Income of the Large Technological Institutes by funding source

Investments

Data publication

In this data publication, we show the size and development of the income of the Large Technology Institutes (LTIs) by source of funding. Figure 1 adds up the LTIs. Figure 2 shows the latest figures of the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR), Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) and Deltares in more detail.

In short

  • The revenue of NLR, MARIN and Deltares is about 350 million euros
  • Of that revenue, about 89 million euros derives from government funding.
  • The revenue of LTI's has long been stable, but has been increasing strongly since 2021.
Source: Input from the LTIs, supplemented with information from the annual accounts
Notes: Assignments include both public and private commissions, both from the Netherlands and abroad. Other income includes for example income from licenses or renting of prototypes. As of 2010, the demand-driven funding Deltares receives from the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment has moved from 'direct government funding' to 'contract income'. This causes an abrupt decrease in direct government funding between 2009 and 2010. This shift is in keeping with the way Deltares reports its figures in the annual reports as of 2016. Figures for the years 2010-2015 have been received from Deltares.For ECN, the consolidated income is used (including daughter companies such as NRG). As of 2018, ECN has merged with TNO. Its daughter company NRG continues on its own, but can no longer be classified as a Large Technological Institute. This creates a break in the trend. In the accompanying excel-file, data on the income, excluding ECN, can be found.
Source: Input from the LTIs, added with information from the annual accounts
Notes: Assignments include both public and private commissions, both from the Netherlands and abroad. 

Revenues remained the same for a long time, but show a sharp increase in the last years

Leaving out ECN (see 'About the data' down below), the other three LTI's have a revenue of about 230 million euros between 2009 and 2020. From 2021 onwards, their revenue increases strongly, to about 350 million euros in 2024.

Zooming in on MARIN, NLR, and Deltares, we see that they get most of their revenue from contract assignments. This portion is the largest for Deltares. The income from assignments grows almost each year since 2004, except for small dips in 2009, 2013/2014 and 2020/2021. In 2024, revenue from assignments is about 256 million euros.

Direct revenues from the central government until 2009, but then decline for all LTI's. The last couple of years, the income from the government increases again, up to 89 million euros in 2024. NLR has the largest portion of income from the central government.

As of January 1, 2018, the ECN has been split. The ECN Sustainable component has been merged into TNO. ECN subsidiary NRG has continued independently and no longer a LTI. That is why ECN is no longer included in the figures from 2018 onwards. In the excel file you can find a series of numbers with and without ECN.

ECN's revenues included here are consolidated revenues. This concerns the income of ECN and subsidiaries such as NRG. Information about ECN's income without subsidiaries can be found in the appendix to the fact sheet Public knowledge organizations.

 

For an explanation of the used acronyms we kindly refer you to the web page Definitions for Science in Figures.

Downloads

Related publications

  • Funding public knowledge organisations
  • Income Wageningen Research institutes by funding source
  • Income and expenditure KNAW
  • Income and expenditure NWO
  • Income TNO by funding source