Hubcrawl is a curated two-day immersion across the Dutch sovereign AI ecosystem — nine stops, one question every participant should be able to answer by the end: what does it actually take for a country to keep control of its own technology?
Delegations struggle to get a coherent, connected view of a country's AI ecosystem. Individual visits are ad-hoc and lack strategic context.
European organizations route their data through US and Chinese cloud platforms. Control over data, operations, and business continuity sits outside EU jurisdiction.
Leaders lack the time and access for deep exploration. Current alternatives are superficial, with little follow-up or actionable output.
One coherent two-day journey, built as a rising argument: from ecosystem and international scale, through physical infrastructure and a sovereign AI industry in the making, to enterprise application, compliance, and the regional model that makes it all possible.
On 4 August 2026, the EU Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) took effect — the first European law to treat digital sovereignty not as a principle but as a procurement requirement. Part of a broader Tech Sovereignty Package, it responds to two vulnerabilities: a structural shortage of EU datacentre capacity, and dependency on a handful of non-EU cloud and AI providers. Delegations visit this ecosystem not just before, but just after the moment Europe began enforcing this in law.
At its core sits a layered framework of four sovereignty assurance levels, used by public institutions when procuring cloud and AI services. On this tour, those four levels become a lens: at every stop, one question — where on this ladder does this party sit, and where should your own organisation be?
Standard commercial cloud and AI services, with no specific sovereignty guarantees beyond ordinary contractual terms.
Provider must demonstrate independence from third countries and offer transparency over the software supply chain.
Provider must be under EU ownership and control, with additional requirements such as nationality criteria for staff.
Complete transparency and control over the software supply chain, with no interference from any third country.
European GPU superclusters and NeoCloud infrastructure — the largest of their kind in the Benelux — giving regulated organisations their own compute without touching a US cloud.
Private AI infrastructure made physical: dedicated inference and "Private GPT" capacity for hospitals, governments, and enterprises with sensitive data.
A new generation of Dutch initiatives building a sovereign European AI industry from the ground up — chip to model to platform to application.
Open-source and EU-hosted platforms for deploying AI without hyperscaler lock-in — the control layer kept in European hands.
Encryption-in-use and multi-party computation that let organisations analyse sensitive data together without ever exposing the raw records.
EU AI Act, NIS2, GDPR and CADA in practice — certified, EU-hosted platforms, and the Dutch "Triple Helix" model of government, academia and industry.
We start at the largest startup and scale-up hub in the Netherlands, where the country's innovation ecosystem becomes visible in a single morning. The opening question: why does a small country position itself as a guide-land for sovereign AI — and is that more than a slogan? A live example of data sovereignty in practice makes it tangible.
A deliberate counterpoint: one of Europe's leading startup hubs — itself American-founded, landed in the Dutch port city. The question it raises on its own: where does international collaboration end, and where does dependency begin? A Dutch alternative already serving public-sector clients sharpens the tension.
Here the participant stands not in front of a service, but infrastructure: one of the largest European GPU superclusters in the Benelux, built to give hospitals, governments and enterprises their own "Private GPT" without ever routing through a US cloud. Recognition from the industry's biggest names marks the difference between "we're trying" and "it already works."
The sharpest flagship moment: a brand-new AI hub, opened just months before the tour, with an explicit mission to build a sovereign European AI industry — from chip to application. Serious private capital, corporate partners, and founders building an industry from zero.
A fitting setting overlooking the heart of the city. No new content — space to repeat, at the table, what has been seen: ecosystem, tension, infrastructure, industry-in-the-making. An optional critical voice can join for an informal reflection.
The camera turns: not how you build a sovereign industry, but how it lands in a company that simply has to serve customers. A Dutch AI scale-up grown into a listed company, with its own operations centre and enterprise-grade AI agent platform. Less ideology, more "how do you sell this to a board."
A European sovereign AI platform for organisations that treat GDPR, NIS2 and the AI Act not as obstacles but as starting points — EU-hosted, ISO 27001-certified, beyond the reach of the US CLOUD Act. Sovereignty is not only technique; it is also paperwork, certification and legal architecture.
Where the story shows its foundation: an incubator literally founded by municipality, knowledge institutions and a regional development agency together — the "Triple Helix" from the business plan, here not as a slide but as a building.
Back to the starting point. A debrief on the through-line of both days, and room for first follow-up appointments — ahead of the written Action Pack two weeks later. The founders close with the question that carried the whole tour: what do you take from this into your own organisation?
Morning of Day 1 at our Utrecht home base. Introductions, strategic context, delegation objectives, and the opening question that frames the two days that follow.
Two days, nine stops, five cities of guided visits, expert briefings, live demos, working lunches, facilitated reflection, and a networking dinner at a historic Amsterdam venue. Coach transport throughout.
1–2 weeks later. Structured debrief: key takeaways, personal action plans, follow-up introductions, and your Hubcrawl "Action Pack" with contacts and next steps.
Foreign governments, embassies, and attachés seeking to understand Dutch AI strategy for their own national programs.
EU institutions, EuroHPC participants, and organizations navigating digital autonomy and the AI Act.
Leaders in energy, healthcare, logistics, and finance who need to reduce vendor lock-in and build sovereign AI capabilities.
Technology leaders exploring European AI alternatives, responsible AI frameworks, and partnership opportunities.
Seats for the first edition are limited. Whether you're leading a government delegation, exploring partnerships, or seeking strategic intelligence on European AI — reserve your place or request a tailored edition for your team.
Tell us about your delegation and objectives. We'll respond within 48 hours with a tailored proposal. Alternatively, download our executive brochure for an overview you can share with your team.
Registration for the flagship edition runs through our official form. Share your details and objectives — we'll respond within 48 hours with a tailored proposal.
Open registration form →€2.950,50 per participant, excl. VAT. Tailored editions for teams available on request.