The Netherlands faces a major investment challenge. Our future earning capacity and competitiveness are under pressure, while technological development, economic resilience and strategic autonomy are becoming increasingly important. Innovative companies and capital-intensive projects in particular often struggle to secure financing during the scale-up phase and when expanding internationally. To remain prosperous, innovative and resilient in the future, targeted long-term investments are needed, especially where market financing falls short.
Invest International and Invest-NL lay the foundation for the new institution
Invest International and Invest-NL therefore welcome the government’s plans to establish a national investment institution. The integration of Invest International and Invest-NL already underway provides a solid foundation on which the new institution can rapidly build.
We support the decision to focus domestic investments on digitalisation and AI, security and resilience, energy and climate technologies, and life sciences and biotechnology. These domains will be critical to the Netherlands’ future earning capacity and align closely with the expertise Invest International and Invest-NL have developed in recent years. The NII also has a clear international focus, combining strategic, economic and development interests in a single approach. At the same time, there must be room to respond to emerging economic opportunities and new financing challenges.
The announced €3.3 billion represents an important starting point
Combined with the existing capital of Invest International and Invest-NL this would create a capital base of approximately €6.6 billion. However, a significant portion of that capital has already been invested or committed to existing projects and funds. If the Netherlands wants to finance structurally larger investments, its financial capacity will therefore need to grow further.
To reach the necessary scale, additional capital injections will be needed, or the institution must be able to raise capital independently. The latter would require a form of state guarantee. This is an internationally proven model, used by institutions such as KfW and Bpifrance, allowing public capital to be deployed more effectively, enabling larger and longer-term financing, and mobilising greater amounts of private and institutional capital.
At the same time, the investment challenge cannot wait for the formal establishment of the institution. The financing needs of businesses and projects already exist today. We therefore strongly welcome the government’s intention to make part of the additional €3.3 billion available during the transition period through Invest International and Invest-NL. This would increase investment capacity while work continues on establishing the new institution.
The national investment institution should also help simplify and better connect what is currently a fragmented and complex public financing landscape. We would have liked to see a clear commitment at this stage to also integrate the national financing schemes. This represents a significant opportunity to reduce fragmentation and provide entrepreneurs with simpler access to the financing solutions that best fit their needs.
Melanie Maas Geesteranus, CEO of Invest International :
“Public investment is needed to close financing gaps, but also to safeguard strategic economic interests. This includes access to international markets, technology, energy, raw materials and global value chains that are vital to Dutch businesses and the Dutch economy. The Netherlands must strengthen what it excels at and protect where it is vulnerable. Invest International already finances projects where the market falls short. Through the national investment institution, we will be able to do so at a greater scale. In this way, we strengthen both our future earning capacity and our economic resilience.”
For an open economy such as the Netherlands, economic growth does not stop at the border. A large share of our prosperity is earned internationally. Dutch companies need access to international markets, talent and technology. European and international cooperation is essential to help businesses scale up and to strengthen both our economic resilience and strategic autonomy. The national investment institution will therefore have both a domestic and a strong international mandate.
Rinke Zonneveld, CEO of Invest-NL :
“The national investment institution will only be successful if entrepreneurs and investors experience a simpler system. Less fragmentation, greater financial capabilities, and the ability to mobilise significantly more private capital through public investment. That is what the market needs and a key condition for delivering the investment agenda. Fortunately, we do not have to start from scratch. Over recent years, Invest-NL has developed into the Netherlands’ most active investor in innovative, high-growth companies. The integration with Invest International and the creation of the national investment institution represent the next necessary step in scaling up our efforts to make the Netherlands more innovative, sustainable and resilient.”
With the government’s plans, combined with the activities and expertise of Invest International and Invest-NL, a strong foundation is already in place. The priority now is to maintain momentum and ensure that the institution, like other European investment institutions, has the financial resources and instruments needed to finance more innovative companies and projects in practice.
