Strategische Agenda 2022-2025

Strategic Agenda - Focus on the Future, Fast Forward Now 27 Our knowledge base is developed with SITO financing from the subsidy scheme for institutes for applied research. However, a significant proportion, and particularly the impact of the knowledge base, comes fromour work with theMinistry of Infrastructure and Water Management/Rijkswaterstaat and other government authorities. The testing of our knowledge in practice is extremely relevant: by working in the field, we can determine whether the further deepening of knowledge is still contributing to the solution, or whether the crux is to be found elsewhere. Moreover, knowledge and new, innovative solutions have a real impact only if they are applied in practice. That is why we want to strengthen contacts with parties (in the government and the market) that are closely involved with implementation and practical applications. In this way, we ensure that we can respond quickly and adequately if new insights or unexpected problems arise. And that we can together establish connections between different projects and the different phases of those projects. Practical experience is also a factor that directs the further development of our knowledge base. Here, we focus explicitly on involving private bodies and the government at an early stage of knowledge development in order to develop and implement innovations and measures. A new covenant was concluded with NLingenieurs in 2020 for this purpose. The basis of this covenant is that we will get each other involved earlier on in processes and that we will collaborate more on both the development and implementation of knowledge and innovation projects. In general, we use co-creation for that purpose. In addition to our work for the national government, we work extensively with and for regional and local authorities: provincial authorities, water authorities, drinking water companies and municipal authorities. These are sometimes concrete, defined, operational projects. For example, all water authorities in the Netherlands use our software. But increasingly, these parties believe that an integrated and area-based approach is more important. For example, in order to determine the effects of climate changes or the effect of measures, we need to understand how the system works in a given area. We work at different spatial and temporal scales. In other words, we switch between local solutions and an integrated systemic approach. We can look a long way into the future and apply those insights to our work in the present. Specific areas or tasks play a central role here: the water and subsurface system has no administrative boundaries and