation Power of India”….by TV, by mobile phones and of course by Internet. Not only today, but every minute, every second.

Thank you very much.

Rutger Koopmans
Leader of the Business Delegation from The Netherlands

© 4 september 2006