What the new cabinet wants with science and digital autonomy
"Economic strength starts in the classroom, takes shape in vocational education, and is cashed in through innovation and digitalisation."
Published on January 30, 2026
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.
With a strong focus on basic skills, a talent strategy, and digital sovereignty, the new Dutch cabinet wants to make the Netherlands competitive again, economically and socially. For innovation ecosystems such as Brainport, the good news is clear: clarity, collaboration, and long-term investment.
The new coalition agreement by D66, VVD, and CDA puts education, science, and digitalisation at the heart of future prosperity. The diagnosis is blunt: the Netherlands is losing ground in international rankings, faces growing shortages of skilled workers, and is becoming more digitally dependent. According to the cabinet, only a structural change of course can turn the tide, making teachers, researchers, and tech entrepreneurs key players.
The message is clear: economic strength starts in the classroom, takes shape in vocational education, and is translated into value through research, innovation, and digitalisation.
Basic skills as an economic necessity
The agreement does not spare the education system. Declining performance in language and maths, teacher shortages, and administrative burden threaten not only individual opportunities, but also the Netherlands’ earning capacity.
That is why the focus shifts to improving structural quality. Teachers will get demonstrably more time for professional development, school leaders will be positioned more clearly as instructional leaders, and red tape should be reduced. Strikingly, the cabinet opts for national standards in teacher training and mandatory continuous professional development, measures meant to make the profession more future-proof.
For vmbo and mbo (pre-vocational and vocational education), there is a clear recognition: this is where the key lies to solving labour shortages in technology, healthcare, and the energy transition. Vocational education is explicitly positioned as the backbone of the regional economy, supported by more stable funding and stronger industry collaboration.
Science as the engine of innovation ecosystems
Universities and universities of applied sciences are given a dual role: producers of knowledge and drivers of economic renewal. The cabinet aims to move toward the European benchmark of 3% of GDP for R&D investment, with a larger public contribution.
Even more important is the strategic approach to talent. The Netherlands wants to attract and retain international top talent more deliberately, while also steering more strongly towards study choices and labour-market relevance. English-taught programmes remain possible, but institutions will make binding agreements on intake and capacity.
For innovation clusters, regions explicitly framed around knowledge ecosystems, this means continued room to attract international talent. Where technology, education, and entrepreneurship converge, the difference between growth and stagnation can be made.
Campuses as springboards for startups
The cabinet explicitly positions campuses as engines for startups, scale-ups, and collaboration between education, research, and industry. Knowledge valorisation, turning research into economic applications, gets a more prominent role. Universities are being pushed toward greater cooperation and specialisation, and less competition based on student numbers.
For technology-intensive regions such as Brainport Eindhoven, this could accelerate public-private collaboration. The link between fundamental research and entrepreneurship is becoming more explicit, with increased attention to key technologies such as AI, semiconductors, quantum, and photonics.
Digital autonomy as a geopolitical necessity
Digitalisation is given strategic weight in the agreement. The cabinet sees technological dependence on foreign players as a risk to democracy and national security. Digital autonomy, therefore, becomes the guiding principle for government policy.
In practice, this means:
- a preference for European cloud and data solutions,
- standardisation of digital procurement and tenders,
- targeted investment in cybersecurity,
- and strengthening the government’s technical capacity.
The Netherlands no longer wants to be only a testbed, but also a scale-up country for digital innovation. Public-private investments will focus on AI, semiconductors, and quantum technology, sectors in which the Netherlands already has a strong starting position.
Talent as the common thread
One constant runs through the entire agreement: talent development. From primary school to PhD, from career switchers to international researchers: the cabinet treats human capital as the decisive factor for competitiveness.
Students are promised improved financial conditions, greater attention to mental well-being, and statutory internship compensation. At the same time, policy will steer more sharply on study choices and labour-market prospects.
From ambition to execution
The strength of the agreement lies less in flashy new initiatives and more in structural choices. The emphasis is on long-term direction, predictability, and collaboration between government, education, and business.
For innovation platforms and regional ecosystems, the takeaway is clarity: investment in knowledge, talent, and digital infrastructure remains a priority. But success will depend on implementation, and on the ability to anchor national ambitions in regional reality.
If the cabinet succeeds in strengthening basic skills, attracting and retaining talent, and increasing digital autonomy, the Netherlands can not only maintain its position as an innovative knowledge economy but also expand it. The coming years will show whether these policy choices truly become the flywheel for a new era of sustainable growth.