In an announcement at the National AI Congress, KickstartAI and the AI Coalition 4 NL (AIC4NL) today joined forces once again to accelerate the AI revolution in the Netherlands. Frans Muller, CEO of Ahold Delhaize, one of KickstartAI's founding partner companies, unveiled the second edition of the National AI Challenge, the flagship of this renewed collaboration. This challenge promises to deliver concrete AI solutions to pressing social and business issues, underscoring the Netherlands' ambition to be at the forefront of global AI development.
Introduced by KickstartAI and AIC4NL in 2024, the National AI Challenge focuses on solving concrete challenges in businesses and social organizations using AI. Last year, the winner of the first edition, Erasmus MC, collaborated with KickstartAI to improve efficiency and quality of care in the Emergency Department using AI technology.
The National AI Challenge 2025 starts at the end of April and this year will select not one but two use cases. Selection will take place in September by a panel of AI experts. Participating organizations must present a concrete, relevant problem within their core business, with potential for societal impact and sufficient qualitative data for AI development.
Nils Beers, Chairman of the Foundation Board at KickstartAI: ''We are excited to continue our successful partnership with AIC4NL and build on the momentum from last year's National AI Challenge. This collaboration allows us to work together to address pressing societal challenges with innovative AI solutions, and we are excited to see the impact of this year's selected use cases.
"The ongoing collaboration with KickstartAI is crucial to promoting AI adoption and development in the Netherlands," said Klaas Wagenaar, Board Member of AIC4NL. The National AI Challenge is an example of our commitment to promoting practical AI applications that benefit society, and we look forward to supporting this year's initiatives."
During the conference, KickstartAI and Erasmus MC will share their experiences on developing and implementing AI solutions in healthcare in a breakout session, including initial insights and results from their collaboration.
For more information about participating in the National AI Challenge 2025, see here.
Pictured from left to right during The Dutch AI Congress. Pieter Jeekel, NilsBeers, TjardaVoorneman, Frans Muller, KeelyRichardson, Klaas Wagenaar
