Nathan Ducastel will serve as ambassador for the Netherlands’ Digitalisation Strategy (NDS). In this interview, he briefly outlines the importance of digitalisation, explains why he supports the NDS’s objectives, and discusses the role the government can play in the Dutch and European technology markets.
Ducastel is eager to advance the Netherlands’ Digitalisation Strategy (NDS), firmly convinced of the need for a government-wide digitalisation strategy. He comments: “By now, it’s widely recognised that digitalisation is crucial for addressing the societal challenges we face. We hear about it in the media almost daily. I’m committed to championing the NDS’s 3 key goals. In short, they are: improving public services for citizens and businesses, increasing resilience and autonomy—which is also a political reality—and fostering a more diverse range of ICT service providers and suppliers.”
He explains that, with its substantial ICT budget, the Dutch government is well placed to stimulate growth among Dutch and European businesses. “As a major client, the government can make a real difference in these markets. This also means we need to review our regulations to ensure businesses don’t move their investments elsewhere simply because it’s easier to operate abroad.”
Removing barriers
Until April of this year, an independent advisory council, the NDS Council, supported and accelerated the implementation of the NDS. As its former chair, Ducastel is the ideal candidate to actively promote and drive the NDS’s objectives across all levels of government. This is according to Gerdine Keijzer-Baldé, programme director and prospective director-general of the soon-to-be-established Directorate-General for Digitalisation, Society, and Government, which will be part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK). She sees Ducastel, with his experience and extensive political-administrative network, as the right person to connect all parties working on the NDS’s 6 priorities. Moreover, as an NDS ambassador, he will serve as the public face of NDS’s interventions aimed at removing barriers affecting all priorities, including legislation and standards.
A critical mission
Ducastel has long been interested in developments in ICT and digitalisation: “On the one hand, technology is a tool that supports all our tasks. On the other hand, it poses its own challenge, along with significant transformative potential. Which opportunities do we seize? Where do we focus? Many of the government’s ICT systems need renewal. This requires decisions that will shape the next 20 to 30 years as we aim for greater flexibility and collaboration. At the same time, we must consider how society functions when systems fail. This shows just how multifaceted and critical digitalisation is. Until recently, government organisations and public service providers tackled the challenges in this exciting field separately. The NDS brings all these parties together. This shift aligns perfectly with my belief that we achieve more by working together.”
Role and responsibilities
As administrative ambassador, Ducastel will report to Keijzer-Baldé, the civil service lead for the NDS. He will also advise the state secretaries of EZK and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK), Willemijn Aerdts and Eric van der Burg. He will remain seconded from the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG), where he is a member of the directorate and management team.
