“The opportunities we have as a region must be seized together.”
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AanmeldenThe success of the Brainport region will lead to significantly more jobs and residents in the coming years. The region is preparing for a major leap in scale, but this also puts pressure on society. Every resident of the region must be able to participate, but this does not happen automatically. In addition to support from the national government, businesses are investing through the Brainport Partnerfonds in measures focused on talent development, accessibility, housing, facilities, equal opportunities, and social cohesion. VDL Groep is one of the companies that have joined the fund. CEO Willem van der Leegte: “It all starts with education. Everyone must have the same opportunities.”
Offering trust, collaborating, taking responsibility, granting each other opportunities, and ensuring equal chances—Willem van der Leegte’s words sound as though they come straight from the Brainport playbook. But this isn’t marketing; he knows it works, both from personal experience and because the long tradition of family-owned VDL Groep has shown him so. These very principles are what led him and his company to join the Brainport Partnerfonds. “The region receives necessary funding from The Hague, but that needs to be supplemented with private investment. As a company, you take your responsibility.”
Public-private partnership is a proven formula within Brainport Eindhoven. “It sets us apart from other regions. We do things differently here, and while this success is often imitated, it is rarely matched. It’s about helping each other and building trust together. Here, that has become second nature.”
VDL’s roots in Brainport
The history of VDL Groep is inextricably linked to Brainport Eindhoven. “My grandfather was once given the opportunity by Philips to start his own business because Philips recognized that too much dependence on one company was risky. What began as a small company has now grown into an organization with billions in revenue,” says Van der Leegte. Of the total 14,000 VDL employees, more than 5,500 are active in this region.
VDL remains committed to the region
“We believe that jobs bring prosperity. Instead of moving activities elsewhere, we continue to invest here. The salaries of our employees are growing faster than inflation, which contributes to the region’s prosperity. But we’re also concerned. Can our employees still afford to buy a house here? How do we solve traffic congestion? These are the kinds of challenges we address, among other things, through the Brainport Partnerfonds.”
The industry needs technically skilled workers
One of the fund's key focus areas is talent development. Van der Leegte only needs to look at VDL’s more than one hundred companies to see that the technological industry is crying out for technically skilled workers. “We have been working for decades to increase interest in technology. While there has been progress, the number of graduates is still insufficient to keep up with growth. And the talent issue is also closely connected to the need to build more housing and improve the region’s accessibility.”
Of course, Brainport cannot avoid attracting talent from abroad, but for Van der Leegte, education remains the foundation of everything in the region. “It all starts with education. Not everyone has the same starting point, but everyone must have the same opportunities. That begins with quality education. We are strongly against cutting back on education. It’s the foundation for our long-term success and crucial to ensuring that everyone can be part of society. As businesses, we invest heavily in this, both directly and through the partner fund.” This commitment is not only evident in research projects at TU Eindhoven but also through various initiatives at Summa College (vocational education) and Fontys University of Applied Sciences.
A collaboration that always feels natural
One of Brainport Eindhoven’s strengths is the natural “triple helix” collaboration between businesses, governments, and knowledge institutions. Van der Leegte calls this the backbone of the region. “When you collaborate, you achieve success more quickly. We’ve proven this time and again, especially during times of crisis. By seeking each other out and offering support, we have always emerged stronger. What we are experiencing now is not an economic crisis, but the region is growing so rapidly that we’re hitting our limits. We need to take a significant leap forward; if we don’t, we could still run into problems.”
Van der Leegte understands that not everyone feels a sense of responsibility for the region’s role in driving global technological development. “It’s understandable that some people push back, especially when their children can’t buy a house, they’re stuck in traffic for hours, or they have to order a cup of coffee in English in the city. We need to acknowledge these negative effects and work together to resolve them. Halting growth would be very unwise. That would essentially mean saying no to the prosperity of future generations.”
At the same time, he emphasizes that Brainport also carries international responsibilities. “The world sees us as the center of the semiconductor industry. If we don’t continue to invest in our growth, other markets will seize the opportunity,” he warns. “By the way, if you asked anywhere else in the world whether they would welcome ASML and its supply chain, they’d open their arms wide. Perhaps it’s the Brabant mentality that keeps us discussing things.”
A call to the region
Joining the Brainport Partnerfonds is not just a matter of simple calculations, Van der Leegte asserts. But because it touches the core of what makes Brainport so strong, he calls on every significant company to participate. “We can’t measure everything down to the last cent. It’s about trust in the ecosystem. The opportunities we have as a region must be seized together. I don’t know what participating will bring you tomorrow, but I am certain the investment will pay off in the long run. What’s good for the region is good for your company.”
