"The sense of relevance and practical significance is what drives me"

Lisa Brüggen, director of Netspar, has a strong affinity for communication. And that happens to be a particularly sensitive issue in the current pension transition. Unsurprisingly, Brüggen has a clear opinion on the matter: “We all need to roll up our sleeves and do a better job of conveying the basics.”

Netspar, the knowledge network that connects academia with the pension sector, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. “In the early years, Netspar focused more on economic perspectives and actively participated in public debates. Nowadays, our work is much more interdisciplinary, and we’ve evolved into an honest broker: we provide research insights that help clarify the pros and cons of policy options, while the final decisions rest with politicians and pension funds.”

How do you see Netspar’s role evolving now that the pension system is undergoing a fundamental reform?
“Where we used to provide scientific insights as input for the reform, we’re now increasingly shifting toward measuring the effects of the transition. For example, through the Netspar Participant Experience Monitor, we systematically track how participants perceive communication and what this means for their trust, understanding, and satisfaction. At the same time, there are still open questions where Netspar’s expertise can contribute - such as the challenge of maintaining purchasing power. What does that require? Moreover, over the past years and even now during the transition, many other knowledge questions have remained unanswered. Topics like communication, governance, cost inefficiency, sustainable investing, and geopolitical developments are all areas we’ll be addressing in the coming years.”

Netspar works with four-year knowledge agendas. You’re now in the third year -  what can you share about the agenda for the next four years?
“That agenda will start in 2027, and we’re consulting stakeholders across the sector to shape it. It’s important to note that we don’t represent any interests ourselves - we aim to remain neutral in the field of forces. In the coming years, the Dutch pension sector will face major changes: from demographic and labor market shifts to technological innovation and societal challenges. Given my background, I still see many open questions around communication. Pension participants differ in how they absorb pension information. In practice, customization is still rarely applied, but it could help pension providers communicate more effectively and better meet the needs of their participants.”

Why communication? Do you encounter many misconceptions?
“First of all, pension communication can truly be improved. Too many elements in the legislation are still framed from a legal or technical perspective, rather than being developed with the pension participant in mind. As a result, the communication is often not understandable and doesn’t help people with their pension planning. I would really like to see the participant’s perspective become the guiding principle - from legislation to implementation. There are also persistent myths about pensions, and good communication is essential to dispel them.”

Can you give an example?
“One common belief is: ‘When I retire, there won’t be any money left.’ That reflects a deep concern. That’s why I find this myth so fundamental - people are genuinely worried. But in our capital-funded system, it’s not possible for there to be absolutely nothing left. There may be less for a while due to disappointing investment returns, but there will always be assets remaining. This shows that many people don’t fully understand how the Dutch system works. Communication can help change that perception to some extent. Research can help clarify where this misunderstanding comes from and which forms of communication are effective. At the same time, pension funds themselves have a role to play — and the sector as a whole should join forces and invest in training, education, and public campaigns.”

Why do you think good research is important?
“Good research is essential for the future of our pension system. Most people in the Netherlands want to live long and financially healthy lives, and fundamentally, we have a strong system to support that. At the same time, the system has vulnerabilities: it’s evolving in an environment shaped by demographic trends, economic conditions, and societal expectations. We need knowledge to detect developments in time and explore solutions with the sector. That’s exactly the strength of a knowledge institute like Netspar: bringing science and practice together, sharing facts and insights, and contributing to better decisions. For me, good research means not only working methodologically sound, but also asking the right, relevant questions. Personally, I don’t want to be a scientist in an ivory tower - I want to make an impact. The first time I spoke about my research and a participant was prompted to reflect on their own situation, I thought: this matters. That sense of relevance and practical significance is what drives me.”

You mention vulnerabilities. Which recent Netspar publication personally surprised or provoked you the most?
“Thanks to the state pension (AOW), poverty among retirees with a Dutch background is low - just 3 percent - and even lower than among working people. However, pension poverty in the Netherlands is significantly higher among non-Western migrants, at 40 percent, according to recent Netspar research by Jelle Lössbroek. This issue is especially urgent due to the rapid growth of the 65+ non-Western migrant population in the Netherlands: from 30,000 in 2000 to nearly 200,000 today, and an expected 550,000 by 2050. For comparison: in many European countries (such as Belgium and Finland), the pension gap between migrants and non-migrants is even larger than in the Netherlands. But in France and the UK, the gap is smaller. Until recently, surprisingly little was known about the state of their pensions and how they are preparing for retirement. This is concerning, because many migrants may be poorly prepared, and pension funds may struggle to provide effective guidance for this group. The goal of this Netspar project is to shed light on this urgent societal issue. It’s highly relevant.”

How do you involve the sector in research?
“We invest heavily in knowledge sharing - from quick and accessible formats to thorough and in-depth ones. We do this through podcasts, our revamped website that makes knowledge easier to find, events, online webinars, and knowledge groups. In addition, our partners often sit on advisory boards of research projects, giving them early access to results. We also try to engage decision-makers, because they play a key role in translating knowledge into strategy and policy. When researchers share their insights in an accessible way, and when executives, policymakers, and professionals use that knowledge to make better decisions, we can really accelerate progress.”

Do you see opportunities for AI or other technologies to enrich pension research?
“AI can’t replace researchers. At the same time, it can serve as a helpful tool - for example, to edit an article or check for errors in data coding. Of course, it’s important to use AI in a transparent and ethically responsible way.”

Netspar has been around for twenty years. What do you hope people will say about its role twenty years from now?
“I hope that even then, people will still see us as an honest broker - a neutral, trustworthy party that provides information without bias or self-interest. That we’ve developed relevant knowledge and shared it in such a way that it has truly landed within organizations. And that, based on that knowledge, they’ve been able to improve pensions for all Dutch citizens - now and in the future. Netspar is already known as a breeding ground for scientific, innovative, and practically relevant insights, and as a place where science and practice come together. My ambition is to further strengthen that role, with knowledge that is widely accessible and genuinely used.”