Cabinet increases investment in space technology to €453 million

The Dutch government will invest €453 million in European space programs over the next three years (2026-2028). Minister Karremans (Economic Affairs) announced this at the Ministerial Conference (MC25) of the European Space Agency (ESA) in Bremen, Germany, this week. The amount represents an increase of €109 million compared to the commitment announced earlier in October. The additional support will strengthen companies and knowledge institutions in the Netherlands, including ESTEC, ESA's technological headquarters in Noordwijk.

Space technology and satellite data are increasingly necessary for security, defense, logistics, infrastructure, science, agriculture, sustainability, and the prevention of dependencies. The sector provides more than 10,000 jobs in the Netherlands, reduces dependencies, and is a source of innovation in a wide range of technologies. For these reasons, the government is now investing an additional €109 million on top of the announced €344.3 million. This brings the contribution for the next three years close to the funding standard and in line with what other European countries are investing.

Including national programs, for example, for laser satellite communications and Earth observation satellites, the government's space policy from now until 2028 amounts to more than €660 million.

Minister Karremans (Economic Affairs): "The government has previously had to make tougher choices in the national budget. These also had consequences for the Dutch contribution to ESA. That was a painful choice, because the space sector not only strengthens our economy, but also keeps the Netherlands safe. We have therefore worked hard recently to realize a substantial additional one-off investment in this area. We have now succeeded in doing so, which is good news for all Dutch and European entrepreneurs and researchers involved, but also for ESTEC in Noordwijk."

Investments through European Space Agency programs

Every three years, the 23 member states of the ESA agree on how much they will jointly invest in space travel. In the period 2020-2022, the Netherlands contributed €283.5 million to ESA programs. In 2023-2025, this amounted to €319.8 million, with an additional one-off increase of €53.6 million. The Dutch contribution for 2026-2028 now amounts to €453.3 million.

At the end of 2023, the government also made an additional €22.2 million available to strengthen the business climate of the NL Space Campus, where startups, researchers, students, and SME suppliers collaborate around Noordwijk. This contribution will go towards the modernization of ESTEC. This institute generates around €500 million in spending annually and is an investment magnet in the Netherlands for foreign space companies.