Summary Under the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), the Netherlands is legally required to establish Experience and Acceleration Centres for AI (Centres for AI) as mandated by Article 5. These centres must build upon the existing network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), refocusing their mission to accelerate cloud and AI adoption. Their primary role is to support SMEs, small mid-caps (SMCs), and public sector bodies by connecting them with European cloud and AI providers, facilitating upskilling, and acting as the operational "entry points" for the Netherlands' National Cloud and AI Strategy under Article 7.

Detail

The proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), COM(2026) 502 final, introduces a structural mechanism to bridge the gap between technological capability and real-world adoption across the European Union. A cornerstone of this framework is the establishment of Experience and Acceleration Centres for AI. For the Netherlands, this represents a significant evolution of its current digital infrastructure, transforming existing support structures into a dedicated AI acceleration network.

Legal Basis: Article 5 of CADA

Article 5 of the CADA proposal explicitly sets out the obligation for Member States to establish these centres. The text states:

"1. Each Member State shall establish Experience and Acceleration Centres for AI ('Centres for AI'). Those Centres for AI shall build on the European digital innovation hubs established under Article 16 of Regulation (EU) 2021/694 and, where applicable, any successor entities established under Union law."

This provision imposes a clear constraint on how the Netherlands must proceed: it cannot simply create entirely new, isolated entities from scratch. Instead, the Dutch government must leverage, upgrade, and refocus the existing European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) already operating within its territory. These hubs will be reoriented to specifically target the acceleration of AI and cloud computing, ensuring continuity of expertise while expanding their mandate to meet the new regulatory requirements of CADA.

Core Objectives and Tasks

The primary goal of these Centres for AI is to reduce the adoption gap in the real economy, particularly for smaller organisations and the public sector. According to Article 5(2), the centres have three distinct operational objectives:

  1. Support Integration and Scaling: They must help strategic industrial and public sectors integrate and scale up AI use cases.
  2. Accelerate Broad Adoption: They are tasked with promoting the use of cloud and AI at regional and local levels, with a specific focus on SMEs, small mid-caps (SMCs), and public sector bodies, aligning with the 'AI first' principle.
  3. Leverage Infrastructure: They must leverage relevant infrastructure to accelerate the development and fine-tuning of AI models and systems.

To achieve these objectives, Article 5(3) assigns specific, actionable tasks to the Centres for AI in the Netherlands:

  • Connecting with European Providers: A critical function is helping organisations accelerate their digital transformation by connecting them with European providers of cloud and AI technologies. This directly supports CADA's broader strategic goal of reducing dependency on non-European hyperscalers and strengthening the Union's technological sovereignty.
  • Upskilling and Reskilling: The centres must ensure or provide access to relevant training schemes, working in close collaboration with the AI Skills Academy. This addresses the talent shortage that frequently hinders AI adoption in both public and private sectors.
  • Expertise Transfer: They facilitate the transfer of expertise across regions, ensuring that knowledge gained in one part of the Netherlands (or Europe) benefits other areas, preventing siloed development.
  • Supporting Start-ups: They support the scaling of spin-offs and start-ups emerging from universities and incubators by facilitating access to clients and organisations seeking specialised AI services.

The European Network

Article 5(6) mandates the establishment of a network of Centres for AI. This network is not merely a collection of independent national offices but a collaborative, EU-wide system designed to:

  • Support collaboration and the exchange of best practices among centres.
  • Provide specialised services across regions where specific skills or compute capacity are not available locally.

For the Netherlands, this means local Centres for AI will be integrated into a larger EU-wide ecosystem. If a Dutch SME requires a specific type of AI compute capacity or expertise not available locally, the network mechanism allows for cross-border support from other Member States' centres, ensuring that no region is left behind due to a lack of local resources.

Link to National Strategy (Article 7)

The Centres for AI do not operate in a vacuum. Their activities are intrinsically linked to the National Cloud and AI Strategy that each Member State, including the Netherlands, must adopt under Article 7 of CADA.

Article 7(2)(b) requires national strategies to include measures to accelerate the development and adoption of cloud and AI at national, regional, and local levels, "including by supporting the Centres for AI referred to in Article 5 as entry points to the European AI innovation ecosystem."

This creates a direct policy loop:

  1. The Dutch government defines its national priorities for AI and cloud adoption in its Article 7 strategy.
  2. The Centres for AI act as the operational "entry points" to execute these priorities on the ground.
  3. The centres report back and align their activities with the national strategy, ensuring that local actions contribute to national sovereignty and competitiveness goals.

What this means for you

For public-sector procurement officers, digital transformation leads, and business owners in the Netherlands, the establishment of Centres for AI under CADA presents both a new resource and a compliance pathway.

1. A New Point of Contact for Procurement When your organisation seeks to procure cloud or AI services, the Centres for AI will serve as a verified resource for identifying European providers. CADA encourages the use of sovereign and trusted cloud services. The centres will have curated lists and expertise on providers that meet the Union Assurance Levels (UALs) defined in CADA. This reduces the due diligence burden on your team when evaluating suppliers for sovereignty and security compliance.

2. Support for Innovation Procurement If your public body is running innovation procurement procedures for AI systems, the Centres for AI can facilitate matchmaking with European SMEs and start-ups. Article 33 of CADA encourages Member States to aim for at least 25% of cloud and AI innovation procurement to be awarded to innovative SMEs. The centres are tasked with facilitating this connection, helping you meet these targets while fostering the local ecosystem.

3. Access to Skills and Training If your organisation lacks internal AI expertise, the Centres for AI will provide access to upskilling schemes. Rather than hiring expensive external consultants for basic literacy, your staff can engage with the training programmes coordinated by the centres in collaboration with the AI Skills Academy.

4. Alignment with National Strategy As you plan your department's digital roadmap, ensure it aligns with the national strategy's support for these centres. Using the Centres for AI as your first port of call for AI adoption demonstrates compliance with the spirit of Article 7 and positions your organisation as a leader in the national AI ecosystem.

Common misconceptions

Misconception 1: These are entirely new institutions. Reality: Article 5 explicitly states that Centres for AI shall build on existing European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs). The Netherlands already has a network of EDIHs. CADA does not require building from scratch but rather refocusing and enhancing these existing entities to prioritise AI and cloud acceleration.

Misconception 2: They only serve large enterprises. Reality: While they support strategic industrial sectors, Article 5(2)(b) and (3)(a) specifically highlight SMEs, small mid-caps (SMCs), and public sector bodies as key beneficiaries. The centres are designed to lower the barrier to entry for smaller organisations that lack the resources of large tech firms.

Misconception 3: They are purely advisory bodies. Reality: While they provide advice, they also have operational roles. They facilitate access to infrastructure, help with the fine-tuning of AI models, and actively connect organisations with providers. They are active accelerators, not just passive information desks.

Misconception 4: They operate independently of national policy. Reality: Their mandate is tied directly to the National Cloud and AI Strategy (Article 7). The centres are the operational arm of the national strategy, ensuring that local AI adoption aligns with broader national goals for technological sovereignty and economic competitiveness.

Related

This is general information about a draft EU regulation, not legal advice.