TU Delft: boost for battery technology, 6G and green steel, among others, thanks to National Growth Fund
On 30 June, the Dutch government announced a new set of National Growth Fund investments, which will enable the Netherlands to gain and maintain a strong position in areas such as battery technology, 6G and sustainable steel production.
TU Delft, together with partners, is involved in 10 of the 18 proposals that have been granted. Apart from battery technology, 6G and green steel, these include the development of innovative, circular high-efficiency solar panels, accelerating the energy transition in the maritime sector and stimulating the production of bio-based raw materials. The government is allocating a total of 4 billion Euros for all projects
Encourage accelerating transitions
Tim van der Hagen, Rector Magnificus and chairman of TU Delft's Executive Board, is pleased with the results. "As TU Delft, we want to accelerate major transitions in the areas of climate, energy and sustainability. Radical innovation is needed. The investments from the Growth Fund make it possible to accelerate even more on these themes together with our partners. Take batteries, for instance, which play a key role in the energy transition. This will allow the Netherlands to become a major player in battery technology. This in turn ensures that we increase our technological independence and are less dependent on other countries in realising these transitions."
Innovation ecosystem
The projects on 6G, solar panels, and the capture and reuse of CO2 as a sustainable feedstock also contribute to this. At TU Delft Campus, the innovation ecosystem around our university, TU Delft works intensively with all its partners - companies, startups, governments and knowledge institutions - to accelerate innovation on these topics, thus contributing to a sustainable, climate-adaptive and circular society.
Third round
This is the third time the National Growth Fund has invested heavily in research and innovation. In the past two years, millions were awarded in areas such as sustainable aviation, cellular agriculture ('cultivated meat'), quantum technology and green hydrogen.
The projects funded by the National Growth Fund in which TU Delft is involved, are:
6G Future Network Services
The global development of 6G, the next generation of mobile technology due to hit the market in 2030, starts now. With the Future Network Services (FNS) programme, the Netherlands is creating its international top position in the global 6G value chain, focusing on those parts where the Netherlands can stand out. The focus is on smart radio components and antennas, smart networks and leading applications in socially important sectors. Read more.
Biobased Circular
BBC aims to accelerate the raw material transition by replacing fossil raw materials. By setting up a new industry branch in the Netherlands, chemical building blocks and plastic materials based on biobased raw materials will soon be produced and processed on a large scale. Read more.
Circularly integrated high-efficiency solar panels
Energy from sunlight (solar PV) plays a key role in the transition to renewable energy. Globally, solar PV is growing rapidly and its capacity in the Netherlands is increasing substantially. This proposal focuses on the development and industrialisation of new solar PV technologies and ensures the development of the next generation of fully circular solar panels. Read more.
Creative Industries Immersive Impact Coalition
Immersive Experiences (IX) play an important role in the great digital change. This has significant implications for our daily lives, work, education and leisure. Read more.
Valorisation Delta Plan
The Netherlands excels in knowledge creation, but struggles to convert this into social and economic value. The KTO-Netherlands coalition is launching five Valorisation Impulses to address this, including deployment of thematic scouting and guidance for spin-offs, impact vouchers, development of regional impact networks and a national support infrastructure. Read more.
A healthy Holomicrobiome
Microbiomes - our surrounding, rich communities of billions of bacteria, fungi and viruses - have major effects on human, animal, plant and environmental health. Read more.
Maritime Master Plan 2.0
The aim of the Maritime Masterplan 2.0 is to develop, build and operate reliable and modular climate-neutral ships in a cyclical innovation chain. Read more.
Material Independence & Circular Batteries
Battery technology plays a crucial role in the energy transition as a storage system for green energy. For stabilising the electricity grid and for electrification of the mobility sector. The Material Independence & Circular Batteries proposal focuses on realising a strong position for the Dutch manufacturing industry in the global battery chain, with sustainability and circularity at its core. Read more.
Polaris
POLARIS realises new technological breakthroughs that allow the Netherlands to build on its technological and economic leadership in making complex microelectronic 'Radio Frequency' (RF) systems for MRI, radar and telecommunications. Read more.
Growing with Green Steel
Growing with Green Steel is an ambitious scientific and industrial programme that will enable the Netherlands to take a major technological step in making society more sustainable. It focuses on sustainable technological innovations in the production, processing, use and recovery of steel on the one hand and the industrial and commercial valorisation of this knowledge on the other.
Click here for an overview of all 18 projects.