I created an open-hardware project and got part of my inspiration while working for the Dutch State (TNO). The core idea is that a laser bundle is moved by rotating a prism.  The Dutch state got a patent for a plurality of laser bundles but not for a single laser bundle. For the printed circuit board application, it founded LDI Systems in 2015. This failed and they wasted multiple million tax dollars. I only spent 10K dollars on a working system and paid taxes. I thought they would leave it there. But TNO requested another subsidy from the Dutch government (NWO) to pump 45K euro into a new company AM systems BV for the 3D printing application. I have contacted NWO in this regard as I don't see how the original issues can be solved.  I also wonder how much "own" money is brought in (company is largely owned by the Dutch State). A company is not subject to tender law but the government is.  As such the company might be use to circumvent it. I am also not aware of employees in this company and know they contacted an optical consultancy. My work is free within the constraints provided by the typical licenses MIT and GPL. But I think is strange the state is still sponsoring this project. Hackaday gave me 3K and the Dutch states gives a chosen business developer 45K to explore their failed project. That's not really fair and in that sense the state it is sponsoring "closed hardware".
Often the government throws away the result if unsuccessful, if it was open source one could at least learn something. Anyhow, I filed an official complaint and have talked to NWO.

Links are no longer online, you can still find it in Google Cache. NWO stated it updated its website.