Progress within the Dutch Subsea Cable Coalition: Concrete steps and developments
The Hague – The Dutch Subsea Cable Coalition is working to strengthen the international digital infrastructure of the Netherlands. The focus is increasingly shifting towards concrete actions and closer collaboration across the entire value chain. On 5 March, coalition members met to review progress and identify the key challenges ahead.
New European developments call for stronger positioning
At the European level, new developments are unfolding. The European Commission recently published the Submarine Cable Security Toolbox and the accompanying CPEI list. Notably, the Netherlands is not yet explicitly mentioned in all relevant areas. This indicates that the Dutch position within these developments is not always sufficiently visible.
Efforts are underway to address this: on 24 March, the coalition was represented in Brussels to strengthen the visibility and positioning of the Netherlands in these discussions.
Growing support for a shared direction
Progress has also been made on the position paper. In recent months, the Dutch Subsea Cable Coalition has secured additional support, with multiple endorsements received. A campaign is currently underway to further amplify the coalition’s message, contributing to broader support for a joint Dutch approach to international connectivity.
Financing and projects: IOEMA takes an important step
A tangible result can be seen in the cable project IOEMA. The coalition has actively supported this initiative, leading to a key milestone: IOEMA has now established a Dutch entity.
This marks an important development. For the first time in years, a company is once again established in the Netherlands that actively invests in subsea cables. This enables direct access to European funding programmes and strengthens the ability of Dutch parties to participate in international consortia—significantly increasing the likelihood of new cable landings in the Netherlands.
At the same time, financing remains an important point of attention. Options such as guarantee mechanisms are currently being explored to support future projects.
Competitive position requires continued attention
During the meeting, VELA outlined its role in the development of neutral cable landing stations (CLS). It was once again emphasised that developing new cable routes in the North Sea is complex and costly.
The Netherlands continues to compete with countries where cable landings can be realised more easily or at lower cost. This calls for sustained efforts on framework conditions and collaboration.
Looking ahead: from results to acceleration
Finally, members reflected on the results achieved in 2025 and looked ahead to plans for 2026. Attention was also given to how results are communicated and how this can be further improved.
What’s next
In the coming period, the coalition will continue its work on several key topics, including potential financing structures for cable projects, mapping factors that influence the Netherlands’ position as a digital hub, and exploring promising landing locations.
About the Dutch Subsea Cable Coalition
The Dutch Subsea Cable Coalition is a public-private partnership dedicated to strengthening the Netherlands’ position as an international digital hub by stimulating subsea cable connections to the country.
The coalition brings together stakeholders from government, digital infrastructure companies, internet exchanges, knowledge institutions and industry associations.
Contribution of the coalition
Within the coalition, parties share knowledge and insights on developments related to subsea cables and collaborate to strengthen the Netherlands’ position within the international digital network.
This is a brief overview. Interested in learning more? Feel free to get in touch.
Would you like to join the coalition? Get in contact with us: zeekabelcoalitie@ecp.nl
