3 steps Dutch organisations can take to grow their AI maturity

Dutch organisations have ambitious AI goals, yet AI implementation lags, according to the ServiceNow Enterprise AI Maturity Index 2026. One reason for this is regulations such as the EU AI Act: Businesses want to get their fundamentals right before deploying AI solutions on a large scale.

At first glance, the Netherlands seems to be underperforming on AI: It ranks last in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) for AI maturity. However, the underlying factors reveal a very different story. Dutch leaders are focused primarily on addressing governance concerns regarding AI. Once these concerns are resolved, they intend to work on scaling AI deployments across the organisation.

The Netherlands’ last-place ranking in AI maturity is less clear-cut than it appears. The country scored 48 out of 100 points for overall AI maturity in our study, compared to a global score of 51. Which means the Dutch are close behind. Last year, the Netherlands had a score of 34, making this year’s score a massive improvement.

At the same time, Dutch organisations remain ambitious and are gaining a clearer understanding of what they want to achieve with AI. Their main challenge is integrating AI into daily operations. The missing foundation—encompassing the right data, regulations, and processes—remains a major barrier to effectively scaling AI within the business.

The following three steps can help Dutch organisations strengthen their AI foundations so they can move from isolated pilots to AI that runs across the business.

1. Get your data right

An AI solution is only as good as the data fed into it. Yet, according to the Enterprise AI Maturity Index, fragmented data remains the single biggest barrier to AI adoption: 76% of Dutch businesses struggle with data accuracy, accessibility, and management. Data is often scattered across various systems and departments, creating a risk that AI might miss crucial context.

The first step, therefore, is to understand which data your key AI applications need. Organisations must ensure data is accessible, up to date, and reliable, while preventing AI applications from creating new data silos. ServiceNow Workflow Data Fabric can connect any enterprise data and make sure organisations have the ability to implement AI successfully.

2. Make processes AI-ready

Our research shows that many Dutch businesses deploy AI within existing, fragmented processes. Only 10% have streamlined cross-functional workflows using AI. At the same time, 53% are using agentic AI, yet only 5% are using it to create autonomous workflows that complete multi-step tasks end to end.

The next step is for organisations to determine where AI can be deployed and how the work itself can be better organised. ServiceNow Process Mining can help make workflows known, spanning departments and systems.

Equipped with that information, you can identify which steps add value, which can be automated, and which require human decision-making. Only then should you consider which AI technology is the right fit for your needs. This helps prevent executing existing inefficiencies at a faster pace.

3. Prioritise governance

The third step is all about trust. ServiceNow Super Intelligence Control Tower can help you sense, decide, act, and secure every step. As AI increasingly performs tasks autonomously, organisations need greater clarity up front regarding applicable rules, lines of responsibility, and situations where human oversight remains essential.

Governance is more than a legal matter. It also encompasses transparency, supervision, risk management, privacy, and the mechanisms for monitoring AI-driven decisions within the organisation.

There’s still significant work to be done in this area: Only 21% of Dutch organisations have systems in place to manage AI governance and compliance. Regulations can serve as a catalyst for further improving this foundation. Incorporating governance from the design stage creates a solid basis for scaling AI in a controlled manner.

That’s the good news: Once your foundation is in place, you can scale AI deployment quite rapidly. The Pacesetters in our study—the organisations most advanced in AI maturity—are setting the example for this.

Pacesetters don’t view AI as a single tool or initiative. Instead, they bake it into the entire organisation with end-to-end workflows that connect systems, teams, and decisions. And by implementing governance at scale, they avoid AI chaos.

By following their example and transitioning from isolated AI applications to AI as an integral and governed part of daily operations, Dutch businesses can ultimately reach a higher level of AI maturity.

Get more insights in the full Enterprise AI Maturity Index 2026 research report.