Driven by an escalating global demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure, Dutch industrial output grew by 12 per cent year-on-year in August, marking the sector’s most significant expansion in more than four years according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS). The strong result continues a upward trajectory from July, when industrial production recorded a 9.3 per cent gain.
The country’s pivotal position in the global semiconductor supply chain remains the primary catalyst behind these figures. Netherlands-based ASML holds a global monopoly on the advanced lithography machinery required to fabricate high-performance AI chips. Fueled by this position, the machinery manufacturing segment expanded by over 45 per cent, making it the top-performing industrial division and counterbalancing a 4 per cent contraction in chemical manufacturing over the same period.
According to ABN AMRO analysis of Nevi purchasing managers’ survey data, the recovery is also broadening into other capital equipment markets, including machinery for agricultural and food processing applications. This sustained order volume has boosted morale across the sector, with the CBS producer confidence index rising from 3.7 to 4.2 to hit a multi-year high, driven by strong short-term output expectations.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
