Founding Partner TNO about Their Participation in HSD

The Netherlands boasts a new innovation centre: The Hague Security Delta (HSD) Campus, where businesses, governments and knowledge institutions collaborate in the field of security and innovation. "Complex security issues call for shared solutions. Innovation is not accomplished alone," says Ida Haisma, who has left her post as Director of Innovation Safety and Security Research at TNO and became the new Director of the HSD Foundation.

The HSD Campus is located at Beatrixpark in The Hague, where governments, companies and knowledge institutions work together on innovative solutions for national and urban security, cyber security, critical infrastructure and forensics. The campus comprises a meeting place, education centre, living labs for shared experiments and temporary and permanent office space for participants. "It is part of the HSD, a national network organisation for security and innovation that was jointly established by TNO," explains Haisma. "We initiated this innovative cluster together with several other parties, including The Hague Chamber of Commerce, the Netherlands Forensic Institute, Twynstra Gudde, Thales, Siemens, Capgemini, WFIA, Fox-IT, The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies and The Hague University of Applied Sciences. Based on the vision that cooperation between governments, businesses and knowledge institutions creates synergy and added value, thereby enhancing the economic and social return on our efforts."

Open innovation

More than 200 participants from across the country have already committed to the HSD, as well as the innovation regions Brabant and Twente. According to Kees d’Huy, Business Line Manager Security & Protection, connecting all these parties is embedded in TNO’s DNA. "While we are often seen as an organisation with smart men and women who develop innovative technologies, bringing and keeping parties together with different interests is also one of TNO’s leading qualities. We have been doing this since we were founded in 1932. We start by bringing universities together with the aim of converting fundamental science into practical applications. The next step is to bring together different disciplines, since in addition to innovation on engineering and knowledge there is also a need for innovation in relation to processes, organisation and people. TNO’s participation in the HSD is now ushering in the next era. Our vision of open innovation is the foundation on which we are building."

Enterprising spirit

Open innovation involves governments, businesses and knowledge institutions working together constructively and transparently on innovative solutions. This is a key focus for TNO within the HSD. Says Haisma, "Collaborative innovation is so interesting and so productive that all the parties within the HSD are willing to reach out to each other." She stresses the important role played by Dutch SMEs within the HSD. "Small companies have an enterprising spirit, often combined with multiple innovative ideas. The HSD gives them access to a network of innovation partners and international customers. That is why we are discussing the possibility of establishing the HSD as an SME platform with SME Netherlands." D’Huy acknowledges there are competition issues in the private sector, but says they have nothing to do with the substance of open innovation. "Companies understand very clearly they need each other if they are to innovate on important and complex security issues, such as cyber security."

Silicon Valley Security

Bert Don, Business Line Manager Resilience & Society, sees a scaling up of activities at national and European level among security organisations. "Organisations are becoming bigger and are increasingly working together. The HSD is a natural choice for reinforcing that trend and enriching it with innovations. The European knowledge network that TNO contributes enables the HSD to realise concrete benefits through new products and services and that is important here." That fits in nicely with Haisma’s ambition to establish the HSD on the European and global stage. "The HSD is unique in facilitating good cooperation between public-private parties and knowledge institutions, the so-called Triple Helix. We can capitalise on that internationally. The HSD will be successful once it is recognised in Europe as the place to be for security and innovation; a sort of Silicon Valley that national and international authorities, companies and knowledge institutions want to be a part of."

Source: TNO (article availible in Dutch)