The End of an Era: Why the Netherlands Must Bet Big on Deep Tech

In an FD.nl interview, Rinke Zonneveld, head of Invest-NL, argues that the Netherlands must rethink its economic model to safeguard future prosperity. The country’s success of the past decades—built on trade, services, and favorable tax structures—will no longer be enough. Instead, the government should invest heavily in strategic industries, particularly the tech and deep-tech sectors , where global competition is fierce.

Zonneveld stresses that The Netherlands must treat certain companies (like ASML, biotech, and new energy players) as strategic and vital enterprises , requiring government support and protection. He warns that the coming seven years will be decisive in determining whether the country remains competitive.

Invest-NL plays a role as an intermediary between full state ownership and leaving companies entirely to market forces. It supports scaling up startups, strengthening industrial capacity, and ensuring that crucial technologies stay anchored in the Netherlands.

He emphasizes that Dutch decision-making often happens too slowly and incrementally, while competitors like the U.S. and China act much faster with massive public investments. To keep up, The Netherlands must move beyond outdated earning models and adopt a more forward-looking strategy with larger, bolder investments.