The four universities of technology in the Netherlands - 4TU -, are indispensable to our society. They make an essential contribution to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, and to the necessary transitions and societal challenges in the Netherlands and worldwide.
These universities do this by training thousands of smart and ambitious engineers of the future every year, by developing knowledge and technology through scientific research, by starting companies, and thus by solving societal problems. They have lasting impact, making societal transitions possible.
This study was commissioned by 4TU to highlight the impact its members had throughout the economy in 2021. The members of 4TU are:
▪ Delft University of Technology (TU Delft);
▪ Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e);
▪ University of Twente (UT);
▪ Wageningen University & Research (WUR).
British research consultancy firm Briggar Economics conducted the research and made an analyse of the quantitative economic impact of 4TU in 2021, measured in gross value added (GVA; Gross Value Added) and jobs. In november 2022 they published the report "Economic Impact of 4TU".
The total annual economic impact of the 4TU universities is estimated at €12.7 billion and 102.740 jobs. This is created by learning, research, and valorisation impacts and by economic benefits created by the universities’ direct operations. For every €1 of public investment, 4TU universities create €9 of GVA impact.
Just over half of the total gross value added of the 4TU universities (€6.4 billion) comes from targeted activities, showing that their importance to the economy goes far beyond just being large organizations. They can truly be considered as the engines of the Dutch economy. We also looked at how that engine works, and how the effects are distributed among the various activities of 4TU.
Download the two-pager summary (in Dutch) or read the full report 'Economic Impact of 4TU'