During Google Cloud AI Live in Amsterdam we had Celine Callewaert, head of corporate and enterprise at Google Cloud for the BeLux market in our stdio. She shared candid insights into how Belgian and Dutch organizations approach AI adoption in a different way. More importantly what it takes to move from experimentation to real business impact.
Callewaerte unpacks the cultural dynamics that shape AI adoption in Belgium, from a consensus-driven decision-making style to the role of trust and change management in getting organizations to commit. She also addresses the speed question head-on: Dutch companies may decide faster initially, but Belgian organizations can accelerate significantly once aligned. Company type and maturity, she argues, matter just as much as geography.
The conversation covers real-world examples, including Google Cloud’s work with the Belgian Federation of Notaries, and she tackles the harder questions: what does it take to move AI out of the sandbox and into production? How should business leaders think about organizations that don’t yet feel urgency around AI? Callewaert‘s answers blend strategic clarity with refreshing candor about courage, people, and the need to challenge existing paradigms.
• Belgian organizations tend toward consensus-driven decision-making, requiring trust and change management before AI adoption scales
• Dutch companies often decide faster initially, but Belgian organizations can catch up and move quickly once aligned
• Company type (enterprise vs. digital native) influences AI adoption speed more than geography alone
• The Federation of Notaries is a standout Belgian example of moving AI from sandbox to live production
• Trailblazing happens through company culture and stakeholder character, not just vertical or national trends
• Business leaders must examine core business processes to unlock real AI impact
• Courage, combined with the right people and processes, is essential to moving beyond POCs
• Organizations resisting AI adoption should at least have the conversation about why, as the world is changing fast
0:06 Welcome & introduction
0:29 Belgium vs Netherlands AI adoption
1:34 Belgian mindset: consensus and trust
3:02 Who moves faster: Dutch vs Belgian organizations
4:14 Trailblazers and cross-market inspiration
6:14 From AI sandbox to production: Belgian examples
7:56 Courage, people, and processes in AI adoption
9:28 Addressing organizations without AI urgency
Google Cloud AI, AI adoption, BeLux, Belgium, Netherlands, enterprise AI, Celine Collaert, Techzine TV, Google Cloud AI Live Amsterdam, AI strategy, digital transformation, AI use cases