NC-NL kick-off meeting: Building a leading position in Neuromorphic Computing for the Netherlands together

On Friday, March 6, 2026, the first coalition meeting of Neuromorphic Computing NL (NC-NL) took place in Utrecht, marking an important step towards strengthening the Dutch neuromorphic computing ecosystem.

The meeting brought together over fifty participants from companies, government organisations, and knowledge institutions across the Netherlands. The morning was opened by Johan Mentink, figurehead of NC-NL, and Frits Grotenhuis, director and board member of Digital Holland, which supports the coalition.

Grotenhuis highlighted the growing momentum behind neuromorphic computing as part of the National Technology Strategy and the AI/Data Action Agenda. He emphasised its potential to boost the Netherlands’ earning capacity, strengthen digital autonomy, and address major societal challenges. As a brain-inspired computing approach, neuromorphic technology offers a promising path towards faster and more energy-efficient artificial intelligence.

Mentink underlined both the urgency and the opportunity: “By working together effectively, we can position the Netherlands at the forefront of this field.” With the newly established NC-NL coalition, the ambition is clear—securing a top global position while fostering strong collaboration across domains such as AI, semiconductors, photonics, and quantum computing.

A key highlight for CogniGron was the contribution of Prof. Beatriz Noheda, who presented on the development of prototyping facilities—one of the three central action lines within the Neuromorphic Computing Action Plan. These shared facilities will be essential to accelerate innovation, enabling researchers and industry to jointly develop and test new materials, architectures, and chips, and to bridge the gap from lab to application.

The meeting concluded with a forward-looking discussion and networking lunch, setting the stage for continued collaboration and concrete next steps.