Moderated by Thijs Dorssers (NLRobotics), Ton Peijnenburg (VDL ETG), Ronald van Es (Holland High Tech), Jesse Scholtes (TU/e) and Niels Back (FME) discussed amongst themselves and with the audience the importance of a national agenda, where the Dutch robotics sector will be in five years’ time, and what needs to be done first as soon as the agenda – and the associated budget – are in place.
Adoption alone is not enough
According to Niels Back, the Dutch manufacturing sector is lagging behind in the adoption and scaling up of robotisation, even though robotisation is precisely the key to boosting productivity in order to cope with a shrinking workforce. Ronald van Es warned, however, that adoption alone is not enough: those who merely embrace existing technology will make the Netherlands dependent on major powers such as China and the US.
Building your own cognitive robotics systems
To prevent such dependence, Van Es called for national cooperation and domestic investment in advanced cognitive robotics within Europe and the Netherlands, in line with the National Technology Strategy and the targeted programme for the mechanical engineering market. Ton Peijnenburg echoed this view: the Netherlands already possesses strong capabilities that can be utilised within the cognitive robotics value chain, and the priority now is to pool that knowledge and expertise and build on it further.
From fragmented initiatives to a single programme
Jesse Scholtes emphasised that the Netherlands actually already has many of the building blocks in place: strong research institutions, a growing group of robotics start-ups and scale-ups, and field labs. However, the landscape is still fragmented and small-scale. A national agenda could change this by bringing together research, SMEs, start-ups and regions into a single, large-scale programme.
“The Netherlands can become a leading international player in cognitive robotics. We hold a top global position in the necessary (key) technologies, are a strong player in mechanical engineering and have an excellent ecosystem to facilitate innovation. But the window of opportunity is narrow. Countries around us are already scaling up their robotics agendas, whilst the need to boost productivity in our own industry is becoming more urgent by the day. In Europe and the Netherlands, it is essential to build our own value chain for advanced cognitive robotics. Collaboration is key: a National Agenda for Cognitive Robotics organises this cohesion in the Netherlands."
Leo Warmerdam, Managing Director of Holland High Tech
A long-term agenda
The NACR is being developed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy and Holland High Tech, in collaboration with organisations including VDL-ETG, NXP, TNO, FME, Brainport Industries, NLrobotics and Brainport Development. The agenda aims to clarify the role that cognitive robotics can play in boosting the Netherlands’ earning capacity and its position in the European value chain, and will soon form one of the building blocks of the Targeted Mechanical Engineering Programme.
National Robotics Awards for talent and innovation
The National Robotics Awards were also presented during Future Pulse 2026, with the aim of recognising promising talent (Student Award) and groundbreaking applications (Company Award) in the Dutch robotics sector. Leo Warmerdam (Holland High Tech) presented the awards alongside Ton Peijnenburg and Gijs Dubbelman (Eindhoven University of Technology).
The Student Prize was awarded to Camille Buschman, a PhD student in the Smart Mechatronics and Robotics Group at Saxion University of Applied Sciences, for her research into autonomous security drones and risk-aware route-planning technology, which can help prevent incidents through faster and more frequent inspections. Camille was also praised for her active efforts to inspire young people to take an interest in technology and robotics, including through school visits, educational videos and Girls’ Day.
The Company Award went to W2R Droneprojects, which won the prize for its practical application of drone technology. The award recognises how the company translates robotics and drones into practical solutions outside the laboratory, thereby creating a positive impact on society.
