De toespraak is alleen beschikbaar in het Engels.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Hello – Hello Tomorrow.
Welcome to the Netherlands.
Welcome to Amsterdam.
It’s fantastic that Europe’s biggest deep tech event has come to Amsterdam.
We’re incredibly proud of that.
And we’re delighted to be hosting so many people and companies from across the globe over the next 2 days.
Hello Tomorrow’s decision to hold the summit in Amsterdam is proof that the Netherlands’ deep tech ecosystem is bursting with energy.
We not only take that as a big compliment, but we also see it as a major incentive to do even better.
And that goes for the Dutch tech sector and government alike.
It won’t have escaped your notice when you took the short ferry ride across the IJ this morning: we are in a historic location.
This was one of the Netherlands’ temples of 20th century heavy industry.
Here at the NDSM shipyard, the Netherlands built the large steel ships that allowed countries and people around the world to connect with each other.
It’s a robust, industrial location which now inspires new generations to think outside the box.
To make new connections with the rest of the world.
And that makes this historic location and creative hotspot the perfect place to greet the future.
Hello Tomorrow!
I love the positivity of that name.
We shouldn’t be afraid of the future.
We should embrace it.
That really speaks to me.
Because the world of quantum computing and AI, of photonics and semiconductors, carries the promise of major breakthroughs for our society.
And it’s our job to create the space to make that possible.
To seize the opportunities before us, while managing the risks.
As you know better than anyone, the deep tech revolution is about every aspect of life.
But above all about the solutions of tomorrow.
It’s about how we will learn, work, communicate and earn a living in the future.
It’s about healthcare, and the energy transition.
About tomorrow’s industry and Europe’s competitiveness.
But it’s also about digital security, strategic autonomy and national security.
All these things are deeply interconnected.
And all these developments are unfolding at lightning speed.
I firmly believe in the idea that tech is not an end in itself, but a means of improving society.
And I’d like to see European players taking a lead role in the responsible tech movement.
It’s a great opportunity and an exciting prospect.
And that’s why it’s so important for public and private parties to seek each other out and work together.
As you will be doing here over the next 2 days.
When Amsterdam briefly becomes the deep tech epicentre of the world.
The Dutch government has major ambitions in this area.
We want to help create the European tech champions of tomorrow.
And we want to be in the leading group.
Because we know that today’s start-up or scale-up could be tomorrow’s tech unicorn.
That’s why the Netherlands is creating a national investment bank, aimed at large-scale innovations.
We’re also setting up a specialised agency focused on technological disruption – innovations that are too risky for the market.
Because you don’t often find tech breakthroughs at the end of the well-trodden path.
But of course, I don’t need to tell you that.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Your presence here is living proof that deep tech knows no boundaries.
And that’s good, because we need international cooperation that transcends physical borders.
We need bridges, not barriers.
I hope that, in the coming days, you will inspire others with your ideas. And that you yourselves will go home inspired.
I hope that, here in Amsterdam, old bonds will be strengthened and new coalitions forged.
And of course, I hope that this Amsterdam edition of Hello Tomorrow will be the first of many.
We will be only too happy to welcome you back.
Have a great time in Amsterdam.
Thank you.