The Netherlands is well placed to be a major international player in Cognitive Robotics (industrial robotics combined with AI). We hold a leading global position in the necessary key enabling technologies, are a strong player in mechanical engineering and have an excellent ecosystem to facilitate innovation. Furthermore, the Netherlands is striving for the wider adoption and implementation of Cognitive Robotics to help boost industrial productivity. To achieve this, a National Agenda for Cognitive Robotics (NACR) is essential. To this end, we must take steps together, and the time is now.
National Agenda for Cognitive Robotics
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National Agenda Cognitive Robotics | 2027
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK) and Holland High Tech, together with organisations including VDL-ETG, NXP, TNO, FME, Brainport Industries, NLRobotics and Brainport Development, have taken the first steps towards establishing a NACR. The NACR is one of the building blocks of the targeted programmes announced in the EZK’s industry letter of October 2025. Within the Targeted Programme for Mechanical Engineering, which is currently under development, robotics could become a priority area. The findings for the NACR are being coordinated with the Task Force on Future Prosperity and the Business Climate in the field of robotics.
Focus
Together, we are formulating answers to questions regarding technological development, the role of robotics in the future Dutch economy, and the Netherlands’ position within a European value chain for cognitive robotics. We identify bottlenecks and what is needed to scale up the adoption of (cognitive) robotics. The initial focus is on:
What role do we envisage for cognitive robotics in boosting the Netherlands’ earning capacity?
Where do we, as the Netherlands, see the greatest opportunities in the value chain?
How can we strengthen the Netherlands’ position in the cognitive robotics value chain?
Which innovations are necessary, and which have already been developed?
How can we accelerate the adoption of (cognitive) robots?
What are the challenges and how can we tackle them together?
Process
The final NACR will be developed through strategic working sessions, expert sessions, working groups and targeted consultations. In the coming period, current insights and input from the broader ecosystem of stakeholders will be gathered as items for the agenda, including, of course, the innovation programmes of the National Technology Strategy and the innovation projects and substantive reports that have driven developments in recent years.
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