Dutch government invests nearly €200 million in vocational training and 6G technology for future growth
The Dutch cabinet is injecting €199.4 million into vocational education and 6G networks to boost the economy. This investment aims to train more skilled workers and advance mobile communication technology, directly impacting jobs and innovation for citizens.
| Project | Funding (€) | Key Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| Scaling up Public-Private Partnerships | 152.6M (definitive) + 57.4M (conditional) | 8,000+ companies involved, 8,000+ employees trained, 10,000 students with practical experience annually |
| 6G Future Network Services | 61M (definitive) + 142M (reserved) | 20 patents, 14 hardware prototypes, 6 new companies, subsidy scheme for 6G applications |
| Total Investment | 199.4M | Strengthening labor market and technological leadership |
The National Growth Fund, managed by the Dutch cabinet, focuses on large-scale projects to drive long-term economic growth. This investment aligns with its mission to enhance education, innovation, and technological competitiveness in the Netherlands.
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Read the full translated article below
€200 million from the National Growth Fund for vocational education and 6G networks
News item | 13-03-2026 | 14:15
The Dutch cabinet is allocating €199.4 million from the National Growth Fund for two projects that will strengthen the sustainable earning capacity of the Netherlands: scaling up Public-Private Partnerships in vocational education and 6G Future Network Services. This investment will focus on better-trained personnel and the development of the next generation of mobile communication networks.
Scaling up Public-Private Partnerships in vocational education
The Scaling up Public-Private Partnerships (PPS) in vocational education project strengthens collaboration between the business community and secondary vocational (mbo) and higher professional education (hbo). The aim is to better align with labour market needs, thereby increasing productivity and the earning capacity of the Netherlands.
In the second round of the National Growth Fund, €152.6 million was allocated to scale up 15 public-private partnerships. In addition, the cabinet conditionally awarded €57.4 million for a subsequent phase. The partnerships have grown significantly in the past period. The number of affiliated companies increased by nearly 8,000, more than 8,000 employees followed training programmes, and each year an additional 10,000 students with practical experience enter the labour market.
Based on this progress, the advisory committee recommends definitively allocating the €57.4 million. This will enable the existing partnerships to be further expanded and the network strengthened with four additional partnerships. The cabinet has adopted this recommendation.
6G Future Network Services
The 6G Future Network Services (6G FNS) project is working on the development of the next generation of mobile communication networks, which are expected to be launched around 2030. 6G FNS is building a strong Dutch ecosystem of companies and knowledge institutions and is contributing to the international standardisation of new technologies.
In the third round of the National Growth Fund, €61 million was definitively allocated for the first phase of the project. In addition, €142 million was reserved for the follow-up phase. Since the start at the beginning of 2024, several results have already been achieved: 20 patents have been developed, 14 hardware prototypes have been built and six new companies have been established. In addition, a subsidy scheme is stimulating new applications of 6G technology.
The advisory committee is positive about the project's progress. The project is making an important contribution to the further development of 6G and strengthening the Netherlands' position in the international 6G value chain. The committee therefore recommends allocating the reserved €142 million in full. The cabinet has agreed with this recommendation.
National Growth Fund
The National Growth Fund is investing a total of €11 billion in 50 large-scale projects that contribute to the future economic growth of the Netherlands. These include projects in areas such as green hydrogen, making agriculture more sustainable, combating low literacy and key technologies such as quantum and artificial intelligence.
The budgetary processing of these two allocations will take place in the first supplementary budgets for 2026. The allocation will be final after approval by the House of Representatives and the Senate.