Netherlands to include AI, biotech in screening of foreign takeovers

Kyndryl Holdings

08/06/2026 08:46

    AMSTERDAM, June 8 (Reuters) - The Dutch government plans to widen screening of foreign takeovers that could pose a national security risk to include AI, biotech and sensor and navigation technology, economy minister Heleen Herbert said in an interview with Dutch daily De Telegraaf published on Monday.

Herbert said the reach of the Investment Review Office would be widened to include those sectors by January 2027.
This would add hundreds of companies to the list of potential targets for screening, she said.
The agency, set up in 2023, can pause foreign takeovers in the Dutch technology, energy, telecoms and real estate sectors, review them and recommend whether they should be approved, approved with conditions, or blocked.
The Dutch government last month blocked ‌Kyndryl's KD.N €100 million ($115 million) takeover of cloud services provider Solvinity, citing public interest concerns after advice from the agency.
($1 = 0.8678 euros)

 (Reporting by Bart Meijer. Editing by Mark Potter)
 ((Bart.Meijer@thomsonreuters.com;))