Competitiveness as a prerequisite for resilience and prosperity

Resilience and prosperity are high on the agenda, but remain abstract concepts unless they are linked to what actually underpins an economy. From that perspective, entrepreneur René Dijkstra adds a third dimension: competitiveness. As CEO of Raditeq, he sees on a daily basis what is needed to keep Europe’s technology industry afloat – and what is at stake if that fails. ‘As a society, you may want all sorts of things, but ultimately, someone has to pay for them.’

Raditeq is a specialist technology company that develops measurement equipment and software for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing and the measurement of radio frequency (RF) radiation. It also carries out calibrations to ensure the accuracy of that equipment. Dijkstra founded the company in the early 1990s together with his brother and their partners. Whilst his brother forms the technical core, he positions himself firmly on the entrepreneurial and strategic side.

The client base consists largely of major industrial players: car manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen, technology companies such as Philips and Siemens, as well as defence and aerospace firms. In all these sectors, the use of electronics and wireless applications is growing rapidly. This also increases the risk of systems interfering with or disrupting one another.

Electromagnetic compatibility determines whether devices interfere with one another and whether they are themselves resistant to external influences. It is therefore crucial in applications such as modern vehicles, medical equipment and defence systems, where a large amount of electronics is packed closely together. European EMC directives therefore set limits on what devices are permitted to emit and what they must be able to withstand.

During an EMC test, it becomes clear how a system behaves under electromagnetic stress and whether it continues to function within the permitted limits. This reveals whether the design and practical performance are in balance and whether a product is safe and compliant.

In 2021, Raditeq transferred the provision of EMC measurement services to Kiwa. However, the company has rebuilt its own in-house capacity for calibrations – the process of determining the deviation of sensors and the measurement chain. This enables the company, as a product leader, to continue developing and innovating.

In practice, this means working in accordance with established standards and under accreditation. Without this formal accreditation, measurement results are not recognised within international supply chains. For customers in sectors such as the automotive and defence industries, this is a given: they operate globally and must be able to demonstrate that their products meet the same quality and reliability requirements, regardless of where they are tested.

Technical reliability is therefore a ticket to the international market. And anyone operating within global industrial chains contributes to competitiveness. ‘That competitiveness determines how much a country can produce and export, and how much money comes in – and thus whether it has the resources to organise its resilience and broad prosperity,’ says Dijkstra. ‘Defence, healthcare, the energy transition, construction, the environment: as a society, you can want all sorts of things, but ultimately, it has to be paid for somehow.’

But the Netherlands – like the rest of Europe – is losing more and more ground in the technological sphere. ‘In doing so, we are also losing knowledge and manufacturing capacity. Production and technological development are then shifting to other parts of the world. And that has consequences for economic independence and strategic clout.’ Added to this is the fact that Europe has limited access to its own raw materials and is reluctant to extract them. That increases dependence on other countries all the more.

If we want to maintain and strengthen our international competitive position, we need the right people for the job. According to Dijkstra, virtually all major challenges depend on technical staff: grid congestion, housing construction, healthcare innovation, defence capability. There are plenty of permits and plans in place. But you can’t just open a can of engineers. They simply aren’t there at the moment.’

At the same time, he observes that the economy is increasingly reliant on services, whilst those services remain dependent on physical infrastructure and technology. Digital healthcare, data centres, energy supply: without a technological foundation, everything grinds to a halt. Moreover, the shortage of technically trained people has knock-on effects on policy and governance: decisions on complex technical systems are often made without sufficient technical expertise at the table. This increases the risk of wrong choices and slows down solutions.

Internationally, too, he sees that things can be done differently. ‘In countries where talent is identified early and deployed strategically – such as in China – the proportion of women in technical roles is much higher, for example. That potential remains largely untapped in Europe.’

The message is clear: if we are serious about resilience and prosperity, we must invest in a strong industrial base. This means strengthening vocational education, making science and technology courses more attractive, but also focusing on innovation and giving SMEs the space they need – precisely where much innovation takes place. ‘Investing in technology is investing in competitiveness. And strengthening competitiveness lays the foundations for both resilience and prosperity.’