The Netherlands and Japan as partners in science, technology and innovation

With their collaboration extending back 425 years, the Netherlands and Japan have forged a strong relationship supported by academia, corporations and government. In 2025, the common ground between Japan and the Netherlands remains solid and holds great potential.

Here, we share the findings of a new Elsevier report examining the research and innovation landscapes of the two countries, particularly the impact of their collaboration.

Using Scopus, SciVal, Overton opens in new tab/window and PatentSight opens in new tab/window databases, we analyzed over 1.5 million articles between 2019 and 2024 by authors from the Netherlands and Japan and the patents and policy documents that cited them.

Key findings

• Netherlands-Japan collaboration yields exceptional impact. Compared to the global average, the Netherlands-Japan collaboration delivers five times greater scientific impact, double the innovation impact, and nearly four times the influence on policy. Japan is the Netherlands’ most impactful scientific partner.

• Strong public-private collaboration is a driver of success. A quarter of Japanese-Dutch research projects stem from public-private partnerships, greatly exceeding the global average (3%) and the individual rates of Japan and the Netherlands (both 7%). These projects deliver nearly 10 times the global average scientific impact.

• High activity around strategic key technologies. Quantum technology and photonics are at the forefront of Japanese-Dutch collaboration. Joint activity is more than twice the world average for quantum and almost four times for photonics. Both countries have identified these key technology areas as critical to their future development.

These findings highlight key drivers of successful collaboration: aligned research interests, complementary research and innovation capabilities, and robust corporate-academic collaborations.

Timely insights for policymakers

The Netherlands-Japan Report provides powerful evidence that the strategic partnership between the Netherlands and Japan is a driver of significant progress in both countries. It also offers valuable guidance for policymakers, academic leaders and research funders aiming to boost competitiveness and shape international research strategies amid geopolitical uncertainty.

The report is part of Elsevier’s contribution to the Dutch pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka.

Opportunities to increase the scale of collaboration and target other key technologies

Despite strong impact, the volume of collaboration is modest. Japan ranks 16th among the Netherlands’ top research partners, accounting for just 4% of joint work. Expanding ties — especially in semiconductors, robotics and battery technologies, where Japan is particularly active — would present significant growth potential.