TNO Annual Report 2023: Innovating, researching and orchestrating

TNO is, also for more and more non-Dutch people, an attractive employer in a tight labor market. At the end of 2023, the organization had almost 5% more employees than the year before; almost 750 new colleagues. By 2023, the share of non-Dutch employees within TNO will have increased (+1.7%) to 15.2% and the share of women within the total TNO population of 4178 FTE will have grown slightly (+1%) to 33.7% by the end of 2023.

Leading innovator

A good and competitive Dutch innovation climate is essential for the broad prosperity of our society. Innovations have the potential to contribute to solutions for a safe, healthy, sustainable and digital society. TNO sees it as essential that the Netherlands' public, but especially also private, innovation effort together moves to at least 3% of GDP. This is a 30% increase, or about €6.7 billion a year.

This means that it must be made more attractive for companies to invest in innovation in the Netherlands and that the trend talking about the departure of a number of important companies must be stopped; this is essential for the broad prosperity in NL.

As a key player in the Dutch innovation ecosystem, TNO contributes concretely to maximising the impact of its innovations for its private and public clients. TNO does this through applied research, valorisation, innovation and cooperation.

TNO 'capitalises' on knowledge (valorisation) through spin-offs and licensing. By 2023, TNO will have established three spin-offs, bringing the total since the start of the Tech Transfer programme in 2017 to 41. The value of these companies totals €322 million. These spin-offs generate 631 jobs.

Innovate, research and orchestrate

TNO innovates, researches and orchestrates innovation. This in close cooperation with governments, universities and industry. The 2023 Annual Report includes many examples of this. From spin-off AIKON Health developing wearable biosensors aimed at telemonitoring to a new care model where pregnant women receive interactive prenatal care in groups.

From the MilSpace2 project where 2 milk carton-sized satellites for the Norwegian and Dutch Ministries of Defense will contribute to the information-driven operations of the armed forces to a method that requires 200 times less of the scarce iridium in electrolyzers for hydrogen production.

From a calculation tool that gives policymakers and the construction sector insight into measures that can directly reduce nitrogen emissions on construction sites and in logistics to technologies TNO is working on where the user has control over which (personal) data are shared with whom.

The Annual Report also collects the large number of moonshots, concrete goals that TNO has set for 2030.

On track to Climate Neutral in 2040

TNO's direct and indirect emissions have fallen solidly compared to 2019. With a 29% reduction in direct emissions from its own operations (fuels, lease cars and building gas use) and 70% reduction in indirect emissions from its own operations (electricity and heat consumption in buildings), TNO is on track to meet its 'TNO Climate Neutral 2040' target.