The IO+ Week: Wennink & Well-being
Our weekly overview offers a summary every Sunday of the most interesting innovation stories, with a focus on the Netherlands.
Published on December 21, 2025
Bart, co-founder of Media52 and Professor of Journalism oversees IO+, events, and Laio. A journalist at heart, he keeps writing as many stories as possible.
On behalf of everyone involved with IO+, we wish you all the best for the coming year. We will continue to feed you with your sneak preview of the future in 2026 as well. We do this primarily through ioplus.nl, but also through this newsletter, our social media, various stages, and the tools we build for others to make that promise come true. 365 days a year!
Wennink and beyond
Just over a week ago, Peter Wennink published his long-awaited report on the future well-being of the Netherlands. It turned out to be full of urgency and discomfort: “The future does not wait,” he warns. And: “Without a leap in productivity, targeted tech investments, and a different administrative culture, Dutch prosperity will crumble.” Read our extensive report here, with all the essential conclusions.
As expected, the discussion subsequently erupted. Was it really all as bad as Wennink described? And can everything really be solved with fewer rules and a few bags of money? One answer deserves special attention, in our opinion: a white paper from Tilburg University focusing on well-being that cannot be bought, also characterized as ‘broad prosperity’. Ton Wilthagen and Lex Meijdam did not write it as a criticism of Wennink. Still, as a reader, you cannot escape the impression that much more is needed than a Wennink Report to let everyone share in economic prosperity.
Read our report here: World-Class Industry? Only with a World-Class Society
The Tilburg report gave special attention to the Brainport Eindhoven case, perhaps the best example of a region that is surpassing everyone economically but still has some steps to take in the social area.
Read our elaboration on this case here: Brainport Eindhoven: top tech, but is society on board yet?
World Class Industry is supported by a World Class Society.
A selection of other highlights from this week:
- China’s all-or-nothing race for chip independence
- MedTech sector presents national ten-year growth plan
- Vital greenery sometimes requires less management
- Those Vegan Cowboys raises €6.25 million for cow-free cheese
- Alphabeats declared bankrupt
- 93 million from ASML for regional accessibility in Brainport
- From bricks to green: how the environment determines your health
- The hole in the energy transition? Our digital CO₂ footprint
- 2026 will be a dangerous year for cybercrime, experts say
- ‘Hope as a basis for circular and sustainable construction’
If you want to know how we view our choices, check out the podcast series editor-in-chief Elcke Vels has created. Here are part 1, part 2, and part 3.
Do you want to view all other articles? You can find them here.
A podcast every day, but not right now
Our daily podcast is going on vacation for two weeks. Listen to the 89 episodes of season 5 here. On Monday, January 5, we will be back with episode 1 of season 6.
That short break also applies to this newsletter. See you again next year!
Happy holidays, and enjoy (hopefully) a bit of rest so we can all get back to it with new energy next year!