The Ministry of Defence is launching the National Institute for Defence Technology (NIDT). The institute is intended to drive forward collaboration with civilian partners in the defence sector. In this way, the Ministry of Defence aims to accelerate the pace of innovation and strengthen the production capacity for defence equipment on Dutch soil. This should enable the armed forces to respond quickly and flexibly to developments.
Through the institute, the Ministry of Defence aims to work closely with the business community, research institutions and partners. In many cases, new technologies are developed by research institutions rather than by government bodies. The institute is intended to give the Ministry of Defence access to these technologies. Furthermore, the pooling of knowledge, technology and market power is expected to generate export value for the Dutch economy within a few years.
Building bridges
The NIDT aims to bridge the gap between the defence sector and the market. A key objective is to innovate, manufacture and scale up more quickly, flexibly and domestically. The institute is working with the market and knowledge institutions to find innovative solutions for modern warfare.
These solutions are then tested in the armed forces’ operational environment. This ensures that the solutions are immediately deployable. “In this way, the Netherlands is building the armed forces of the future, capable of addressing the threats of today and tomorrow,” says the Ministry of Defence.
Protecting the North Sea
Initially, the parties involved will focus on protecting the North Sea. For instance, the seabed of the North Sea is home to all manner of vital infrastructure, including internet and telecoms cables, electricity connections and gas pipelines. This infrastructure is of great importance to the Netherlands, particularly with regard to energy supply, the economy and digital communications.
It has now become clear on several occasions that undersea infrastructure is vulnerable. In the Baltic Sea in particular, there have been various incidents in which undersea cables and pipelines were damaged. For example, two data cables were damaged in November 2024. The Chinese cargo ship Yi Peng 3 came under scrutiny following the incident, after the vessel was believed to have dragged its anchor across the seabed.
In January 2025, the Estlink 2 electricity cable between Finland and Estonia was damaged. All eyes then turned to the Eagle S, a vessel linked to the Russian shadow fleet. In many such incidents, it is difficult to prove intent.
Warning from Dutch security services
The Dutch security services are also warning of growing interest in critical infrastructure in the North Sea. Russia is reportedly mapping the locations of cables and pipelines, amongst other things. In addition, underwater activities have been observed which, according to the services, may indicate espionage. The information gathered in this way could be used for sabotage at a later stage.
The Netherlands still has work to do in protecting this infrastructure, the Netherlands Court of Audit warned in a report in May 2026. According to the Court of Audit, the various organisations involved do not have a complete shared understanding of the threats. Furthermore, the exchange of information between them is not up to standard. As a result, there is a risk that suspicious activities will not be detected in good time or that joint action cannot be taken quickly enough.
Market calls for solutions
The NIDT is calling on the market to provide solutions to overcome these challenges. The focus is on a wide range of solutions, ranging from sensor and surveillance systems to autonomous patrols.
The NIDT will initially be launched as an independent company within TNO Affiliates BV. In the long term, the parties are considering a different organisational structure.
