Metal & Tech industry: ‘Government must create better conditions to enable the major transitions’

Without good cooperation between the government and the companies in the Metalektro industry, the Netherlands will not succeed in realizing the necessary and major transitions in areas such as energy, digitalization, and sustainability. This is evident from research commissioned jointly by employers and employees in this sector. They call on the government to provide the necessary preconditions.

The report ‘Metalektro – The key to socio-economic success‘, carried out by research agencies Roland Berger and SEO, was presented on Friday to outgoing Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate, Micky Adriaansens. During the same event, ASML CEO Peter Wennink was honored with an award named after him.

This is Metalektro

The researchers note that the metal and technology industry is central to the Dutch economy and society. By investing in technological innovations and sustainability, this sector contributes to economic growth and helps prepare the Netherlands for the future. Metalektro is not only of economic importance but also makes a crucial contribution to solving societal challenges. The report underlines the importance of this sector and calls for enhanced cooperation between government, industry, and education to maintain and further expand the Netherlands’ position as a technological leader.

Indispensable link

The final report shows, among other things, that the Metalektro sector is an indispensable link for the major transitions in energy, digitalization, and sustainability that the Netherlands is facing. It also confirms that the sectors important to our society largely depend on the products and services of the Metalektro companies. Think of radiation equipment for healthcare, heat pumps for construction, irrigation systems for agriculture, radar systems for defense, electric buses and hydrogen-powered trucks for transportation.

The report suggests that the sector’s social importance will continue to grow in the coming years. However, to realize this, the Metalektro sector depends on several preconditions, with the government playing a pivotal role. “For example, the predicted economic growth can only be realized if there is a fair business climate, a strong and reliable infrastructure, and constant R&D investments,” said Theo Henrar, FME chairman on behalf of the employers. “An important precondition is that we train much more technical talent in the Netherlands. Tasks that can only be tackled together by the sector and government”, adds Albert Kuiper on behalf of FNV Metaal. Gertjan Tommel indicates on behalf of the Union: “The Metalektro is the sector where employees can have a great career and really move up. It offers room for low-literate and multiple theoretically trained workers. The value of the sector is about much more than just money.”

Robust future

Employers and employees in the Metalektro want to engage with politicians soon. “Among other things, the sector is asking the government to provide companies with the stability and predictability to make the necessary investments in sustainability, to facilitate a large and stable electricity network, and to invest structurally in scaling up existing technologies,” said Arthur Bot of CNV Vakmensen. The challenges posed by social transitions are significant. These tasks can only be tackled jointly by the sector and the government.