Because the future doesn't build itself — why we are continuing as the Delta Instituut

“If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.”

- Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

The challenge of technology and innovation

Technology is playing an ever-growing role in our lives. Today, anyone who wants to share information with the government rarely does so through letters or physical service desks anymore. We expect government to be digitally accessible 24 hours a day, and to execute even the most complex regulations flawlessly and at scale.  Government is therefore more than a collection of laws and agreements: it is the largest digital systemthe Netherlands has ever seen. Whether that system functions properly determines whether citizens receive what they are entitled to, and whether political decisions can actually be implemented.

Our economy has also changed profoundly. For half a century, the technology sector has been the fastest-growing industry in the world, reflected in the fact that nearly every domain of society now depends on it. Technological innovation has brought us prosperity, but in many ways it has also made us increasingly dependent on foreign powers and companies.

In recent years, that challenge has become increasingly urgent. With the rise of AI, software is becoming capable of things that were previously thought impossible. The scale and capabilities of AI are advancing at an unprecedented pace, along with the speed at which it is transforming the old economy.

At the same time, the Netherlands is facing growing economic and demographic challenges from various angles. An aging population is driving up healthcare costs and pension burdens, while the number of working people per retiree continues to decline. If we want to preserve our welfare state as we know it, we will need to achieve more with fewer people. An innovative economy is the only sustainable path forward.

Technology and innovation must become core Dutch competencies. If we fail to do that, we will eventually hit a wall. But if we succeed, we can build a future of broad prosperity while maintaining control over our digital infrastructure and continuing to define our own values.

We are optimistic that this is possible, and convinced that it is necessary.

Why? Because we know Dutch history. A history filled with moments in which we had to reinvent ourselves, only to emerge stronger afterward. After the eighteenth century and the Industrial Revolution. After the Second World War and the reconstruction period. After the 1953 North Sea Flood and the construction of the Delta Works.

These periods have proven that we are builders, and that as a country we are capable of undertaking major public projects. Just as importantly, they prove that progress is worth fighting for, and that it can translate into a higher standard of living for everyone.

What we have already achieved

Over the past two years, through Herprogrammeer de Overheid, we have tried to help build toward that vision.

Together with the parliamentary committee for Digital Affairs, we drafted a policy initiative for a stronger digital government, many elements of which were later incorporated into the government’s coalition agreement.

We advocated for procurement reform within the Dutch state, to ensure government has access to a broad ecosystem of Dutch products and services.

We also worked with government organizations on developing citizen-centered software, demonstrating that building in multidisciplinary teams leads to cheaper software and better public services.

In addition, we co-authored to the AI Plan, aimed at preparing the Netherlands for the opportunities and risks created by AI. Among other things, we advocated for a national AI research center, the creation of an AI impact and security institute, and a National Agency for Disruptive Innovation (NADI) capable of driving technological breakthroughs to solve major societal challenges.

These proposals, too, found their way into the coalition agreement.

And yet we are only at the beginning

None of these challenges have been solved. In fact, their importance has only increased.

Our donors enable us to do this work independently and in the public interest. Thanks to their support, we can now continue this work across an even broader range of issues. We are moving forward under the name Delta Institute to reflect that broader ambition.

We operate differently from most organizations. Anyone who knows us understands that we are difficult to categorize.

We publish articles, but we are not journalists. We engage with politics, but we are not lobbyists. We build alongside government institutions, but we are not consultants.

What we are is results-oriented. The challenges facing our country cannot be solved from the sidelines. That is why we stand behind the people trying to make the Netherlands resilient and prosperous again, until the work is done.

But we cannot do it alone. We are looking for more forward-thinking people who want to help build and who are willing to step into the arena. You can find our open vacancies below.

We also set a high standard — for ourselves, for politics, and for government. Because the greatest challenges of our time cannot be solved with small thinking.

It is time to pursue ambitious projects again. To unleash government where it has become stuck. To aim for absolute global leadership in scientific and technological innovation. And to translate that into broad prosperity and a high standard of living, both now and ten years from today.

The future will not wait for us.

On behalf of the Delta Institute,

Onno Eric Blom