Collaborating on the digital future: how NDS involves market parties in NDS priorities

The Dutch Digitalization Strategy (NDS) is actively engaging market stakeholders to shape its priorities, aiming for a collaborative approach to digital future development. This initiative underscores a commitment to incorporating diverse perspectives, from large technology corporations to local Dutch providers, in the formulation of national digital policy. The strategy emphasizes building a robust and sovereign digital infrastructure through inclusive dialogue. To gather market input, the NDS Cloud Acceleration Team has organized "Open Dialogue" sessions, inviting companies to contribute to the government's cloud ambitions. These meetings, open to potential suppliers of cloud infrastructure, integration services, and SaaS solutions by 2026, facilitate discussions on government cloud strategy. Industry associations like NL Digital and the Dutch Cloud Community (DCC) play a crucial advisory role, leveraging their extensive networks to ensure broad participation from startups to larger enterprises. While industry associations offer valuable guidance on dialogue structure and session organization, they do not hold decision-making power regarding NDS priorities. Final governmental decisions, particularly concerning the government cloud, rest with the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in consultation with other governmental bodies. Furthermore, the NDS Council, an independent advisory body composed of recognized experts from various sectors, provides strategic recommendations to accelerate NDS implementation, ensuring a diversity of thought in policy development. This collaborative framework, prioritizing transparency and equitable participation, aims to foster a future-ready, secure, and sovereign digital infrastructure for the Netherlands.