ICT

Changing healthcare, energy transition, (cyber) security, you name it. We’re facing many societal challenges in today’s world, and a lot of which would significantly benefit from the development of new technologies, sooner rather than later. Sometimes it can take years for a new technology to develop, let alone be applied in practice. Due to the importance of digital innovations, and the way they open up the possibilities for a new way of life and work, we support the industry as much as we can and always encourage new developments. The Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has the potential to have a massive impact across all industries, not just their own.

Known as  the digital gateway to Europe, many companies choose to set up shop in our nation. Our robust digital infrastructure is world-renowned and loved due to its ability to let others continuously work on new tech developments. We have a super mild climate, making the cooling of high-speed internet infrastructures a breeze. As a matter of fact, we’re the most connected country in the world when it comes to data and have been ranked first in the European Union for outstanding use of IT. Throw an open work culture, R&D incentives, and our government’s strong focus on tech development into the mix and it isn’t odd that 60% of Forbes 2000 IT companies chose to establish their operations with us. From startup to multinationals, you’ll find IT companies of all shapes and sizes within our borders. A few household names that chose the Netherlands to house their European headquarters include Microsoft, Google, NTT, and Oracle. And let’s not forget major tech companies that were founded in our country such as Booking.com , founded by a Dutch student in 1996, or Just Eat Takeaway , also founded by a student, back in 2000. Both small startups that started in dorm rooms are now widely known as massive operations,  employing thousands of people, nationally and internationally. Other companies that have been founded in The Netherlands and may sound familiar are Elastic , WeTransfer , Adyen , Picnic and Messagebird . Oh, and did you know that Bluetooth was invented in our country? 

We wouldn't be the Dutch if we weren’t ambitious. We want the Netherlands to become the next digital leader of Europe. That’s why back in 2018, our government decided to launch the Dutch Digitalisation Strategy. A strategy carefully put together to invigorate our country’s ambition to accelerate digitalization throughout all sectors, so that we can become a true pioneer  in the field of digital innovation and a place where companies from all over the world can come to develop and test new applications. Another main goal is equipping our inhabitants with the digital skill set. Getting our country ready for the digital future ahead.