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De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) advises the Netherlands to prioritize defense spending on technology sectors like semiconductors rather than military equipment. The country aims to raise its defense budget to 3.5% of GDP over ten years, requiring an additional €19 billion by 2035.

DNB highlights a lack of capability to produce defense goods that lack civilian applications and recommends investing in military products with civilian uses, such as computer chips. Increased defense spending is expected to initially result in higher imports, but focusing on domestic investment could foster economic growth in the long term, although some components will still need to be imported.