In our previous analysis, we concluded that digitalization and AI are firmly embedded in the new coalition agreement. Three announced measures are key to this:
• the strengthened national investment agency
• the National Agency for Disruptive Innovation,
• the Dutch Digital Service.
Below, we reflect on these three tools.
National Investment Agency: Capital for Scaling Up
The coalition agreement provides for a strengthened national investment agency with a budget of 3 to 5 billion euros. This decision directly impacts the Netherlands’ future earning capacity. AI and other key technologies require long-term, risk-bearing investments. Without public capital to mobilize private and institutional capital, scaling up will lag behind and dependence on foreign investors and technology platforms will grow.
For the AI sector, this means, specifically:
- better growth opportunities for Dutch AI companies,
- strengthening deep tech development,
- greater strategic autonomy.
The effectiveness of this initiative will depend on its focus. Targeted investments in AI as a key technology are necessary to achieve true scale.
National Agency for Disruptive Innovation: From Research to Application
The coalition agreement also announces the establishment of a National Agency for Disruptive Innovation. The Netherlands has strong research institutions and public-private partnerships, but faces a well-known gap between research and large-scale application. A disruptive innovation agency can accelerate this transition by:
• support long-term innovation programs,
• to put technological breakthroughs into practice,
• taking risks where market participants cannot.
For AI, this affects both fundamental model development and its application in strategic sectors. It is precisely here that coherence between infrastructure, industrial policy, and areas of application is crucial.
Dutch Digital Service: Oversight of Digital Implementation
By establishing a Dutch Digital Service, the government is opting for more centralized oversight of digitization within the central government. The NDD will play a coordinating role in major IT projects, setting standards, and consolidating digital services. This is essential for interoperability, security, and reducing strategic dependencies.
These are prerequisites for the deployment of AI within the government. AI applications require high-quality data infrastructure, clear governance, and consistent standards. The NDD can thus lay the groundwork for the scalable, responsible use of AI in public services and for a stronger role for the government as a launch customer.
Digital sovereignty as an administrative priority
With the appointment of State Secretary Willemijn Aerdts for Digital Economy and Sovereignty, digitalization has been given an explicit economic and strategic role within the cabinet. In her initial remarks, she emphasized the importance of technological resilience, digital autonomy, and strengthening the Netherlands’ capacity for innovation.
That is a significant shift. Digital sovereignty directly addresses the question of who controls data, the cloud, AI models, and critical infrastructure. It determines the extent to which the Netherlands can operate independently in a geopolitical context where dependencies are increasing.
The fact that this role is anchored within the Ministry of Economic Affairs underscores that AI and digitalization are not merely IT issues, but core components of our economic policy, our economic competitiveness, and our strategic position. The effectiveness of this new role will depend on coherence: between industrial policy, infrastructure development, cybersecurity, and application in the public and private sectors. It is precisely here that the connection lies with the three pillars we outlined earlier.
Achieving impact through three pillars
When we compare these choices to the three pillars outlined in our position paper, a clear structure emerges:
AI infrastructure
The Dutch Digital Service and the commitment to digital sovereignty strengthen the foundation: control over data, the cloud, standards, and interoperability. Without a strong infrastructure, there can be no digital autonomy.
A domestic AI industry
The national investment agency and the disruption agency are creating the conditions for Dutch AI companies to scale up. The transition from a pilot country to a scaling-up country requires capital, focus, and public risk-sharing.
AI as a catalyst for transformation in strategic sectors
Major societal challenges—such as defense, energy and climate, healthcare, and agriculture—require the smart use of technology. AI can contribute to better decision-making, more efficient processes, and targeted innovation within clear public frameworks. The national investment agency can play a key role in this regard.
The next step
These tools lay the groundwork for a stronger Dutch AI ecosystem. In the coming years, the focus will be on coherence: infrastructure, industry, and application must be developed simultaneously. As AI Coalition 4 NL, we work with more than 400 participants at this intersection. Through our areas of focus, innovation programs, and ecosystems, we connect infrastructure development, the scaling up of AI companies, and application in strategic sectors. The direction has been set. Now implementation must follow.
