The Government explicitly stated that security is a fundamental precondition for the country’s future, committing to substantial investments in defence, closer NATO/EU alliance cooperation, and modernised intelligence capabilities to counter cyberattacks, disinformation, and digital hacking.
What’s important is how the detail of the Government’s proposals and spending plans builds directly on the momentum already set by the Defence Memorandum (published on 29 June, 2026). The geopolitical reality in Europe has changed at a breakneck pace, and with it, the Netherlands is pushing for a more capable and modern armed forces. The defence budget is growing substantially to well above NATO’s two per cent of gross domestic product benchmark. That money is not only going to traditional defence suppliers; it is also an invitation to Dutch industry and the tech sector.
For Dutch businesses, this marks more than a policy shift. It opens a practical route into a defence market that increasingly needs civilian innovation, faster procurement and trusted domestic partners.
The message from The Hague is clear: to scale up quickly and strengthen European strategic autonomy, defence needs the innovative capacity of Dutch businesses more than ever.
Strong, smart and together
In the Netherlands, the traditionally slow procurement process that characterised defence has changed significantly. Through the Defence Strategy for Industry and Innovation (released on 4 April, 2025), Dutch defence decision-makers are pursuing an approach they summarise as “strong, smart and together”.
This approach can be seen in both the Defensienota 2026 and this week’s budget, with defence spending set to reach €28.9 billion – an increase of over €6 billion on last year. For businesses looking for live opportunities following the budget, the Dutch Defence Materiel and IT Command (COMMIT) is initiating an accelerated procurement drive heading into late 2026 and Q1 2027. Additional investment will also come through instruments such as the Security Fund (SecFund) for accelerated projects on uncrewed systems. Businesses can also expect to see more opportunities with the Netherlands Defence Technological and Industrial Base (NLDTIB).
With these upcoming opportunities, it is also important to note that the investment climate seems to be changing. Banks, venture capitalists, and societal institutions are viewing defence and security differently. The Dutch budget debate demonstrates that public and economic support for investing in national security is greater than ever.
Opportunities for Dutch industry and the tech sector
As with many countries looking to increase security while also bringing home benefits to their domestic economies, the greatest opportunities currently lie at the intersection of civilian and military equipment: dual-use technology. Companies developing software, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, sensor technology, or logistics solutions don’t need to be traditional defence manufacturers to be valuable.
Areas where the Netherlands is mirroring allies are in increasing demand for drones and autonomous systems, and for cybersecurity, digitalisation, and security of critical infrastructure. As we mentioned in our previous Signal reports, APAC region allies like Japan and South Korea have also recently poured money into these fields in their recent budgets. Closer to the Netherlands, the UK presents a likely innovation and manufacturing partner for autonomous systems (especially in the maritime domain), and on the continent, European defence giant Thales has significantly raised the profile of its cybersecurity offering to both defence and civilian customers.
What is potentially a unique offer for the Dutch market is the emphasis on supply chains and manufacturing. Rapid, precise manufacturing capacity is as much of a barrier as innovation to both purchasers and suppliers. The high-quality Dutch precision and manufacturing industry can respond to this directly.
Overall, the themes for modern Dutch defence are co-creation and rapid innovation. The Netherlands, like its allies, is reconsidering its defence equipment balance for the modern era: moving away from exclusively major platforms in the maritime and aerospace domains that take years to develop and manufacture. There is far more scope for experimentation, rapid pilots and joint product development. An interesting example is Brainport Innovation & Technology for Defence (BIT4D). This co-creation hub connects the Dutch Ministry of Defence with academia and high-tech commercial giants (such as ASML and Philips) in the Eindhoven tech ecosystem. Rather than purchasing single-purpose military hardware, BIT4D focuses on fast-tracked dual-use technologies, including secure communications that could be used across Dutch defence.
Cyber resilience and sovereign infrastructure: the new frontline
The Speech from the Throne underlined an urgent push to strengthen intelligence services and shield both the public and private sectors against increasingly complex cyber threats. This creates direct demand for advanced security capabilities, threat intelligence and secure cloud infrastructure: the tools the government needs to collect, protect and analyse sensitive defence and intelligence data securely.
At the same time, the Netherlands’ drive towards greater strategic independence and resilience means that sovereign cloud technologies and secure environment frameworks will become key drivers for upcoming public sector and defence contracts. This will already be visible in cyber, communications and autonomous systems tenders. For technology companies, this is a clear signal: solutions that combine security, sovereignty and scalability will be decisive in winning future Defence and critical-infrastructure business.
The takeaway for business
Defence’s focus is firmly set on a tech-driven, security-first future. With this year’s Speech from the Throne reinforcing that message at the highest political level, now is the moment for innovators, entrepreneurs, technology companies and manufacturers to explore where their products and services match opportunities in the defence supply chain – something that many still have not considered, despite the increasing intersection between civilian and defence capability and needs. Those who are most successful will build on their current narratives to position themselves as trusted security partners for national infrastructure, and build long-term strategic relationships.
Ready to navigate the changing defence landscape? Connect with our defence and advanced technology experts to discuss how we can support your communications strategy and help you build trust in a rapidly evolving market.
