The week of IO+: white eggs for Easter brunch
Every Sunday, our Weekly Review provides a roundup of the most interesting stories and important innovations.
Published on April 20, 2025
As editor-in-chief, Aafke oversees all content and events but loves writing herself. She makes complex topics accessible and tells the stories behind technology.
The weekend of days of just eating breakfast has begun! All the more reason to consume our newsletter with one of your Easter breakfasts. If you still want some inspiration for a healthy and eco-friendly Easter brunch? Say no more! Elcke figured out the best way to do it. For example, white eggs are more environmentally friendly than brown ones, and soft cheeses are generally preferred over harder ones.
An even better alternative: the vegan egg from EGGcellent. This innovation project raised €1 million last week. In this project, Vivici, Proeon, and Applikon join forces with Planet B.io. Together, they aim to develop a sustainable, vegan alternative to chicken eggs, with a specific focus on applications in the baking industry.
By the way, it was a good week for biotech in the Netherlands anyway. The cabinet signed a cabinet vision this week, stating that the Netherlands should be among the global leaders by 2040. Through projects in the National Growth Fund (NGF) alone, the cabinet will invest approximately €1.3 billion more in biotechnology over the coming years.
- White eggs, not brown: a low-emission Easter brunch
- €1 million for sustainable egg substitute
- Cabinet: in 2040, the Netherlands is a frontrunner in biotech
The effect of Trump's policies: what about them?
Trump's economic policies are causing great uncertainty for the global economy. After a 90-day pause on levies for several countries, including those within the EU, the US escalated its action against China by announcing a 145% import tax on Chinese goods. Beijing responded with a 125% levy on U.S. goods.
During the quarterly earnings presentation, ASML's top executive also pointed to uncertainty about trade tariffs, citing disappointing orders. Rabobank calculated eight scenarios to quantify the impact of the trade war on the Dutch and global economy. We list them for you:
- Trump's trade war effects mapped out in eight scenarios
- ASML points out uncertainty trade tariffs after disappointing Q1
The Netherlands, cybersecurity land
We haven't won the European Championship in a long time, and inflation in our country is out of step with the rest of the euro area, at 3.9% compared to a European average of 2%.
What are we good at, though? The Netherlands is a leading country in cybersecurity. Recently, a report by cybersecurity company Okta was published, stating that the Netherlands has made considerable progress in detecting digital threats over the past year. We now rank third worldwide, just behind the United States and Germany. What can other countries learn from the Netherlands? Elcke asked Patrick Jordens.
And there was this:
- Paebbl launches world-first CO₂ mineralization plant
- New hub for start-ups that want to test quantum technology
- Oman, Netherlands, Germany sign historic hydrogen deal
- From waste to energy: EEW gets closer to circular economy
- 'In the past, sewerage was a tipping point for health, now AI'
- Virtual region, real impact: Digital twin accelerates housing
- AMT Medical secures €22M to transform heart bypass surgery
Don't want to miss a thing? An overview of all our articles can be found here. Happy Sunday!
Aafke Eppinga, editor-in-chief IO+