Netherlands Places Technology Convergence at Heart of National Innovation Strategy
Amsterdam, Wednesday, 31 December 2025.
The Netherlands is revolutionizing its approach to innovation by making technology convergence the centerpiece of its National Technology Strategy. Digital Holland director Frits Grotenhuis reveals that unlike previous industrial revolutions driven by steam or electricity, today’s innovation is fundamentally digital and omnipresent across all sectors. The strategy recognizes that breakthrough innovations now emerge at the intersection of different technologies, where AI meets data science, digital twins combine with sensors, and cybersecurity integrates across entire technology stacks. This cross-pollination approach aims to strengthen the Netherlands’ competitive position in the global digital economy by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and creating tomorrow’s growth markets through strategic technology fusion.
Digital Technology as Universal Innovation Driver
The fundamental shift in how innovation occurs has positioned digital technology as the universal catalyst across all sectors, according to Frits Grotenhuis, director of Digital Holland, formerly known as Topsector ICT [1]. This marks a departure from historical industrial revolutions that were powered by single breakthrough technologies like steam engines or electrical systems [1]. Today’s digital revolution permeates every industry and application, creating unprecedented opportunities for cross-sector innovation and technological integration [1].
Innovation at Technology Intersections Creates Future Growth Markets
The Netherlands’ strategic approach recognizes that tomorrow’s growth markets emerge specifically at the intersections where different technologies converge [2]. Grotenhuis emphasizes that innovation increasingly occurs at these technological crossroads, where diverse applications meet to create entirely new market opportunities [2]. This convergence philosophy drives Digital Holland’s contribution through research and innovation programs specifically focused on digital technology applications and their broader implications for society and industry [2]. The organization oversees seven critical digital key technologies, including artificial intelligence and data science, cybersecurity, and neuromorphic computing, all designed to work synergistically rather than in isolation [2].
National Technology Strategy Provides Framework for Coordinated Innovation
The Netherlands implements this convergence approach through its National Technology Strategy (NTS), which has become the most important policy framework for innovation coordination as of 2025 [4]. The strategy emphasizes ecosystem-based collaboration, ensuring that different technology sectors strengthen each other through strategic partnerships and shared development initiatives [2]. This coordinated approach addresses fundamental questions about the direction of technological development, including considerations of sustainability, autonomy, ethics, and societal impact [2]. Grotenhuis notes that the critical question is not whether the Netherlands will participate in this digital transformation, but rather how the country will lay the foundation for future development, determining the direction, values, and conditions under which this technological convergence will proceed [2].
Financial Support Mechanisms Enable Cross-Sector Collaboration
The Dutch government backs this convergence strategy with substantial financial support through various subsidy programs designed to encourage collaboration between medium and small businesses in research and development projects [4]. The province of Zuid-Holland alone allocated €8.1 million in subsidies for 2025 through its MKB Innovatiestimulering Topsectoren (MIT) program, covering up to 35% of project costs [4]. Small collaborative projects can receive between €50,000 and €200,000, with individual participating companies eligible for €25,000 to €100,000, while larger collaborations can access €200,000 to €350,000 in total funding [4]. Projects that align specifically with the National Technology Strategy topics receive additional scoring advantages in the application process, reinforcing the government’s commitment to technology convergence as a national priority [4]. Starting in June 2026, new applications will be accepted for these collaborative R&D projects, with mandatory project plan formats to be made available in early 2026 [4].