Sci/tech

CUIC has taken Odido to court after a major data leak that exposed the details of more than six million people. The foundation accuses the telecom provider of poor data protection and weak transparency. Investigations into the leak are still under way while CUIC seeks redress for affected customers.

Philips has advised hospitals to discontinue using specific nebulizer attachments with Trilogy series ventilators due to a malfunction risk. This alert follows three complaints, including one instance of minor injury, involving the devices.

Planned heart surgeries and examinations may be delayed due to a safety recall of a common medical component. While emergency services remain fully operational, dozens of hospitals are managing a shortage of equipment used in cardiac treatments.

Dutch start-up Thorizon has signed an agreement to build Europe’s first commercial molten salt reactor in Zeeland, with plans to have it operational by 2034. Unlike traditional nuclear plants, this technology uses liquid salt as both fuel and coolant, which CEO Kiki Lauwers describes as a safer alternative that can even repurpose existing nuclear waste. The project, which has already secured tens of millions in funding from investors and regional authorities, is expected to cover an area the size of several football pitches and provide enough energy to power 250,000 households once connected to the grid.

TSMC posted record first‑quarter profits in 2026, driven by relentless global demand for AI chips. The world’s largest advanced‑chip manufacturer raised its full‑year outlook and said the Middle East conflict has not disrupted its supply chain or slowed investment in AI infrastructure.

Last November, security guards at Princess Beatrix’s Drakensteyn Castle estate and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee at a nearby gold vault both reported sightings of unauthorised drones. While the operators and their motives remain unknown, similar sightings were recorded at several Dutch air bases that same weekend. Although the Finance Minister maintains that the national gold reserves are secure deep underground, the incidents have prompted calls for increased investment in anti-drone technology to protect high-security sites.

The Dutch manufacturing sector faces the risk of disappearing unless it rapidly adopts robotisation and automation to counter an ageing workforce and rising labour costs. According to research institute TNO, the industry’s productivity has stalled, leaving it vulnerable to international competitors like South Korea and Germany, which use significantly more robots. TNO warns that without a national agenda to increase robot density, the Netherlands could see widespread factory closures and job losses within the next decade, shifting the country from a global producer to a dependent consumer.

Former ASML CEO Peter Wennink and KPN CEO Joost Farwerck warn that the Netherlands’ digital infrastructure is falling behind. They argue that rapid technological developments demand new investment, European collaboration, and government procurement that values digital sovereignty.