The Dutch commercial real estate landscape is being transformed by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Summer Special report by Savills explores the pivotal impact that disruptive technologies will have on the future of Dutch commercial real estate.

Savills reveals that businesses, developers, and investors must harness emerging technologies to remain relevant amidst the immense changes brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The report examines how these technologies are challenging existing real estate business models while also creating new avenues for growth.

The findings from Savills latest report explore how the Dutch office landscape has evolved due to the changing demands of occupiers, prompted by remote work trends and assisted by technological advances. It also sheds light on the growing significance of digital retail outlets, which witnessed a 266% surge between 2013 and 2023. Savills anticipates continued disruptive momentum, driven by ongoing developments in AI, augmented reality, and Digital Twins in investment decision-making and development strategies.

Wouter van ‘t Grunewold, Market Intelligence Analyst at Savills in the Netherlands, comments: "Businesses simply have no choice but to adopt technological advances to survive and remain competitive."

Looking ahead, the Dutch economy’s need for robust digital infrastructure and data centres to support future growth will present complicated choices for policy makers. The expected growth in demand for data centres will coincide with increased competition for scarce space. Consequently, Savills report underlines the importance of a balanced and transparent approach to addressing concerns surrounding the sustainable, development of additional data centres.

Van ‘t Grunewold adds: “The economy’s need for data will be unrelenting. How we address the challenge of meeting that demand in the future will be a pivotal issue for everyone with a stake in the real estate market in the Netherlands.”

About the report

Savills very first Summer Special explores three main disrupters of Dutch Real Estate evolution: Decarbonisation, Demographics, and Digitalisation. This press release is about chapter 2 – digital disruption. Click here to read the full report.