Rathenau Institute
The Rathenau Institute is an independent Dutch knowledge institute, founded 1986 and part of KNAW, that researches the societal aspects of science, technology, and innovation to support parliamentary and public debate, serving Dutch and European policymakers, ministries, and civil society with open-access publications.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersThe Hague, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rathenau Institute does
The Rathenau Institute (Rathenau Instituut), founded in 1986 and headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, is an independent knowledge institute that conducts research on the societal aspects of science, technology, and innovation. It operates administratively under the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) while retaining substantive independence through its own governing board, and is tasked by the Dutch cabinet and parliament with strengthening democratic decision-making on science and technology policy. Its work is organized around five core themes: Digitalisation, Climate, Health, Knowledge and innovation for transitions, and How the science system works, with a dedicated data service ("Science in Figures") covering Dutch R&D investments, personnel, process, output, and impact.
The institute's product portfolio comprises a 388+ publication knowledge base (reports, articles, parliamentary messages, podcasts, factsheets), biannual work programmes and annual reports, the multiannual Digital Dialogue Programme with nationwide citizen engagement, formal parliamentary support services to the Dutch Senate and House of Representatives, and commissioned research for ministries, the European Commission, the European Parliament STOA, and the Council of Europe. All outputs are published in open-access format. Distribution relies on direct engagement with policymakers, open digital channels (website, newsletter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Mastodon), podcasts, and public events.
The institute is a publicly funded non-profit; it does not operate a commercial pricing model and generates no subscription or licensing revenue. Its income consists of institutional funding via KNAW supplemented by project-based grants from Dutch ministries (IenW, OCW, BZK), the European Commission (including Horizon2020 projects such as ACCELERATE, RECIPES, SYN-ENERGENE), and other public organisations. Approximately 60 interdisciplinary professionals conduct research, dialogue, and communications work, with leadership under Director Prof. Eefje Cuppen (since October 2022) and Board Chair Maria Henneman (since June 2021).
Rathenau Institute firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rathenau Institute
- Legal name
- Rathenau Instituut
- Website
- https://rathenau.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Rathenau Institute is an independent Dutch knowledge institute, founded 1986 and part of KNAW, that researches the societal aspects of science, technology, and innovation to support parliamentary and public debate, serving Dutch and European policymakers, ministries, and civil society with open-access publications.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rathenau Institute industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Science and Technology Policy Research
- NAICS
- Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Public Administration (92)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance (BPADAEAL), Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)
Keywords
Where Rathenau Institute is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- The Hague
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rathenau Institute business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Institutional Funding: The Rathenau Institute is administratively part of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and receives government funding through this connection. It operates as a non-profit research institute focused on public good rather than commercial revenue generation.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Rathenau Institute product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Rathenau Institute is an independent knowledge institute that conducts research and policy analysis on the societal, ethical, and political dimensions of science, technology, and innovation. It produces open access reports, data publications, factsheets, podcasts, and messages to parliament, and provides direct expertise to the Dutch Senate, House of Representatives, the European Parliament, and Dutch ministries through commissioned research and dialogue programmes.
Product overview
The Rathenau Institute operates as an independent knowledge institute that functions as a unified research and dialogue platform rather than a modular software product. Its core offerings consist of research publications and policy analysis across five main themes (Digitalisation, Climate, Health, Knowledge and innovation for transitions, and How the science system works). The portfolio includes the Science in Figures data service providing factsheets and data publications on Dutch research policy, a Knowledge Base archive with 388+ publications (reports, articles, podcasts, messages to parliament), Work Programmes and Annual Reports, the Digital Dialogue Programme conducting citizen dialogues on technology futures, Parliamentary Support Services providing expertise to policymakers, and commissioned Research at Request services. These offerings are distributed freely as open access publications and are not commercialized products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Science in Figures (Wetenschap in cijfers)
- Knowledge Base (Kennisbank) Searchable digital archive containing 388+ publications including reports, articles, messages to parliament, podcasts, data publications, factsheets, and news items, organised by theme, type, and year.
- Work Programme and Annual Reports Biannual work programmes outlining research priorities and annual reports documenting organisational impact, published in open access PDF format.
- Digital Dialogue Programme Multiannual dialogue programme conducting conversations with citizens nationwide about wishes, concerns, and expectations for the digital future, including the Digital Future Dialogues series.
- Parliamentary Support Services Provision of insight and expertise to the Senate and House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament and the European Parliament, including roundtable discussions and technical briefings upon request.
- Research at Request Custom research commissioned by third parties such as ministries, governments, and public organisations on science, technology, and innovation topics; outputs are always published in open access format.
Companies that use Rathenau Institute
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Rathenau Institute technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Rathenau Institute partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Amsterdam University of Applied SciencesminorLaunched a design research track called 'Hybrid Democracy' focusing on democratic innovation.
