The SME Hightech call 2026 will open shortly: the call document is now available

Following two successful editions, Holland High Tech will launch the third edition of the SME Hightech call on 23 November 2026 at 12:00. With this call, Holland High Tech is once again giving innovative SMEs the lead in shaping the direction of industrial research. New this year is the specific focus on Cognitive Robotics, within the Smart Industry innovation domain. The call text and further information have been published on the call’s page.

Webinar
Tomorrow, Holland High Tech is organising a webinar from 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm on the call for proposals, the eligibility criteria and the application process. You can register here for this webinar.

National Agenda for Cognitive Robotics takes centre stage during panel debate

At Future Pulse 2026, the importance of the National Agenda for Cognitive Robotics (NACR) took centre stage during a well-attended panel discussion. Chaired by Thijs Dorssers (NLRobotics), Ton Peijnenburg (VDL ETG), Ronald van Es (Holland High Tech), Jesse Scholtes (TU/e) and Niels Back (FME) engaged in a discussion with one another and the audience on the importance of a national agenda, where the Dutch robotics sector will stand in five years’ time, and what needs to be done first as soon as the agenda – and the associated budget – are in place.

Closed working session
This discussion will continue during a (closed) Strategic working session for the NACR on 19 October. The NACR is being developed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy and Holland High Tech, in collaboration with, amongst others, VDL-ETG, NXP, TNO, FME, Brainport Industries, NLrobotics and Brainport Development.

Leo Warmerdam, Managing Director of Holland High Tech, following the panel discussion:

“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.”

Ecosystem takes the next step towards National Vision on the Future of Compute

‘Future of Compute’ is about hybrid systems in which advanced semiconductors, quantum computing, integrated photonics, neuromorphic computing and high-performance computing (HPC) work together. Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the world around us: how we innovate, how we work, and how we tackle the major challenges of our time. To realise that potential, we need an integrated infrastructure. ‘The Future of Compute’ is therefore the prerequisite for scientific excellence, industrial competitiveness and strategic autonomy. By investing in it, we can shape the future of AI, rather than merely consuming it.

On Monday 21 September, imec, QDNL, PhotonDelta, Neuromorphic Computing NL (NC-NL), SURF, TNO, Techleap, Future Network Services (FNS), Invest-NL, Digital Holland and Holland High Tech gathered in The Hague for a closed-door round-table discussion.

Smart robots call for smart choices

Labour shortages, an ageing population and international competition are putting pressure on the Dutch manufacturing industry. At the same time, robotics is advancing at a rapid pace. According to Ton Peijnenburg, CTO at VDL Enabling Technologies Group and Programme Board member for Mechatronics & Optomechatronics at Holland High Tech, the Netherlands must now decide what position it wishes to take in cognitive robotics in order to remain competitive in the future.

This article is part of the publication “The Future of the Manufacturing Industry”, which appeared on 31 August 2026 as a supplement to *Het Financieele Dagblad*.

* Photo credit: VDL Enabling Technologies Group

New round of the National Growth Fund focuses on strategic industrial policy

The Government intends to launch a new round of the National Growth Fund (NGF). From the funds released within the NGF, €375 million is available for projects focused on strategic industrial policy.

National Investment Institution (NII) officially launched: approximately €6.6 billion in core capital

Last Friday, Ministers Eelco Heinen (Finance), Heleen Herbert (Economic Affairs and Climate Policy) and Sjoerd Sjoerdsma (Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation), together with private investors, launched the National Investment Institution (NII). The Netherlands must continue to invest in order to remain prosperous and internationally competitive in the future, and with the NII, the government is taking a major step towards this. With approximately €6.6 billion in core capital and the support of the financial sector, a total investment volume of around €30 billion is envisaged in the initial phase – a significant development for the Dutch high-tech sector.

NADI and SPRIND are investing 40 million euros in energy-efficient AI chips

The National Agency for Disruptive Innovation (NADI) is launching the AI-Native Chip Design Challenge in collaboration with the German organisation SPRIND. With a budget of 40 million euros, the two innovation agencies are seeking teams capable of achieving a breakthrough in energy-efficient chip design for artificial intelligence. This presents an opportunity for the Dutch and European high-tech ecosystem to tackle one of the biggest technological challenges of our time.

