Dutch Ministery of Finance helps with adoption of AI for manufacturing industry

On April 30, 2026, KickstartAI announced a new collaboration to make production in Dutch manufacturing smarter with artificial intelligence. The pilot, run with GOMA, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, FME and Koninklijke Metaalunie, kicks off at GOMA in Hengelo and aims to deliver a real-world AI application before year’s end.

The pilot targets smarter production management with AI—using data to make sharper decisions on planning, energy use, and capacity.

The partners want to prove AI doesn’t have to stay experimental: it can add value on the shop floor. First results are expected in Q4 2026.

The approach builds on earlier roundtables and interviews with companies affiliated with FME and Koninklijke Metaalunie. Their input shapes the AI solution.

The pilot tackles three pressing challenges in manufacturing:

Companies need to produce more efficiently without extra headcount or higher costs. AI can help by spotting patterns and making predictions.

The pilot explores how to optimize production planning based on variable energy prices and available capacity—aiming for lower costs and more predictability.

The pilot runs at GOMA, a family-owned metalworking firm active since 1962, serving as the real-world testbed where the AI solution is built and validated.

The partners are currently collecting data on production and the broader data landscape, including frequent on-site observations.

This data underpins:

The goal: an AI system that helps companies plan smarter without disrupting the shop floor.

For GOMA’s managing director Tom Kreunen, it’s about practical impact. The solution only matters if it truly changes operations.

He stresses that better insight into energy use enables more efficient planning—relevant for GOMA and the wider sector.

Erick Webbe, CEO of KickstartAI, emphasizes scale. Too many AI projects stall in pilots; the point is making it work in production.

Webbe says this pilot should show how to move from analysis to implementation. If it succeeds, the approach can roll out across the industry.

The pilot shows how AI can drive structural improvements in Dutch manufacturing—vital for national competitiveness.

Smarter energy use and tighter planning cut costs and reduce environmental impact, aligning with broader goals on the energy transition and digitization.

It can also blunt the effect of persistent labor shortages. Smarter processes mean less reliance on additional staff.

With this move, KickstartAI positions itself as a driver of practical AI in the Netherlands. The foundation—set up by Ahold Delhaize, ING, KLM, and NS—focuses on scaling what works.

The KickstartAI pilot with industry partners marks a shift from AI experiments to deployable solutions in manufacturing, zeroing in on energy, planning, and capacity—today’s critical pain points.

If successful, the playbook could be replicated across companies and sectors in the Netherlands.