The Netherlands is back in the EU's top three in terms of digitalisation. The digital transformation of the economy and society (digitalization) in our time is an important indicator of the high development of the country and its population. New technologies provide high competitiveness and serve as the foundation of prosperity. In the EU, the level of digitalization of a country is assessed by the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI). According to this indicator, in 2022 the Netherlands took third place, behind Finland and Denmark. The last time the country was in the top three digitalization leaders was three years ago.
The Minister of Economy and Climate Policy of the Netherlands Mickey Adriaansens (Monique (Micky) Adriaansens) said that the digitalization of the country is an important process of modern change in society, ensuring its sustainable development. Private and public investment in the IT industry provides innovation, job creation, and reduces the country's dependence on supplies from outside the EU. In particular, now it is important to get rid of dependence on the supply of electronic microcircuits (chips). The Minister noted that the return of the Netherlands to the top three European leaders in digitalization is a pleasant fact, but you should not rest on your laurels. There is still a need for active actions by the government and business aimed at training specialists, developing digital infrastructure, improving the efficiency of the digital market and ensuring cybersecurity.
The quality of the Dutch fixed and mobile communication systems was recognized as excellent
In the process of calculating the DESI index, countries are ranked by the quality of their communications infrastructure. The Netherlands ranks second in Europe for this indicator. 91% of fixed-line subscribers in the country have a broadband Internet connection at speeds of 1 gigabit per second or higher. It should be noted that according to pan-European plans, this indicator should be achieved by 2030. The availability of 5G mobile internet is also well above the European average. The 3,5 GHz frequency band, which is important for digitalization, is ready to be used throughout the country as early as 2023.
Business is increasingly adopting digital technologies and online sales
Dutch entrepreneurs are actively using modern technologies to ensure the management and production processes of companies. There is a growing use of the opportunities offered by online sales technologies. The government is contributing to the digital transformation of the country, in particular through the state program “My Digital Business” (Mijn Digitale Zaak). Find out more about this program on the government's official website.
To date, about 15% of the turnover of small and medium-sized businesses in the Netherlands is accounted for by online activities. In the use of digital technologies, cloud services and social networks, the Dutch business community significantly exceeds the EU average. The European Commission noted the merit of the Netherlands in providing additional investments in the digital branches of science and economy (artificial intelligence, microelectronics, etc.). These investments not only help maintain the economic position of the country, but also contribute to the overall economic growth of the EU.
In terms of digital skills, the average resident of the Netherlands significantly outperforms the average resident of the EU as a whole. Significantly wider than the EU average and the offer of government services in digital form. The demand for specialists in the IT industry is constantly growing, the number of specialists trained in the country is also increasing, but so far it has not been possible to completely cover the needs of the economy and society. In terms of training IT specialists, the Netherlands is somewhat behind the European average.
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Publication Date: 16.08.2022