- European Parliamentary Technology Assessment (EPTA)coreThrough the EPTA network, the Rathenau Institute exchanges knowledge with organisations in foreign countries for technology assessment purposes.
- European Parliament (STOA)coreConducts investigations at the request of the Science and Technology Options Assessment panel of the European Parliament, including research on digitalisation's influence on democracy and 3D bioprinting.
- European CommissioncoreContributes to international research projects commissioned by the European Commission, including Horizon2020 projects. Collaborates with Joint Research Centre (JRC) on developing course material and hosting workshops.
- Council of EuropecoreConducts research at the request of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, including projects on human rights in the robot age.
- ACCELERATE Project (Horizon2020)minorInvestigating the societal impact of large research infrastructures as part of the Horizon2020 research programme.
- RECIPES ProjectminorAnalyses how the precautionary principle is used within Europe regarding glyphosate, endocrine disruptors, and genetic engineering, in collaboration with associates including Maastricht University.
- SYN-ENERGENEminorContributed to international dialogue about genetic engineering as part of the SYN-ENERGENE project.
- European Training Networks (ETN)minorParticipates in Marie Sklodowska-Curie European Training Networks.
- COST ActionsminorParticipates in Cooperation in Science & Technology actions.
- OECDminorParticipates in studies of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- NEMO Science MuseumminorCollaboration on 'De baby van de toekomst' (The Baby of the Future) exhibition, a temporary installation exploring medical-ethical topics through the Denklab.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Rathenau Institute competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Royal Society (UK): UK's national academy advising government on science; comparable in combining research, public engagement, and parliamentary support, though far larger and broader in scope than Rathenau.
- Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Commission: EU's in-house science service; Rathenau collaborates with JRC on course material and workshops but JRC is the much larger incumbent with broader research mandate and deeper resources.
- acatech (German Academy of Science and Engineering): Germany's national academy providing policy advice on technology and innovation; overlaps with Rathenau's advisory remit but operates as a broader academy rather than a focused TA institute.
Direct peers
- European Parliamentary Technology Assessment (EPTA): Network of European parliamentary TA organisations in which Rathenau participates; provides a structural peer benchmark for technology assessment delivery to national parliaments and the European Parliament.
- Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), KIT Karlsruhe: Germany's leading technology assessment institute within the Helmholtz association; performs parliamentary TA studies, public dialogue, and ethics-of-technology research that closely mirror Rathenau's mandate and methodology.
- Danish Board of Technology Foundation: Independent Danish think tank producing parliamentary technology assessments, citizen deliberation, and scenario workshops; almost identical product offering and institutional design to Rathenau.
- Norwegian Board of Technology: Norwegian independent technology assessment body advising the Storting on science, technology, and innovation policy; direct Nordic counterpart to Rathenau.
- Science and Technology Options Assessment (STOA), European Parliament: European Parliament panel that Rathenau directly serves with TA investigations on digitalisation, 3D bioprinting, and human rights in robotics; operates the same TA function at EU level.
Others
- Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen (KNAW): Parent organisation of Rathenau; the Dutch national academy that channels government funding, provides administrative infrastructure, and co-appoints the institute's board.
- Wetenschappelijke Raad voor het Regeringsbeleid (WRR): Dutch Scientific Council for Government Policy; co-appoints Rathenau's board and shares the remit of advising the Dutch cabinet and parliament on long-term policy issues including science and technology.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rathenau Institute social profiles
Digital presenceRathenau Institute financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rathenau Institute leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
Rathenau Institute funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Rathenau Institute M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rathenau Institute
What does Rathenau Institute do?
The Rathenau Institute is an independent knowledge institute that conducts research and policy analysis on the societal, ethical, and political dimensions of science, technology, and innovation. It produces open access reports, data publications, factsheets, podcasts, and messages to parliament, and provides direct expertise to the Dutch Senate, House of Representatives, the European Parliament, and Dutch ministries through commissioned research and dialogue programmes.
Is Rathenau Institute a public or private company?
Rathenau Institute is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Rathenau Institute founded?
Rathenau Institute was founded in 1986. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Rathenau Institute based?
Rathenau Institute is headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Rathenau Institute make money?
One revenue line is on record: institutional Funding.
Who are Rathenau Institute's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Royal Society (UK), Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Commission and acatech (German Academy of Science and Engineering). Direct peers are European Parliamentary Technology Assessment (EPTA), Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), KIT Karlsruhe, Danish Board of Technology Foundation, Norwegian Board of Technology and Science and Technology Options Assessment (STOA), European Parliament. Others are Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen (KNAW) and Wetenschappelijke Raad voor het Regeringsbeleid (WRR).
Does Rathenau Institute have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rathenau Institute.
What industry is Rathenau Institute in?
Rathenau Institute's product category is Science and Technology Policy Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAAAK, Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy), with a secondary code of BPADAEAL, Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance. Its NAICS code is 5416.