Netherlands Unveils National AI Delta Plan to Challenge US and China

The Netherlands officially presented its Nationaal AI Deltaplan (National AI Delta Plan) to Minister Vincent Karremans of Economic Affairs, marking a decisive shift toward technological sovereignty. Developed by over 60 experts from academia, industry, and government, the strategy confronts a stark reality: Europe controls only 5% of global AI computing power compared to 75% in the United States, while OpenAI alone commands access to over 1 million GPUs.

The plan proposes establishing a State Secretary for AI, creating special "AI Computing Zones" with streamlined permits and direct high-voltage connections, and launching a Dutch ELLIS Institute as Europe's third flagship AI research center. It calls for massive energy infrastructure investments, including training 30,000 additional grid technicians by 2030 to address what planners identify as the country's most critical bottleneck. These proposals require billions in annual spending and new legislation to implement.

Perhaps most controversially, the strategy recommends flexible employment contracts for workers earning above €100,000, collective sick leave insurance for startups, and improved stock option taxation to stem startup emigration. More than one-third of promising Dutch AI companies currently plan to relocate within two years, primarily to the United States, due to rigid labor regulations and capital shortages.

The plan also establishes democratic safeguards through a proposed National AI Impact Institute to monitor societal effects and citizen councils for public participation in AI policy decisions. A national awareness campaign will launch in 2026, with provincial dialogues addressing AI's impact on employment, healthcare, and education. The initiative specifically targets sectors where the Netherlands maintains competitive advantages: semiconductors, agriculture, logistics, and healthcare.

The Netherlands recently secured an EU AI Factory designation from the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, positioning the country within a network of 19 European AI infrastructure hubs. This complements existing Dutch strengths, particularly ASML's €1.3 billion investment in French AI company Mistral AI in September 2025, establishing the chip equipment giant as Europe's largest AI investor. The plan's name deliberately evokes the historic Delta Works, the massive flood protection system built after devastating 1953 North Sea floods. "Just like the Delta Works, this is about investing in the foundations on which our future rests," the authors state, framing AI infrastructure as essential national security rather than optional innovation.