Business

The Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) warns that rapidly advancing AI is making phishing and cyberattacks more convincing and more damaging. Criminals are using AI to craft realistic, personalised messages, increasing the risk of account takeovers and large‑scale breaches.

Green shareholder collective Follow This has abandoned its legal threat against energy giant BP following a pivotal shareholder voting clash in April. Activists state that a legal ruling is no longer necessary after investors successfully united to block management's attempts to reduce climate reporting obligations. The group now plans to pivot its strategy toward introducing a fresh climate-focused resolution at the 2027 annual meeting.

Motorcycle sales in the Netherlands rose sharply in the first half of the year, with both new and used markets performing strongly. Trade associations say the motorcycle is becoming more popular for commuting as well as leisure. The BMW R 1300 GS/Adventure led the sales rankings.

Wibra achieved record turnover and rapid store expansion in 2025, driven by strong sales and new openings. The retailer continues to grow in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, supported by investments in logistics and sustainability. The company marks its 70th anniversary with confidence in further expansion.

Chris Figee will leave KPN later this year to take up a senior role at chip supplier ASMI. He will start with special projects before moving into the Chief Financial Officer position, pending shareholder approval in 2027. Current CFO Paul Verhagen plans to retire in May 2027.

Carbeau, a new spin-off from Avantium, focuses on converting CO₂ into valuable chemicals through electrochemistry. The company has raised €35.2 million and will be based at Amsterdam Science Park, with plans for a pilot plant in Delfzijl. The move strengthens efforts to use CO₂ as a sustainable feedstock.

Education Minister Rianne Letschert has welcomed the government's plan to introduce a legally mandated internship allowance for vocational, professional, and university students, arguing that practical training deserves financial recognition. While the new legislation establishes the obligation to pay interns, it deliberately avoids setting a strict statutory minimum amount to prevent employers from cutting back on available placements, leaving sectors free to determine their own fair rates instead. Short-term placements and international internships will be exempt from the new rules, though Letschert warned that a legal minimum floor could still be introduced in the future if industry-set allowances remain too low.

Global food commodity prices dipped by 0.3% in June, marking a second consecutive monthly decline as geopolitical tensions eased following a provisional US-Iran ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the retreat was led by a 3.5% drop in grain prices and a 5.7% plunge in sugar, offsetting minor increases in meat, rice, and vegetable oils. With shipping lanes restored, market anxieties have shifted from conflict to extreme weather risks like Europe's heatwaves and El Niño; however, global food security prospects remain stable, with the FAO projecting 2026 global grain yields to hit nearly 3 billion tonnes—the second-highest harvest on record.