Budget Day 2026: from ambition to implementation
By: Hans Risseeuw
The 2027 Budget shows that the Cabinet remains committed to economic growth, innovation, and sustainability. For the technology sector, these are familiar themes. At the same time, a different message is emerging from the business community: the greatest challenge is not developing new technology, but realizing investments and projects in practice.
In an initial reaction to the Budget Memorandum, VNO-NCW and MKB-Nederland therefore advocate for an 'agenda for growth'.[1] According to the business organizations, the economic and societal challenges call not only for new plans, but above all for a stable investment climate and a government that enables implementation.
Investments require certainty
From the 2026 Budget Day poll[2] It appears that more than four out of ten entrepreneurs expect to postpone investments. Fluctuating government policy is cited most frequently as the reason. Regulatory burden, energy costs, staff shortages, and permit procedures are also seen as significant obstacles to growth.
For technology companies, this is a familiar picture. Investments in automation, laboratories, energy infrastructure, and digital systems often have a long payback period. Companies therefore require predictability. In this regard, not only financial arrangements are important, but also clarity regarding regulations, permitting, and grid capacity.
According to VNO-NCW, it is becoming increasingly difficult to expeditiously implement major societal challenges when entrepreneurs experience insufficient certainty regarding the direction of policy.[3]
FHI shares these concerns of entrepreneurs and is committed to its members on the themes of education & the labor market, industrial policy, and regulatory burden.
Technology as the foundation for societal challenges
Virtually all major issues of our time affect the FHI constituency. The energy transition calls for smart energy systems and more efficient buildings. The tight labor market increases the need for automation. In healthcare, the food chain, and sustainability, the demand for reliable measurement and analysis technology is growing. Digitization and cybersecurity also remain high on the agenda.
Electronics is an indispensable link for many of these developments. From energy grids and industrial automation to medical equipment and laboratory instrumentation, semiconductors, sensors, and embedded systems form the basis of modern innovation. The growing European attention to semiconductor technology underscores the strategic importance of this sector. VNO-NCW also cites investments in semiconductor technology as a positive development for the Dutch innovation capacity.[4]
The technology sector thus provides not just one solution, but forms an important foundation for many solutions that the Netherlands needs.
From innovation to implementation
The Netherlands possesses strong knowledge institutions, innovative companies, and high-quality technology. Yet, according to many entrepreneurs, the greatest challenge no longer lies in innovation itself, but in its implementation. Projects stall due to a shortage of personnel, limited grid capacity, complex regulations, or lengthy procedures.
It is precisely at this point that the Budget Memorandum and the concerns of entrepreneurs intersect. While the government focuses on sustainability, digitalization, and economic growth, companies are calling for preconditions that make it possible to actually invest.
This is where an important role lies for FHI and its members. Technology companies not only develop new products and systems, but also help make societal challenges feasible. This requires innovation, but equally an environment in which investments can be realized.
Technology needs space
Perhaps the most important conclusion of Budget Day 2026 is that technology is not the limiting factor. The knowledge is available, the systems exist, and the willingness to invest is often there as well.
The question is increasingly whether the preconditions are in order.
As VNO-NCW states, the Netherlands needs a growth agenda in which investing, entrepreneurship, and innovation take center stage. For the technology sector, this primarily means room to apply solutions, scale up, and make a real impact.
FHI Advocacy
