The data center industry welcomes the new coalition agreement with optimism and sees positive elements that will promote digitization and innovation in the Netherlands. It is good to see that the coalition agreement prioritizes strengthening the digital infrastructure and improving the business climate. The emphasis on innovation, talent availability, and strengthening the knowledge economy are essential steps to keep the Netherlands in the top five competitive countries.
Although more details about are still to come, this coalition agreement offers opportunities. The reduction of regulatory burden and the commitment to support companies in the energy transition align well with our goals of delivering sustainable and efficient data center solutions. The industry is willing to work constructively with the government to promote the energy transition, and to ensure that the digital infrastructure – an important foundation of our future earning power – continues to meet the highest standards.
Backbone of Dutch society and economy
The digital infrastructure is the backbone and the nerve center of Dutch society and economy. Data centers are a crucial link within this infrastructure because safe and reliable storage of data is an essential prerequisite for the functioning of companies and organizations. Hospitals, transportation systems, energy networks and payment transactions also all run on data centers.
Continuing to strengthen high-quality digital infrastructure contributes greatly to the attractiveness of the Netherlands as a business location and headquarters. In addition to direct employment and work for suppliers and service providers (construction, maintenance, cleaning, security), data centers thus provide indirect employment. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, the welfare contribution of the digital infrastructure amounts an estimated 25 billion euros.
Focus on national sovereignty and security
In addition, we are enthusiastic about the plans to strengthen the government’s own knowledge and digital resilience, as well as the focus on national sovereignty and security. A well-functioning system that guarantees fast connections and secure data storage is not only an economic precondition but also contributes to the international competitive position and strategic autonomy of the Netherlands. Data centers on our own territory give a grip on our data and make us less dependent on foreign providers.
Furthermore, digital transformation and energy transition go hand in hand. The bundled storage of data in professional data centers and/or in the cloud consumes much less power than in the case of fragmented local storage within organizations themselves. Other aspects of digitization also save energy. For example, video meetings are much more energy efficient than travel by car and air. Also, residential areas can be heated with waste heat from data centers.
We believe that through joint efforts between the government, companies and other stakeholders, the digital future of the Netherlands can be strengthened. The data center sector looks forward to the further elaboration of the coalition agreement and is ready to work together on innovative solutions that contribute to the broad prosperity and competitiveness and future earning capacity of the Netherlands.