This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview and trade data.
Last Published: 8/16/2019

 

Overview

The Netherlands is home to one of the largest internet exchanges in the world, the Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX), and has one of the highest rates of internet connectivity in the world.  Nearly 100 percent of households have broadband connection, and the Netherlands is one of the most competitive internet markets in the world.  Consequently, cybercrime, digital espionage, and the disruption of online services is a major concern.  The Dutch Government is trying to not only build cybersecurity awareness but also actively combat cyber threats.

The Netherlands ranked sixth in the World Economic Forum’s Networked Readiness Index 2016.  Leading areas in the Dutch IT sector include data services, high tech systems and hardware, health technology, logistics, and cybersecurity.  The internet economy in the Netherlands is estimated to make up over six percent of the country’s GDP and is projected to continue to grow in the coming years. 
The Amsterdam region houses nearly a third of Europe’s data centers, and the cities of Groningen and Middenmeer have recently announced new Google and Microsoft data centers respectively. 
 

The Dutch Government established the Global Forum for Cyber Expertise in The Hague, which is already home to Europol’s European Cyber Crime Center (EC3) and the NATO Communications and Information (NCI) Agency.  It is also home to The Hague Security Delta, the largest security cluster in Europe, in which (cyber) security businesses, government agencies, and knowledge institutions cooperate.  The Netherlands is also becoming a European leader in FinTech, AgTech, and technology-based mobility solutions, boasting a sizable cluster of startups. 


In 2018, the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) published an update to the 2013 “National Cyber Security Strategy.”  Both documents outline the Government’s long-term view on cybersecurity and set out concrete actions to  combat cyber threats.  The full reports (in English) can be accessed on the NCSC website. 

Due to the difficulty in discerning cybersecurity spending from general IT spending by the public and the private sectors, there are currently no concrete figures on the size of the Dutch cybersecurity market.  A 2016 report by The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies cites $601.7 million as the estimated total amount spent by Dutch enterprises on cybersecurity in 2015.  The report lists figures adding up to $23.85 million for public spending on cybersecurity in 2015 but states that it is not possible to come up with an accurate number based on available information.  Alternatively, SEO Economic Research, a well-established Dutch scientific institute for economic research, released a report in 2016 that estimated that total revenues for the Dutch cybersecurity sector were between $9.17 and $10 billion in 2014. 


Leading Sub-Sectors

Opportunities in the Netherlands are similar to those in the United States and other advanced and highly digitalized countries.  The Dutch are relatively early adopters of new technologies.


Opportunities

The NCSC’s 2018 “Cyber Security Assessment Netherlands” report highlighted five key findings related to cybersecurity in the Netherlands:

  • a­ttacks in the Netherlands also result in damage in other countries;

  • the most significant threats are sabotage and disruption;

  • there is a lack of basic cybersecurity measures in place;

  • the digital threat is permanent; and

  • there is a growing threat from professional criminals.

 

Web Resources

 

Key Contact:                         National Cyber Security Center
                                                 
Trade Events:                      InfoSecurity Netherlands
October 30 – 31, 2019| Jaarbeurs Utrecht, the Netherlands
Trade show, seminars, and online matchmaking for IT professionals.
                                                InfoSecurity Netherlands website

                                                NCSC ONE Conference
October 1 - 2, 2019 | World Forum The Hague, the Netherlands
                                                Annual conference organized by the National Cyber Security Center.
                                                NSC One Conference website

Contact:                                Philip Hammerstein, Commercial Specialist                                          
U.S. Commercial Service – The Netherlands
Philip.Hammerstein@trade.gov | +31-70-310 2416
           
Alec Boydston, Commercial Specialist                                      
U.S. Commercial Service – The Netherlands
Alec.Boydston@trade.gov | +31-70-310 2420

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.


More Information

Netherlands Cybersecurity Trade Development and Promotion