Annual Report 2022: a prominent place for sustainability

Early 20th century, renowned theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate Hendrik Antoon Lorentz recommended the Dutch government to create an applied research institute. This led to the founding of the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, or TNO, in 1932. Our objective was clear from the start: to make scientific knowledge suitable for use for companies and public authorities.

Digital annual report 2022

In our integrated annual report, you can read exactly what TNO did and achieved in 2022.

Please note: The English version of the Annual Report 2023 will be published shortly. In all matters of interpretation the text of the Dutch version is leading.

TNO 90 years

In 2022, TNO was looking back proudly on nine decades of innovation with an impact on society. Our celebrations included a TNO90 event for external relations and colleagues.

Goals for 2030

Our 90th anniversary also prompted us to set big ambitions to ourselves. The world around us is changing rapidly, which means TNO must become more agile. Speed and close proximity to the market are key factors. The question is not so much whether there will be an innovation, but who will be the first to create it. In this way innovation is increasingly becoming a race to reap the economic, military, and geopolitical benefits and a race to build a sustainable society.

For this reason, TNO works with ‘moonshots’: clear goals that we want to achieve by 2030. These moonshots quite specifically show the impact TNO aims to achieve. Our firm intention to do so in a sustainable way is demonstrated by our continued commitment to the United Nations Global Compact and its principles for sustainable business practices.

Great plans, but strictly speaking an annual report should only be a retrospective. In this preface, apart from just looking back, I wanted to briefly look ahead and share a glimpse of my own ambitions for TNO with you.

The document in front of you informs you in detail about our achievements in 2022. For instance, you will read about our achievements in the first year of TNO's new strategy period 2022 - 2025, on our promise to society, to contribute to solutions for a safe, healthy, sustainable and digital society.

About the various NPOVs, launched spin-offs and strategic change programmes that contribute to this. We are visible on numerous innovative fronts in society. And we are financially healthy and stand out as an attractive employer.

In a fully integrated annual report, with an entirely new corporate identity and a fresh layout, we  strongly emphasis the crucial contribution to society that TNO continues to make. Onwards to 100!

On behalf of the Executive Board,

Tjark Tjin-A-Tsoi, CEO

Mission and vision

TNO’s mission is to create impactful innovations for the sustainable wellbeing and prosperity of society.

TNO Sustainability Reports 2020 and 2021