During PROVADA 2026, the housing market is literally on the frontline. What once was a system with some give is now solid as a wall. Shortages are structural, capital is scarce, and the available product no longer sufficiently matches demand. Demand is no longer a matter of whether we need to intervene – but how we are going to win this battle together.
Under the overarching theme All Stand Together we pose a thought-provoking but necessary question: are we actually standing together? Or is everyone still operating from their own trench?
From steering to delivery
The government – represented by the Ministry of VRO – explicitly wants to take the lead. But what if the very same regulation slows the pace? What if policy and practice get in each other’s way when it comes to realising desperately needed (square) metres? In this debate, we bring the entire chain together:
Together, we investigate where the system is cracking – and where it can start moving again.
What do we need in order to win?
In its operations, Defensie always asks the same core question: what do you need in order to organise operational capability? The answer is clear: sufficient personnel, good equipment and a clear strategy. The parallel with the housing market is unmistakable.
Without these three elements, every ambition will remain trapped in good intentions.
From demand-led to supply-led
A fundamental discussion in this debate is whether we need to move from demand-led to supply-led development. Do we keep delivering custom solutions in an overheated market, or do we choose standardisation and industrial construction in order to gain speed? It is precisely here that the sector can make the difference. By organising smarter, building faster and distributing risks differently.
The rental market under pressure
A specific pain point is the rental housing market, which is visibly shrinking. Due to asset sales and other withdrawals, the stock is decreasing, while demand remains high without let-up. The effects are tangible: rising rents in the private sector, longer waiting times and increasing pressure on affordability. The central questions:
Only by pulling together – government, housing associations, investors and builders – can we break through this downward spiral.
All Stand Together
This debate goes to the heart of PROVADA 2026. Because working together sounds obvious, but in practice it requires sharp choices and shared responsibility. Who takes which role? Who takes the lead? And do we really dare to stand alongside each other when things get difficult? Join this debate and think along with the question that concerns all of us: how do we get the housing market moving again – and who is actually standing next to whom?
During PROVADA, BouwLab R&Do and The Green Village will be providing the content programming for the Innovation Café. In collaboration with partners BPD, COD and VORM, and the Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, and the DMI Ecosystem, one central question takes the lead: how do we move innovation faster from idea to application?
The fiscal threshold for foreign pension funds and insurers to invest in the Dutch housing market must be significantly lowered. That is the view of Mark Siezen, CEO of asset manager Bouwinvest. 'Foreign capital is absolutely essential to meet the enormous housing construction challenge. That requires a stable housing policy and fiscal climate. I am hopeful: the new minister recognises this and will act on it.'
Following the earlier announcement of the launch of the International Investment Day, PROVADA now presents the full programme for Thursday, 11 June 2026. As the largest real estate exhibition in the Netherlands, PROVADA brings together leading market parties for a day of insights, discussion and networking. The newly introduced international investment programme—developed in collaboration with INREV, Holland Metropole and the Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning—offers international investors direct access to key developments, policy perspectives and investment opportunities in the Dutch market.
Visiting PROVADA? Please be aware that it can get busy around the RAI. Due to multiple large events taking place at the same time, the RAI parking facilities often fill up early.
Fraudulent emails are currently circulating that falsely use the name of PROVADA.
At PROVADA 2026, the Ministry of Defence features prominently on the agenda as a new player in the real estate market. The increased focus on national security has made the spatial and housing challenge more urgent than ever. This places additional pressure on the already scarce space, capacity and resources in the Netherlands. The Ministry of Defence faces a substantial scaling challenge. New barracks, training grounds and supporting infrastructure must be delivered at pace. In doing so, Defence is growing into a defining client within the real estate and construction sector. The central question: how do we deliver this in a country where pressure on space and capacity is already at its limit?
