Cabinet seeks to build national AI center without budget in place

The Dutch government wants to establish a national artificial intelligence (AI) facility to support companies and research institutions in developing and testing new AI applications. However, there is currently no funding available for such a project within the budgets of the relevant ministries.

In a letter to the Tweede Kamer, Ministers Dirk Beljaarts (Economic Affairs, PVV), Eppo Bruins (Science, NSC), and State Secretary Zsolt Szabó (Digitalization, PVV) outlined the cabinet’s plans and challenges. The ministers emphasized the potential benefits of a centralized AI hub, writing, “An AI facility can play a crucial role by bringing together businesses, knowledge institutions, and governments, stimulating investment, developing and sharing knowledge, attracting AI talent, and promoting and utilizing responsible AI applications.”

Although co-financing from the European Union could be an option, it is contingent on the Netherlands contributing significantly to the initiative itself. The ministers stated that “no budget is currently available in the departmental budgets” to support such a contribution. As a result, the cabinet will begin exploring alternative ways to finance the project.

The envisioned facility would require advanced infrastructure, including a supercomputer, reliable data sources, and skilled AI professionals. The cabinet also pointed out that the country’s already congested electricity grid could present an additional obstacle, since the facility would demand large amounts of energy due to the computational power and data storage it would require. “The cabinet is taking this into account in the elaboration of the plans,” the letter said.

Groningen is being considered as a potential location and co-financing partner for the AI facility. The province is set to receive substantial financial support from The Hague in the coming years to boost its regional economy, part of a package of promises made in response to the damning parliamentary inquiry report on natural gas extraction in the region.

In preparation for the proposal, the cabinet conducted a preliminary review of whether it might rely on “existing resources and instruments,” or connect with similar initiatives in other EU member states. However, it concluded that the most effective outcome for businesses and researchers would come from the Netherlands building and maintaining its own AI infrastructure.