Sci/tech

After a three‑day economic mission to China, Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma says Dutch and European businesses must act faster to keep pace with China’s rapid innovation. While Chinese companies are eager to collaborate, he warns that Europe must strengthen its position amid rising trade tensions.

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.

The Ministry of Defence has launched a three-year, €30 million partnership with Intelic, a Dutch firm whose software enables diverse brands of air and ground drones to operate as a unified fleet. Spurred by lessons from the war in Ukraine, the investment aims to keep this vital technology in domestic hands by establishing a "golden share" framework that grants the government veto power over major strategic decisions to prevent foreign takeovers. State Secretary Derk Boswijk described the firm's results—including its current supply chain to Ukraine—as "spectacular," signalling a broader military pivot toward autonomous warfare that could see the ministry taking similar stakes in unique tech companies in the future.

A landmark international study led by Catharina Hospital shows that giving extra chemotherapy before surgery for colorectal cancer metastases offers no survival benefit . The findings, published in The Lancet Oncology, scientifically validate the long‑standing Dutch cautious approach to chemotherapy in this patient group.

Dutch Foreign Trade Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma has rejected a proposed US bill, the Match Act, which threatens to force the Netherlands into cutting off ASML's chip technology exports and maintenance services to China. Following talks in Washington, Sjoerdsma asserted that export controls must rely on voluntary cooperation rather than American coercion, warning that unilateral mandates threaten Dutch economic sovereignty. While the US pushes for sweeping bans, the Netherlands maintains its stance on reviewing semiconductor sales through targeted, case-by-case assessments to protect global supply chains.

The Dutch government is keeping its options open to build two new nuclear power stations at either Eemshaven in Groningen or Terneuzen in Zeeland, presenting a difficult dilemma for ministers ahead of a final decision later this year. While national grid operator TenneT explicitly backs Eemshaven as the technically optimal choice, the region is fiercely opposed to nuclear energy following years of gas extraction damage, whereas Terneuzen boasts strong public support but would require massive, expensive upgrades to the local electrical grid.

Following its historic, record-breaking IPO, SpaceX surged over 19 percent on its first day of trading to reach a market value of more than $2 trillion. This investor optimism coincided with a broader stock market rally and falling oil prices, driven by news that Iran and the United States have reached a peace agreement.

One in four people with disabilities in the Netherlands feel they do not count in society, according to new research. The study shows that barriers in education, work, and daily life remain widespread, even ten years after the UN disability rights convention was signed. Financial insecurity is also growing, with many concerned about cuts and rising healthcare costs.