The cabinet has set aside €200m to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship between now and 2011, economic affairs minister Maria van der Hoeven tells Thursday’s Financieele Dagblad.

While Dutch industry is in a good position internationally, there are 27 areas where improvements need to be made to boost international competitiveness, the minister says.
The most important problems are the shortage of qualified staff with a flexible approach to working, the low number of innovative start-ups and the shortage of innovative finance.