UPDATE:
The European Commission has called on European governments and investors to deposit 200 billion euros in a fund set up specifically for AI development. This was the message of President Van der Leyen at the Paris AI Action Summit. The aim of AI fund is to enable Europe to become one of the global leaders in AI. Amongst other things, the capital would fund investment in new AI factories to train complex AI models, putting Europe on a more equal competitive footing with the USA and China.
The Netherlands also intends to press ahead with AI, with both Minister Beljaarts and a majority in the House of Representatives voting in favour of a motion for one of the EU’s AI factories to be built in the Netherlands.
Opportunities for Europe
Beljaarts and Szabó attended various sessions at the Paris AI summit on Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 February 2025, meeting their counterparts in government as well as businesses (SMEs and larger companies), research institutes, public authorities and civil society organisations. Government leaders from various countries also attended a plenary session to discuss the economic opportunities AI presents as well as its safety and reliability.
AI Act
The EU’s AI Act entered into force in the summer of 2024. This legislation offers opportunities for developers and businesses while providing safeguards for European consumers. By setting out rules about the use of AI in products and services, a ranking of AI system risks as well as provisions supporting developers (including SMEs), the AI Act ensures that EU nationals can trust AI and businesses can pursue more targeted innovations.
Franco-Dutch Economic Year
Following the summit, Ministers Beljaarts and his French counterpart, Éric Lombard, opened the Franco-Dutch Economic Year at the residence of the Dutch ambassador in Paris. Both countries’ embassies are taking the lead in this collaboration, which includes political and policy events, innovative economic initiatives and strategic dialogues between businesses and investors.
Action agenda for AI/Data
The Dutch government has designated artificial intelligence (AI) as a strategic technology for additional public and private investment. AI is one of the ten Digital and Information Technologies in the National Technology Strategy (NTS). Topsector ICT is coordinating two action agendas for Digital and Information Technologies, which fall under the KIA Digitalisation: one for AI/Data and one for Cybersecurity Technologies.
Action agendas are developed in roughly three phases. The AI/Data action agenda is being fleshed out in close collaboration with national ecosystems such as the AIC4NL and the Centre of Excellence Data Sharing & Cloud. The Dutch Research Council (NWO), TNO-ICT and the Minister of Economic Affairs, which leads the NTS, are also contributors. Various sessions with industry specialists will soon be organised in order to gain practical input for the action agenda.