Joint impact report on applied research

2 minutes read

What is the intended impact of applied research? Last week, the outgoing Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZW) received the new TO2MORROW. The magazine features some exceptional results from the five applied research organisations (TO2), a group consisting of NLR along with Deltares, MARIN, TNO and WUR.

TO2 federation Top Sector Policy

At the Innovatie Expo 2023 in Rotterdam, the outgoing minister of EZW, Mickey Adriaansens, received the latest TO2 magazine, TO2MORROW. Once a year, it presents some of the exceptional results of the research and collaboration between the five TO2 institutes. It is an accessibly written ‘Impact Report’ in which the institutions give concrete examples of how they are helping the commercial sector innovate and find solutions for the challenges in society.

You can download the magazine at the bottom of the page or look at the individual articles for each theme here. That is also where you can find these three NLR articles:

  • As part of a European research project into non-CO2 climate effects, NLR investigated how you can implement operational improvements in aviation that will reduce the climate impact of flying. Twenty recommendations are intended to make improvements in that regard. Read more here.
  • Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are cheap and easy-to-make explosives that leave numerous victims in conflict areas, among both military forces and the civilian population. Because of the major effects that can be caused against opponents, they are widely used and evolve rapidly. This makes tackling them challenging, yet all the more important. NLR developed technology to help combat them. Read more here.
  • NLR is working together with other parties on a new aircraft fuselage with thermoplastic components. This material offers the same strength and lifespan as aluminium while lowering the overall weight of the plane’s fuselage by more than ten per cent, which reduces the CO2 emissions of the aircraft. Read more here.

Bridging the gap

The TO2 federation is a cooperative venture involving five Dutch institutes for applied research. Deltares, MARIN, NLR, TNO and WUR together form the link between knowledge and innovative impact, working for governmental authorities, the commercial sector and society at large. In that role, we help companies innovate successfully and play our part in finding solutions for society’s challenges. The federation falls under the supervision of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.

Read more

You can download this edition here. It is also where you can find the impact reports that the TO2 federation published over recent years. From the 2019 issue onwards, the associated reports can also be downloaded in English.

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