As of January 1, 2026, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has ended its top sector policy in favour of a targeted innovation- and industry policy focusing on six key markets. As a result, Topsector ICT has transformed into Digital Holland. Director Frits Grotenhuis explains what researchers can expect from this rebranded organisation.
The new Dutch innovation- and industry policy that came into effect on 1 January, 2026, focusses on the six strategic growth markets semiconductors, biotechnology, defence-related technologies (including 6G), digital services (particularly AI), mechanical engineering, and innovative chemistry. This industrial policy replaced the topsector policy, which was launched in 2011 and aimed to strengthen cooperation between businesses, knowledge institutions, and the government (the so-called triple helix) to stimulate the most innovative sectors of the Dutch economy.
Stable operations
‘Also in this new innovation policy, the triple helix approach takes a central stage,’ explains Frits Grotenhuis. ‘Only now, innovation policy is more closely linked to industrial policy in the Netherlands, with the aim of strengthening the valorisation side.’ Despite this change of focus, in practice, for the ICT sector, not that much will change, he says. ‘Under the umbrella of Topsector ICT we have managed to build strong networks and launched multiple successful initiatives we will keep building on under our new name, Digital Holland.’ The Top Consortium for Knowledge and Innovation (TKI) ICT will continue to exist and the Knowledge and Innovation Agenda for Digitisation (KIA Digitisation) will remain the guiding principle, Grotenhuis says. ‘The three pillars our activities have been based on so far – innovating in digital information technologies, innovating with digital information technologies and, finally, reflecting on digital information technologies – will therefore remain unchanged.’
Topsector, growth market, KIA, KIC, National Technology Strategy… anyone who delves into the Dutch innovation policy landscape soon starts to lose track. Grotenhuis explains: ‘The National Technology Strategy is an overarching policy document that identified ten priority key technologies. For each of these technologies, so called action agendas have been developed, that have to be carried out by government and industry together.’
Two action agendas
The two digital action agendas AI/Data Action Agenda and Cybersecurity Technologies Action Agenda are coordinated by Digital Holland, under the umbrella of the Knowledge and Innovation Agenda (KIA) Digitalisation. ‘We identify, prioritise and organise ICT research and innovation in these fields by bringing together public and private parties with a focus on key ICT technologies and societal challenges. We organise events, initiate and coordinate public-private partnerships, and send out newsletters with information on matters such as upcoming grants and subsidies.’
Digital Holland itself only has a small budget to allocate to research and development projects. ‘We mostly use these funds to create multipliers to generate bigger impact on priorities. Most of our efforts are thus aimed at aligning different stakeholders in translating the government’s innovation policy into programmes, and mobilising and focussing existing and new resources toward these aims. To this end, we are closely collaborating with parties like EZ, NWO, TNO, RVO, InvestNL and industry organisations via the KIA Digitalization. This is all part of the so-called Knowledge and Innovation Covenant (KIC), a multi-year agreement that binds these partners together. Also, IPN is an important partner for us when it comes to setting agendas for research, and therefor part of our advisory board.’
As examples of what this coordination can lead to, Grotenhuis mentions the recently launched National Coalition for Neuromorphic Computing, in which Digital Holland plays an initiating, coordinating and supporting role. ‘That is a role we are familiar with, since we did the same for the AI Coalition for NL and the Growth Fund program AI NED, which now play prominent roles in the National Technology Strategy action plan for AI and data.’
Momentum
Digital technologies have gained importance in society and the economy, Grotenhuis concludes. ‘Topics such as security, resilience and autonomy are increasingly on the policy agenda, right up to the level of the new coalition agreement. In that agreement, clearly some of the messages from the Wennink report are seeping through, which also envisions a strong role for the Dutch ICT community in strengthening the Dutch economy and autonomy.’
ICT has been labelled a Calimero for too long, but since or several years we have moved beyond that, Grotenhuis states. ‘There is now so much momentum that we are in a unique position to make a lasting impact, as long as we join forces and show what we as a sector are capable of. An interesting opportunity to do this is during the Digitalisation Week, which will be held from 18-25 September, 2026. We are organising this together with NL Digital to highlight the importance of ICT innovation.’
Grotenhuis urges computer scientists to stay informed and involved. ‘Subscribe to the Digital Holland newsletter and stay up to date via the KIA website. And please, provide us with your ideas and input via IPN, both through the board and the special interest groups. Because any successful, lasting innovation is built on a fundament of solid scientific research.’