Origin takes precedence over price: European providers in demand, costs less decisive
In addition to complying with legal regulations (38 percent), the importance of the provider's country of origin stands out: more than one in three (36 percent) of the Dutch respondents demand that an AI solution must come from a reliable Dutch or European provider. This percentage is significantly higher than in Italy (19 percent), Spain (27 percent), Great Britain (27 percent), Sweden (29 percent), Austria (30 percent), and Poland (31 percent), and matches the German level (36 percent). At the same time, Dutch companies attach noticeably less importance to price transparency compared to the rest of Europe. Only 19 percent mention transparent rates without hidden costs as an important criterion, significantly lower than the European average of 30 percent. The picture is clear: for Dutch SMEs, trust is the decisive factor, not price.
The security paradox: there is skepticism, but less than expected
Against the backdrop of European awareness around privacy, another result from the survey is noteworthy. Concerns about data security and privacy do not generally deter the Dutch from digitization. In the Netherlands, these concerns are also seen less often as a major obstacle to digitization than in comparable markets. Only 38 percent of Dutch respondents consider uncertainty around safety and data protection as a significant obstacle. In Germany, this is 44 percent, in Spain 46 percent, and in France even 48 percent. Only Sweden records an even lower percentage at 32 percent. However, when it specifically concerns the use of AI, the Dutch have more concerns. 45 percent of the respondents experience concerns about data protection as an obstacle to using AI. The earlier question about a European provider also underscores that data sovereignty plays a real role.
"The results paint a nuanced picture of the Dutch market. Dutch companies are certainly not uncritical of AI: they set high demands for reliability and compliance with legislation and place great value on European data sovereignty. At the same time, they are less deterred by concerns about costs and safety than companies in other European countries. This is an opportunity and strengthens our conviction that we as a provider must focus on reliable technology, transparent processes, and European infrastructure," says Dr. Jens Reich, director of STRATO and CCO of the IONOS group.
About the research: The data used comes from an online survey conducted by YouGov Deutschland GmbH on behalf of IONOS, the parent company of STRATO. Between February 13 and March 3, 2026, a total of 219 decision-makers from Dutch companies with up to 250 employees participated in the survey. The results are representative of Dutch SMEs.