Structural investment in Dutch computer science: Academia is vital for digital sovereignty

Digital sovereignty is a national strategic priority. As global geopolitical tensions rise and dependence on foreign digital infrastructure increases, the Netherlands faces growing risks to its economic resilience, democratic integrity, and national security. To address these vulnerabilities, the Dutch government must act decisively to support a sovereign digital ecosystem rooted in domestic capability and innovation. Now is the moment to assert control over our digital footprint and infrastructure in the midst of an increasingly volatile and hostile global landscape. A critical enabler of this transition is the academic Computer Science domain. Dutch universities, as well as adjoining national research institutes like Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI)1 and eScience Center2, provide the foundational research, innovation, and education required to develop secure, autonomous technologies and to train the highly skilled workforce necessary to support digital sovereignty. Yet current funding models are insufficient to meet this strategic need. Structural investment in academia is essential for building the long-term capacity necessary to secure our digital future.