The Netherlands maintains its position as Europe’s AI leader, but the gap to the next generation of AI is significant. This is evident from the annual report “Unlocking the Netherlands’ AI Potential” by Strand Partners, commissioned by AWS. 61% of Dutch companies use AI, compared to a European average of 54%. Only 23% feel ready for next-gen AI, such as agentic AI.
AI adoption in the Netherlands is rising sharply. A year ago, the adoption rate was still at 49%. Now it stands at 61%, a 24% increase. This puts the Netherlands well ahead of the European average of 54%. An earlier AWS report from April 2025 already highlighted this leading role—at that time, with an adoption rate of 49% compared to a European average of 42%.
Companies using AI are seeing tangible benefits. 80% say the pace of innovation has accelerated over the past two years. Productivity gains are reported by 76% of participants, and 81% expect AI to boost growth in the coming year.
The Gap Between Adoption and Readiness
But readiness for next-generation AI is a different story. Only 23% of companies say they are fully prepared for technologies such as agentic AI. Startups differ significantly here: 83% say they are ready. The majority (55%) are still in the most basic phase of AI adoption, slightly better than last year’s 59%.
That basic phase consists of using publicly available chatbots or off-the-shelf AI solutions. Sectors such as public administration and defense (70%), healthcare (65%), and construction (61%) show the slowest adoption.
Barriers: compliance, talent, and budget
“The Netherlands is one of Europe’s leaders in the field of AI, but current leadership does not guarantee future leadership,” says Danielle Gorlick, Managing Director Benelux at AWS. Companies are struggling with multiple structural barriers. Compliance costs have risen to 40% of total tech spending, up from 35% last year. European simplification efforts have not yet alleviated the compliance burden.
The skills shortage is the most frequently cited barrier: 58% of companies cite a lack of AI and digital skills as an obstacle, significantly higher than the European average of 51%. Expertise is particularly lacking in AI and machine learning (50%), cybersecurity (45%), and data analysis (45%).
Access to financing also plays a role. 32% cite insufficient internal financial resources as a barrier. Nevertheless, 90% expect AI to claim a larger share of the IT budget over the next three years, projected to be 20% of total IT spending.
Digital sovereignty as a prerequisite
In addition to these barriers, the report emphasizes digital sovereignty. 84% of companies say that access to global technology is important for innovation; 91% cite it as crucial for AI adoption. Access to qualified talent (57%), regulatory clarity (50%), and global technology infrastructure (47%) top the list of priorities. Earlier this year, the Dutch tech ecosystem already comprised 11,301 companies, a growth that can support further AI integration.
Citizens think along similar lines: 58% link digital sovereignty to strong standards for data protection, privacy, and cybersecurity. 44% want control over how European data is stored and processed.