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On 22 April, the evaluation of the Smart Industry Programme conducted by Dialogic was submitted to the Dutch House of Representatives along with a Parliamentary Letter.
In 2015, the Smart Industry Programme was launched in the Netherlands by a coalition of FME, TNO, KVK, VNO-NCW, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. This network programme aims to stimulate the digitisation of the manufacturing industry on a broad scale and better utilise the opportunities offered by digital technology. Within the Smart Industry Programme, a structure was established at a national level (including a programme office), hubs, and field labs. From the outset, a regional approach was adopted, focusing on initiatives and efforts in the region. The field lab structure was set up with the designation of 10 field labs at the start of the programme and expanded in later years to the current 47 Smart Industry field labs. Additionally, five regional Smart Industry hubs have been established more recently (from 2018 onwards). Over the period 2015-2019, the funding for the field labs alone - provided by companies, government, region, knowledge institutions, and the EU - amounted to an estimated €314 million.
The programme has indeed contributed to further digitisation of the manufacturing industry, but its effectiveness is not uniform across all activities. Likewise, its efficiency is not consistently clear, particularly from a regional perspective. Improvements can still be made in both areas. Dialogic recommended continuing the Smart Industry Programme, but advised clarifying its objectives, responsibilities, and broadening its scope in certain aspects. The main recommendations are:
- Revert the Smart Industry Programme to a nationally coordinated programme with a clear overarching theme and a set of distinct modules to be filled and financed collaboratively with the regions.
- Redefine the ambition regarding skills development in relation to Smart Industry and determine which aspects of skills development should realistically fall within the programme's scope.
- Establish clarity on the target audience(s) and focus on further expansion/scaling up.
- Ensure a clear division of roles and responsibilities between the national programme (office), hubs, and field labs, and incorporate sufficient demand-driven approaches.
- Formulate an intervention logic where measurable output goals are based on the challenges entrepreneurs face regarding digitisation.
Want to learn more about this evaluation? Please contact Pim den Hertog.