A National Technology Strategy with semiconductors at its core
Holland High Tech’s Leo Warmerdam outlines how the Netherlands aligns research, industry, and government to secure future innovation.
Published on September 29, 2025
Leo Warmerdam
Bart, co-founder of Media52 and Professor of Journalism oversees IO+, events, and Laio. A journalist at heart, he keeps writing as many stories as possible.
At a recent event organized by Ecosystem Services and Holland High Tech, industry leaders gathered to discuss the Dutch semiconductor sector’s place in the global telecom landscape. One of the central voices was Leo Warmerdam, Executive Director at Holland High Tech, who presented the National Technology Strategy: a framework that he says will “be quite impactful for everybody who is driving innovation in your own company, in your own research environment.”
The Dutch government published the strategy in 2023, identifying ten priority technology fields critical to economic growth, societal progress, and national security. According to Warmerdam, the semiconductor ecosystem stands at the heart of this agenda. “You can almost say that the National Technology Strategy is a strategy for the Semicon agenda in the Netherlands.”
Four technologies for the semiconductor ecosystem
The government’s list of ten priorities includes several directly tied to semiconductors. Warmerdam highlighted at least four: semiconductor technologies, quantum, optical systems & integrated photonics, and mechatronics/optomechatronics.
“If I really want to push it, I can also identify a number of other technologies that are quite relevant as well,” he added. Together, these fields will define the future of the Dutch high-tech industry.
The 10 priority technologies of the Dutch National Technology Strategy
The focus goes beyond today’s strengths. The strategy weighs not only current competitive positions but also where future economic value lies, how technology contributes to society, and what it means for national security, a factor that has grown in importance since 2023.
From strategy to action
Warmerdam emphasized that the work now shifts from abstract ambitions to concrete action agendas. “Those action agendas we work out with participants from the field. Representatives of companies, representatives of knowledge institutes are now defining what should in the next ten years the major programs be in order to deliver on the ambitions set in a national technology strategy.”
Rather than drawing up endless lists of potential applications, the process pre-selects a manageable number of areas to focus on. The idea is that robust technology roadmaps can later serve a wide variety of use cases.
By the end of this year, the first action agendas will be finalized. In January, they will be formally presented to the Minister of Economic Affairs. “The fact that the Minister of Economic Affairs - whoever that will be at that moment - will receive that agenda is nice,” Warmerdam said. “It shows the overall commitment of the Dutch government to make this a success.”
Warmerdam was clear that companies should not see the process as policy theater. “Let’s be honest: for most of you, if you’re from companies, you couldn’t care less about policy. So let’s make it relevant for you.”
Relevance comes through participation. The action agendas are being built in an open and collaborative way, ensuring that businesses, researchers, and innovators can connect. “There’s not going to be a ring fence around different fields,” Warmerdam stressed. “If you feel you can contribute, you will be able to.”
Aligning for global impact
For the Dutch semiconductor sector, the National Technology Strategy is more than a policy paper; it’s a roadmap to consolidate strengths and align efforts across government, industry, and knowledge institutes. “The real essence of this national technology strategy and the action agendas is that we’ve lined up all the efforts of companies and knowledge agendas towards those very large technology fields. And there we’re actually making pretty much of progress.”
Warmerdam closed with an invitation: stay informed and get involved. Registration for newsletters and participation opportunities is open, ensuring that anyone working in semiconductors or related fields can connect.
As the global technology race accelerates, the Netherlands is betting that a unified national strategy rooted in semiconductors will keep its innovation engine running strong.