The Netherlands: a snapshot of digital skills

Introduction

In the 2024 edition of the Digital Decade report, the Netherlands has achieved 82.7% basic digital skills coverage, compared to the EU average of 55.6%. This puts the Netherlands above the overall target for the EU 2030 goal, which aims to have 80% of the EU population possessing at least basic digital skills. The country has seen an annual growth of 2.4% from the previous year.

According to the Digital Decade report 2024, the Netherlands outperforms in both digital skills indicators. The percentage of ICT specialists in employment has surpassed the EU average of 4.8%, with 6.9%.

The Netherlands AI Coalition was set up in October 2019 to implement and encourage AI activities in the Netherlands, as an initiative taken by VNO-NCW MKB-Nederland the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers for Dutch SMEs), the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research), Seedlink, Philips, Ahold Delhaize, IBM and the Dutch Digital Delta Top Team. The NL AIC is a public-private partnership in which governmental authorities, the business sector and educational and research institutions, as well as civil society organisations, collaborate to accelerate and connect AI developments and initiatives.

Smart Industry program was founded in November 2014 by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (TNO, Chamber of Commerce, Koninklijke Metaalunie, FME, ROMs). Over the years, Smart Industry has created a movement to accelerate the digitization of the manufacturing industry. Together with its partners, Smart Industry encourages and guides businesses to digitise, allowing them to take the next step in terms of earning capacity, innovative strength, strategic autonomy, and a future-proof industry.

Overview of state strategies and national initiatives

State strategies

2018 marked the adoption of the Dutch digitalisation strategy for the digital transformation of the economy and society. It is updated annually. This is the latest edition. The DDS consolidates all digitalisation policies from the Dutch central government and emphasises, among other things, the significance of an inclusive digital transition in which everyone participates.

Netherlands’ Digital Economy Strategy was created in partnership with the business community, knowledge institutions, social organizations and other partners. It focuses on:   accelerating the digitization of SMEs, stimulating digital innovations and skills, controlling well-functioning digital markets and services, expanding reliable and strong digital infrastructure and strengthening cyber security.

With the I-strategie Rijk 2021 – 2025 (State I-strategy) Dutch government has accepted the challenge to maximise the transformative potential of digitalisation, towards a safe, people-focused, transparent, and efficient digital future. 10 themes describe the priorities of he strategy: I in the heart, Digital resilience, ICT landscape, Generic amenities, Information management, Data and algorithms, I-craftmanship, Transparency and insight, I control, Market and innovation.

Action Plan for green and digital jobs published in 2023, contains measures to address the tightness of the labour market in sectors with jobs that are important for the climate and digital transition: 1. Increase intake in science and technology education; 2. Maintaining and increasing the intake in the STEM labor market; 3. Labor productivity growth; 4. Strengthen governance and combat fragmentation.

National initiatives

The recovery and resilience plan of the Netherlands supports the digital transition through investments in advanced technologies such as quantum technology (263 million euros) and artificial intelligence (60 million euros). Investing €209 million in the information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and sectoral knowledge infrastructure of the education system supports the digitalisation of education. The promotion of smart mobility solutions, the implementation of digital infrastructure in the train traffic management system, and the development of digital roadside stations are supported with €149 million to promote sustainable mobility. In addition, the proposal includes funding for the digitalization of the criminal justice chain (€75 million) and upgrades to the Ministry of Defense’s IT systems (€94 million). In addition, the plan will contribute to the development of digital skills at various levels of the Dutch education system as well as digital inclusion in education (€329 million) and health (€22 million) via e-health applications.

Quantum Delta NL, with the assistance of 264 million EUR from the Recovery and Resilience Fund, establishes a fully functional national ecosystem for excellence in quantum innovation, allowing highly skilled professionals to deliver quantum computers, quantum networks, and quantum sensors to market. Applications of quantum technology include secure communication, disaster management for improved prediction, computation, simulation, chemistry, and healthcare. Quantum Delta NL is an extensive collaboration between knowledge institutions, businesses, and societal organisations. This ecosystem is comprised of five centres located in Delft, Eindhoven, Leiden, Twente, and Amsterdam, and it encompasses the entire Netherlands. The investment is anticipated to be fully implemented by 30 June 2026.

Public-private partnerships in vocational education subsidy scheme is established in 2023, as part of the Netherlands’ Green and Digital Jobs Action plan, in order to increase the innovative power and productivity of companies by scaling up cooperation between vocational education and employers. € 210 million will be allocated for this investment in the coming years.

Funding opportunities

Funding opportunities for upskilling and reskilling to support the digital competences of individuals and organizations are available in form of loans, grants and financial instruments. For the period 2021 – 2026 most of the activities in digital transformation are financed through Recovery and Resilience facility but also as activities in Horizon, Erasmus+, ESIF and EEA grant schemes. You may find more on the page of Smart Industry, NL AI Coalition, Recovery and Resilience website and in the article on the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform.