now the real transformation must follow  AI is already making the Netherlands more efficient;

74 per cent of organisations use AI primarily to improve efficiency. With clear choices at the top, it can evolve from a tool into a driver of innovation.

Dutch organisations are lagging behind in using AI as a driver of innovation. Only 11 per cent of Dutch executives and board members take explicit ownership of technological transformation. In fact, 29 per cent wait until change becomes unavoidable. This is according to the Tech Reality Check 2026, a study conducted by Conclusion among 1,058 IT decision-makers in four European countries (the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal and Spain).

In a short space of time, AI has secured a permanent place in organisations’ day-to-day operations, with the technology primarily used to make existing processes faster or more efficient. Seventy-four per cent of respondents across the four countries indicate that they mainly use AI to improve efficiency, rather than fundamentally change the way they work. This means the main challenge is not access to technology, but leadership, skills and the willingness to genuinely redesign processes and roles. The tools are in place, but organisational change is lagging behind. 

For Dutch organisations, this picture is particularly stark. Of the countries studied, the Netherlands scores lowest on almost all dimensions of agility. While only 11 per cent of Dutch executives and board members take explicit ownership of technological transformation, this figure is almost three times higher in Germany and Portugal, at 31 and 30 per cent respectively. The wait-and-see attitude among Dutch leadership (29 per cent) is also the highest across the countries studied. As a result, AI adoption in the Netherlands more often remains limited to isolated applications and efficiency gains, rather than developing into broader changes in processes, roles and decision-making. 

This caution is also visible in the reported benefits of AI. Dutch organisations score lowest or second-lowest on almost all measured indicators. For example, only 30 per cent of Dutch respondents cite faster or better decision-making as a benefit of AI, compared with 64 per cent in Germany. The Netherlands also lags behind in service delivery: 34 per cent report improved services to customers or citizens, compared with 56 per cent in Portugal.

In addition, 13 per cent of Dutch respondents report no noticeable effects from AI at all. This is also the highest percentage among the countries studied. For a country that positions itself as a digital frontrunner, this is a vulnerable signal.

Bastiaan Sjardin, AI Officer at Conclusion Intelligence: “AI only creates real value when organisations use it not just to accelerate existing processes, but also dare to rethink how work is organised. In the Netherlands, we see that the technology is available, but leadership and ownership are lagging behind. The next step is not about more experimentation with tools, but about setting direction: which processes do we want to change, what skills are needed, and who takes responsibility for the transformation? Without that ownership, AI remains little more than an optimisation layer on top of the existing organisation.”