Delft University of Technology and Fujitsu have built a working prototype of a quantum computer using a diamond spin

Delft University of Technology and the Japanese tech company Fujitsu have achieved a major breakthrough in the development of quantum computers. Together, they have presented a working prototype of a quantum computer that uses tiny particles within a diamond to perform calculations. The system uses photonic chips and operates at -271.6 °C. A multi-module version is due to be ready by 2027. The fact that this breakthrough has been possible is also linked to public-private funding from Holland High Tech.

* Photo credit: Fujitsu

Ore Energy raises €38 million for iron-air batteries

Delft-based Ore Energy has raised 38 million euros to build its first battery factory. The start-up is developing so-called iron-air batteries: batteries that store energy via a reversible rusting process. With this investment, the company aims to start production on a commercial scale from 2028. As a public-private partnership (PPP) project, Ore Energy is receiving support from Holland High Tech.

* Photo credit: Ore Energy

819 Capital Partners invests €1 million in TNO spin-off TracXon

819 Capital Partners is investing €1 million in TracXon, the Eindhoven-based deep-tech spin-off from TNO. The capital injection will enable TracXon, who also receives PPP support from Holland High Tech, to accelerate the commercialisation of its production platform for Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE). The investment is an extension of the €4.75 million funding round completed in September 2025, led by DeepTechXL, with participation from Invest-NL and the Brabant Development Agency (BOM).

* Photo credit: TracXon

CALLS

New SME Call thematic track: Labour-saving Technology

Health Holland, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS), is making €4.5 million in PPP funding available through a new thematic track within the SME Call 2027: Labour-Saving Technology. The call is aimed at consortia comprising SMEs, knowledge institutions and healthcare organisations that are developing medical technology to make healthcare processes more efficient and reduce the labour required. This initiative has been prompted by the growing pressure on the Dutch healthcare sector due to rising demand for care, an ageing population and persistent staff shortages.

Upcoming and open calls 

• SME Hightech Call 2026 | opens 23 November 2026

• Call Security and Resilience in a Quantum Era | deadline for letters of intent: 29 September 2026, 14:00. Deadline for full applications: 3 November 2026, 14:00

• Perspectief Round 2026–2027 | deadline for letters of intent: 6 October 2026, 14:00

• HTSM Call 2026 | expected opening Q4 2026

• KIC Demand-driven Research by Consortia – XL | deadline 12 November 2026, 14:00

• EU Call: AI Gigafactories | deadline 12 November 2026

• SME Call thematic track: Labor-saving Technology | closing date 20 November 2026

• AI-Native Chip Design | closing date 30 November 2026, 11:00 am

• LiT Open Calls – Four temporary grant modules | various closing dates

View the overview of both our own calls and those from national and international partner organisations. 

CALENDAR

NXTGEN Conference 2026

Op 29 oktober 2026 vindt de NXTGEN Conference 2026 plaats in de Fokker Terminal in Den Haag. Een dag met nieuwe inzichten, waardevolle ontmoetingen en frisse energie voor iedereen die werkt aan de Nederlandse hightech-toekomst. O.a. voorzitter Sleuteltechnologieën Peter Stolk en astronaut André Kuipers zullen als keynote sprekers het podium betreden.

Dutch Precision Week 2026

Van maandag 16 tot en met vrijdag 20 november 2026 vindt de Dutch Precision Week plaats in en rond Eindhoven en Den Bosch. De week wordt georganiseerd door de Dutch Precision Week Foundation, in samenwerking met de Dutch Society for Precision Engineering (DSPE), met Holland High Tech als een van de partners. Een volle week met conferenties, een vakbeurs en bedrijfsbezoeken laat zien hoe Nederland wereldwijd toonaangevend is op het gebied van precisie-engineering, met toepassingen in onder meer semiconductors, medische systemen en photonics.