New survey of the semiconductor industry from Statistics Netherlands

Staff at work in the microchip factory
© ANP / Remko de Waal
Facts are indispensable in this rapidly changing world, and this is why Statistics Netherlands (CBS) is conducting detailed research into areas like AI, globalisation and security. The semiconductor sector plays a vital role in all these fields. CBS is undertaking the first detailed survey of the scale and importance of the semiconductor industry in the Netherlands, by combining figures from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) with our own data, such as trade statistics.

The importance of semiconductors

The Netherlands’ semiconductor sector is growing rapidly. Semiconductors are used to produce the microchips found in virtually every modern electronic device, and as a result they have become a key resource in our society.

Dennis Cremers is project leader of the Globalisation and Value Chains programme: ‘Chips are found in a vast number of products that we use every day, from the car we drive to work in to our laptop and smartphone. The semiconductor industry is growing rapidly and now makes an increasingly important contribution to the Dutch economy. The Netherlands provides a unique ecosystem for the industry, with its strong focus on cutting-edge engineering.’

Semiconductors are also indispensable to the rapid growth of artificial intelligence. Marjolijn Jaarsma, CBS’s resident expert on international trade, explains: ‘AI is highly dependent on chips. This makes our semiconductor industry the technological driving force behind all the developments that we’re seeing in the field of AI. We now have a highly detailed picture of the semiconductor industry, so that we can define its boundaries and analyse it in greater depth. This includes companies that manufacture the high-tech machinery used in chip production, their suppliers and the companies that design chips.’

A globally interdependent industry

The semiconductor industry is a highly globalised sector in which the Netherlands plays a pivotal role, particularly in the field of high-tech engineering. Strategic security is also a key factor, given the increasing focus on protecting critical industries in various countries. This detailed new dataset will give us a better understanding of both the national interests and international interdependencies that are at stake, both now and in the future.

Dennis Cremers: ‘The semiconductor industry is one of the most globalised ecosystems. Take the latest GPU/AI chips, for example, which are designed in the United States and manufactured in East Asia using machinery manufactured in the Netherlands. These chips will eventually end up in huge data centres and be used to train the latest AI models. The Netherlands plays a unique role in this ecosystem and has a strong position in engineering, in particular.’

Invaluable research

The semiconductor industry is one of the key priorities in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy’s new industrial policy, and the Ministry fully understands the importance of reliable data on this subject. A spokesperson for the Ministry’s Innovation and Industry Directorate commented: ‘The semiconductor industry is vital to the Netherlands’ earning capacity. To maintain this strength and continue building on it, the Ministry’s industrial policy is focused on creating the right conditions for growth. It is vital to monitor developments in the semiconductor industry in the Netherlands so that policymakers can assess the effectiveness of the policy and – where necessary – make timely adjustments based on hard facts.’

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