One of the main problems of the Dutch economy is its present small productivity growth compared to other countries and to our own historical growth figures. Whatever the cause may be, it is a well-known fact in science and technology policy that investment in the information economy – R&D, ICT and higher education – is an important factor in accelerating the growth of productivity and strengthening the competitive base of manufacturing, transport, and business services in the Netherlands. VL-e meets these requirements by improving the efficiency of access to information in the scientific and engineering process and the Dutch public and private knowledge infrastructure.