The Netherlands wants to be less dependent on technology from China and the US
The Dutch government and the business community want to become less dependent on technology from countries such as China and the United States. At present, the Netherlands uses a lot of software and hardware from large foreign companies. The government believes this must change in order to strengthen its own position in the world.
A major reason for this change is the global political situation. When there are tensions between major countries, it can directly affect the supply of important products. Furthermore, there are concerns about security and data privacy. When we use technology from other countries, we often have less control over our own data.
To solve this problem, the Netherlands is investing more in its own innovation and European cooperation. There is a particular focus on the development of microchips and artificial intelligence. By developing strong technology itself, the Netherlands will less often need to look abroad for technical solutions.
However, it is not easy to phase out this dependency quickly. Technology from the United States and China is currently very advanced and dominant on the global market. It takes a lot of time and billions of euros to build comparable systems in Europe. Experts expect this to be a process of many years.
The ultimate goal of this policy is 'strategic autonomy'. This means that the Netherlands and Europe can decide on their own digital future without outside pressure. Although there is still a long way to go, the focus on homegrown technology is becoming increasingly important for the stability of the Dutch economy.