The percentage of Dutch businesses using AI has nearly doubled in three years: from 34 percent in 2023 to 67 percent in 2026. Dutch SMEs are even ahead of the European average. But behind those growth figures lies a more complex picture. What do the numbers really say, where are the gaps, and what can you do with this information now?
The growth figures around AI adoption in the Netherlands are impressive. In 2023, 34 percent of Dutch businesses used some form of AI. By 2026 that has risen to 67 percent, a doubling in three years. Within the SME segment, the Netherlands performed above the European average: 74 percent of Dutch SMEs have integrated AI into their operations, compared to a European average of 64 percent.
Those are encouraging figures. But they deserve nuance. What exactly do we mean by AI adoption, and what does it mean when a business has integrated AI?
An employee who occasionally uses ChatGPT to rewrite an email falls under the heading of AI use in most studies. That is different from a business where AI is structurally embedded in processes, supports decisions or autonomously executes tasks.
Research shows that a central approach to AI in SMEs is still largely absent. Many entrepreneurs experiment individually, but a company-wide strategy with clear frameworks, data policies and concrete processes is missing in most cases. Only 6 percent of SME entrepreneurs report having actually integrated AI into daily operations.
At the investment level the picture is less rosy. While 60 percent of AI investment in the United States goes to AI companies, in the Netherlands that is only 27 percent. The European Union sits at 32 percent. The Netherlands therefore produces relatively little AI technology and is primarily a consumer of what is developed elsewhere.
This does not need to be a problem for individual businesses, which do not need to build AI but can deploy existing tools. But it does mean that businesses which do not now learn how to use AI effectively may structurally lag behind competitors in three to five years.
AI adoption is not evenly distributed across sectors. Financial services, marketing and technology companies are ahead. In the construction, healthcare and agricultural sectors adoption is considerably lower, partly due to higher barriers around regulation, data availability and technical infrastructure.
The figures show that most businesses have already started with AI, but that the step from experimenting to structural deployment remains open for most. That is at the same time an opportunity: those who take that step now build a lead over competitors who are waiting.
Practically, this starts with mapping processes that are repetitive, time-consuming and recur regularly. The next question is which AI tools are available for these and how they connect to your existing systems. For businesses already working with Microsoft 365, the tools are partly already present, including through Copilot and the Agent capabilities Microsoft is rolling out this year.
Want to know how your business currently stands on AI adoption and where the biggest opportunities lie? Zarioh offers an AI readiness scan to map which processes are suitable for automation and what steps are needed. Get in touch for more information.
