The History of Brainport Eindhoven
More than 125 years ago, Philips and DAF laid a rock-solid foundation for what today is called Brainport Eindhoven: an innovative and resilient top technology region where cooperation is in the DNA. This did not happen overnight.
In the Brainport region, we play at a world-class level when it comes to the technology of the future. But how did it actually start? Of course, companies like Philips and DAF played an important role. They invented and sold smart products, thus attracting other smart companies. In addition, so-called spin-offs emerged: companies that grew from these two founding fathers.
Collaboration
But the region's success runs deeper. You could argue that its economic success is rooted in a society where collaboration was very common or even necessary. Southeast Brabant was a poor area before the Industrial Revolution. Residents put their heads together to get ahead. Cooperatives like the former Boerenleenbank and Campina helped farmers get ahead. But people also helped each other in many other ways when needed.
So, it is not surprising that Philips became more than just a company in this very area, where people always had an eye for each other. It was only natural that Philips had an eye for the whole of society and also provided housing, shops and insurance. And because it needed a lot of staff, the company soon looked beyond the city limits.
Peel, Drenthe, Spain
Many farm boys and girls went to work for Philips, not only from the Peel and Kempen area but also from Drenthe and—later—from Spain, Italy, Turkey, and many other countries. To illustrate, the region's population grew by more than 24 per cent between 1960 and 1970.
That growth also created new facilities, such as Philips' NatLab. At this forerunner of Eindhoven University of Technology (1956), which later became Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), famous researchers worked on future innovations.
Crisis in the 1990s calls for collaboration
When economic progress stalled in the 1990s, the region's resilience was put to the test. Philips had to lay off 55,000 people worldwide, including as many as 8,000 in our region. DAF also went bankrupt and had to let go of 2,000 of its 5,000 employees before restarting. Many suppliers were also dragged into that trap. Governments, companies, and educational institutions joined forces under the motto: 'No one can solve this on their own.'
Triple helix as holy grail
More than ever, the emphasis came to be on progress, also called development—not sticking to old-fashioned manufacturing but developing smart new things. Governments helped with (financial) support, and educational institutions provided researchers and well-trained staff. This ‘triple helix idea’ proved to be the holy grail. Intensive cooperation and knowledge sharing ensured that innovation gained tremendous momentum, and within a few years, the economy flourished again.
The High Tech Campus Eindhoven was born on the site of the former Philips Natlab, the Automotive Campus was created on an industrial estate in Helmond, and start-ups became global players. Philips and DAF now share the stage with ASML, VDL, NXP, and countless other large and small companies. The Evoluon became the Next Nature Museum, and the Philips Sports Association (PSV) shirt now carries the Metropoolregio Brainport Eindhoven name.
Developing region
The region is growing, also in terms of population. This gives Brainport Eindhoven new energy, but the growth in the number of inhabitants also creates challenges, just like years ago—for instance, pressure on healthcare, heavy traffic, and a tight housing market. The collaborating parties will tackle these challenges in line with Brainport Eindhoven's principles. We will continue to look after each other. In this way, we are continuing the Philips tradition.
Timeline
1891 Establishment of Philips' light bulb factory. In the first half of the 20th century, Philips grew rapidly, and so did Eindhoven.
1928 Foundation of DAF. Started as a trailer manufacturer, and later became a producer of trucks.
1953 Establishment of Metalindustrie en Constructiewerkplaats P. van der Leegte (predecessor of the VDL Group).
1956 Establishment of TH (Technical University of Applied Sciences).
1982 Establishment of Regional Economic Service Eindhoven (later NV REDE), the regional economic service for Eindhoven.
1984 Establishment of ASML by Philips and ASMI.
1984 Act on joint arrangements that arose later the Eindhoven Region partnership and the later Eindhoven Metropolitan Area.
1986 ASML delivers the first wafer-stepper (PAS 2500) to Philips.
1990-1996 Operation Centurion, restructuring and laying off 55,000 people at Philips.
1993 DAF went bankrupt and restarted the same year: 2,000 of 5,000 jobs were lost.
1994 Economic Stimulation Programme Eindhoven Region (STIMULUS I): the Southeast Brabant region receives European Objective 2 status of 'Region in industrial decline'. The SRE region organises the Regio Fund (Contribution of Hfl. 11.50 per inhabitant). Three STIMULUS programmes succeeded each other until the European contribution ended in 2008.
1995 Start of triple helix cooperation. Eindhoven Mayor Welschen, Chamber of Commerce president Theo Hurks, and Henk de Wilt, TU/e college president, join forces to combat the crisis.
1996 TNO Industrie establishes itself in the Eindhoven region.
1996 First (famous) use of the term 'Brainport' by Wim Kok in an interview with the Volkskrant newspaper.
1998 Philips Electronics headquarters moves to Amsterdam.
1998 Establishment of High Tech Campus. Originally a successor to Philips NatLab, it was later opened to other companies and research institutes.
2000 Eindhoven region designated as 'Knowledge District' by the Ministry of Transport and Public Works: constructing fibre optics and using new internet services.
2002 Start of Horizon programme with 19 projects, project office by NV REDE.
2003 TNO Vehil lab (automotive safety) moves to Helmond.
2005 Establishment of Brainport Foundation
2005 Strategic action programme Brainport Navigator 2006-2013, 'Lisbon voorbij!' sees the light as a guideline for the activities of Brainport Foundation.
2006 Establishment of Brainport Operations BV, a triple helix-driven development company of the Brainport Foundation.
2008 Global financial crisis.
2010 Merger of Brainport Operations BV and NV Rede into Brainport Development NV.
2011 Eindhoven is awarded the title 'Smartest region in the world' by the Intelligent Community Forum.
2016 Brainport Eindhoven receives official Mainport status (just like the port of Rotterdam and Schiphol Airport) due to its crucial role in the technological and economic development of the Netherlands.
2018 Regio Deal: 130 million in central government funding and 230 million in co-financing from the region (governments, knowledge institutions and industry) to strengthen innovation, talent and regional facilities.
2019 Brainport Eindhoven becomes the shirt sponsor of PSV. This marks the start of a partnership between Brainport and PSV, in which five private parties invest under the banner of Brainport Eindhoven to further strengthen the region.
2022 Allocation of National Growth Fund resources for PhotonDelta, the photonic chip technology ecosystem.
2022 MIRT: 1.6 billion for infrastructure, of which 2/3 is from the State and 1/3 from the region (province, municipalities, and industry).
2023 Allocation of funds National Growth Fund for Battery Technology (Materials Independence & Circular Battery Technology - NL) and Charging Infrastructure (Charging Energy Hubs).
2024 Project Beethoven: 2.51 billion investment (1.73 billion State and 778 million region) in a strong business climate for the microchip sector Brainport Eindhoven for housing, mobility, and talent development.
2024 Establishment of association Brainport for Each Other: an association of companies, governments and organisations to solve social issues.