Mapping AI ecosystems in the Netherlands and the UK

What is the issue?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly central to economic competitiveness, scientific leadership and innovation. For both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, AI is a strategic technology and policy priority, offering opportunities to increase productivity, strengthen resilience and accelerate innovation, while also raising governance, security and societal challenges.

Against this backdrop, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has commissioned RAND Europe to assess the UK and Dutch AI ecosystems and identify concrete opportunities for deeper bilateral collaboration. The study is examining how and where the countries share strengths, face similar barriers and where they have complementary advantages, and how these can be translated into practical joint action.

The project focuses on areas of complementarity across priority sectors and enabling capabilities, including compute, data, skills and responsible AI adoption. It aims to provide an evidence base for future UK–Netherlands cooperation on AI innovation, infrastructure and governance.

How are we helping?

RAND Europe is bringing together quantitative analysis, policy research and stakeholder perspectives to build a detailed picture of the two AI ecosystems and identify promising areas for collaboration. Our work includes:

• Mapping the national AI ecosystems: RAND Europe is examining the scale, structure and strategic direction of AI activity in both countries. This includes analysis of 25 national strategy and policy documents, AI-related publications from 2016 to 2026 using Scopus, and patent data from Espacenet.
• Exploring priority sectors: We are conducting focused assessments of Life Sciences and Health Technologies, Agrifood and Agritech, and Compute/ICT Infrastructure. This analysis considers each country’s capabilities, needs and potential areas of complementarity. Sector briefs are also being developed to present the evidence for each area.
• Engaging stakeholders: We are drawing on key informant interviews and focus groups with representatives from industry, research and policy in both countries. These discussions are helping to test the emerging analysis, incorporate practical perspectives and ensure that potential areas of cooperation reflect stakeholder priorities.
• Developing options for bilateral action: We are synthesising the evidence into cross-sector and sector-specific opportunity matrices. These will set out practical options for near-, medium- and longer-term cooperation, helping policymakers consider how bilateral collaboration could be developed and implemented.