News item | 07-03-2025 | 17:00
Digitization by SMEs, the use of digital innovations and the quality of the digital infrastructure have been improved. At the same time, the pace is too low to keep the Netherlands at the world top, there is a significant shortage of IT specialists and private investments are left in the digital infrastructure. This is evident from the progress report of the Digital Economy Cabinet strategy to which the Council of Ministers has approved the proposal of Minister Beljaarts of Economic Affairs.
The House of Representatives was informed about the state of affairs of the five cabinet ambitions. In 2030, these ambitions must lead to, among other things, that every consumer and every entrepreneur have access to the internet at least 1 gigabit per second, which 95% of SMEs are committed to digitization and improved cyber safety in business is the standard.
Minister Beljaarts: “In 2022 we set ambitious goals for the digital economy. It is one of the driving forces behind our future jobs and income. The Netherlands now belongs to the world top. However, the speed of technological developments outside the EU and poor labor productivity growth are increasingly putting pressure under pressure. That is why the government will get started with the approach to the shortage of IT specialists and unnecessary regulatory pressure, and supporting more private investments in advanced technologies such as AI and Cloud. ”
As a final goal, the cabinet strategy has an entrepreneurial, innovative, sustainable and safe digital economy in which everyone in the Netherlands can participate. The deployment also contributes to reducing undesirable risky dependencies from outside the EU in the Netherlands and Europe. With the strategy, public interests are better defended and economic resilience increases.
Accelerating digitization of SMEs
The cabinet ambition is to belong to the European TOP-3 by 2030 with regard to the application of digital technologies by SMEs. This means that 95% of Dutch SMEs apply at least a basic level of digitization compared to 75% in 2021. In the meantime, the basic level has risen to 81.5% in 2024. To get to 95%, substantial steps are therefore still required.
In addition, the aim is to also increase the use of advanced digital technologies – such as cloud, artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics – within SMEs in 2030. In the meantime, more SME entrepreneurs fit AI (from 13% to 23%) and cloud services (from 64%). The development of Dutch and European innovations, especially when it comes to cloud applications, is far behind the United States and Asia. That threatens the economy and safety. Also, because the range of digital professionals is no longer growing in the Netherlands. With, among other things, the Digital and Green jobs action plan and the upcoming productivity agenda, the government wants to tackle that last point.
Maintaining and strengthening digital infrastructure
The Dutch digital infrastructure (fixed and mobile networks, sea cables, internet nodes) ensures almost everywhere and always fast access, is safe and reliable. The cabinet wants to keep it this way and further expand. That is why the government, together with investors and market parties, is looking for, for example, extra private investments in the data and cloud infrastructure.
99% of the Dutch connections already have access to fast broadband internet (≥1 gigabit per second) via cable or fiber optic. The objective is to have achieved this everywhere before 2030. For this, various wireless and affordable solutions are now becoming available through market parties.