How do you ensure that the Netherlands develops AI responsibly, and applies it in practice on a large scale?
That question was the focus of the National Growth Fund (NGF) advisory committee's working visit to the AiNed program on Sept. 8, 2025. At startup hub Dotslash Utrecht, home of Linksight, the visitors were introduced to the first concrete results made possible in part by the €189 million investment in the AiNed program implemented by AI Coalition for the Netherlands (AIC4NL).
Results visible: from AI Factory to talent programs
During the visit, it became clear how widely the effects of AiNed are now being felt. From plans for an AI Factory in Groningen to setting up Learning Communities that bring students and companies together, the investments are giving AI innovation in the Netherlands a major boost.
Companies showcase AI use cases
The results of AiNed became visible through the companies that accelerated their innovations with the help of the program:
- Linksight - Shows how privacy-friendly data analytics enables secure collaboration.
Martine van de Gaar (CEO): "Just as everyone uses the same road network, we provide one network for sharing data. This allows everyone to work with external datasets without violating privacy." - Corvus Drones - Develops drones that fully automatically monitor crop growth and health in greenhouses.
Frans-Peter Dechering (CCO): "Our drones fly without GPS and operate completely remotely. With this we help growers worldwide to grow more sustainable and efficient crops." - Damen Shipyards - Deploys AI to work with huge amounts of data
Bram Cals (Team Lead Data Science): "For us, AI is pure necessity. It enables us to process large amounts of data, which we use to make simulations and predictions to build safe ships."
These examples show how AiNed not only fosters knowledge, but more importantly enables companies to bring AI innovation to practice.
Startups move forward faster with Breaking Barriers
Another part of the working visit was the presentation of the Breaking Barriers program, which accelerates AI startups and scale-ups. With support from AiNed, it helps entrepreneurs overcome obstacles in areas such as business development, AI infrastructure and data and financing.
- Anita Lieverdink (Lead Breaking Barriers): "We find that our sweet spot is in legal, finance and international markets. That's where we are now making a difference for fast-growing AI companies."
How AiNed is moving the Netherlands forward
The working visit made it clear that the investment in AiNed is more than a financial boost: it is a flywheel for the responsible development and application of AI in the Netherlands. Under the leadership of AIC4NL, Innovation Labs, Learning Communities, ELSA Labs, the MIT scheme, Fellowship Grants and the Breaking Barriers program reinforce each other. Together they are building one ecosystem for a strong AI position of the Netherlands.
