State and region put 2.5 billion euros into public facilities in Brainport Eindhoven and national talent plan for growth of national chip industry

"Our region continues to experience solid development," said Jeroen Dijsselbloem, mayor of Eindhoven and chairman of Brainport region Eindhoven. The innovative manufacturing industry and the semicon sector in particular are growing solidly and are increasingly part of geopolitical developments. And thus determining the future economy of the Netherlands. What happens here, at nearly 6,000 tech companies and knowledge and educational institutions, is unique and of great national importance. We see that further development is only possible if we continue to invest in the livability and accessibility of this region. It is about a balanced growth, with an eye for both prosperity and well-being of people. That is why we have asked the government to help us so that the pressure on the region does not become too great. The outcome of the talks with the government is a good step towards realizing this ambition. This is the first phase to implement the whole agenda that is needed."

Further development

To enable the further development of the sector in a responsible manner, the state and the Brainport region have reached agreements on housing construction, mobility, talent development and addressing the pressure on the power grid.

Delegate Martijn van Gruijthuijsen sat in on behalf of the province of North Brabant at the talks on the covenant and is pleased with this boost to Brabant's business climate: "Brabant and Brainport in particular is the growth engine of the Dutch economy. Here lies the basis for the Dutch earning capacity of the future. This requires that we make choices in where we want to go as a Dutch economy. The national government, and in particular the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate, is making a meaningful step for the future with this investment, which will bear fruit in Brainport, Brabant and the whole of the Netherlands."
 

Mobility

Brainport alderman Stijn Steenbakkers also chairman of portfolio holders' consultations Economy Eindhoven Metropolitan Region: "Our region is indispensable for the economic development and strategic autonomy of the Netherlands and Europe. But it's not just about that big economic story. Growing as a city and region is only possible if you have an eye for the challenges in society that come with it and if the public facilities grow along with it. People must be able to continue to travel, live, work and live comfortably. With this € 2.51 billion, together we will again invest heavily in our roads, public transport, schools and affordable housing. After the Brainportdeal 2 years ago of € 1.6 billion, we can be pleased with this follow-up step and the fact that together we have once again been able to make a serious public-private investment package. Strength through cooperation! This is also necessary because there is still a lot of work to do."

In the area of mobility, there will be additional impetus for, among other things, the further development of the new high-quality bus station in Eindhoven and the fast bus line between Eindhoven and De Run in Veldhoven. A study will be launched on the widening of the A2/N2 and surrounding roads. Furthermore, an additional 200 million euros will be made available for regional mobility measures in the Eindhoven Metropolitan Region. Investments will also be made in a high-quality public transport line from Run in Veldhoven to Best station (the Brainport line).

It has also been agreed that the national and regional governments will work together, in a so-called MIRT study, to see how the accessibility of the entire region can be further improved in the short term. Examples are the southern accessibility of Helmond and the public transport hubs Eersel, Maarheeze, Deurne, Best and Geldrop. The aim is to complete this study before the end of this year and to make agreements based on it.
 

Housing construction and urbanization

Given the rapid development of our economy, housing construction in our region will also have to be accelerated significantly. Additional funds are now available for this purpose. It involves a total of 245 million euros, is intended to accelerate affordable housing construction in the 21 municipalities. This is based on an average of about 10,000 euros per house that the government and the region together provide for the unprofitable top that housing construction is currently facing. Because the growth in the number of homes also leads to growth in facilities, it has been agreed to reach agreements this year about investments in social facilities such as health care and the expansion of primary and secondary schools in the region. The densification task will also include more green space and water.
 

Talent

The growth of the semiconductor industry will require a great many additional employees up to 2030, at MBO, HBO and WO levels. To meet this demand, there will be a national microchip talent reinforcement plan, in which educational institutions in Delft, Twente and Groningen will also participate.

Examples of the talent approach in the Brainport region are extra students for MBO (Summa and Ter Aa), HBO (Fontys) and WO (TU/Eindhoven). Special attention within the budget is given to participation jobs and Lifelong Development. 50 million euros will be available for retraining and refresher courses to allow under-represented target groups to enter. In addition, an agreement has been made to address the additional pressure on primary and secondary education in the region through a study to be completed in 2024. The region is considering an initial additional government investment of €150 million for the housing of primary and secondary schools.

Co-financing

In total, the new package involves €2.51 billion. This will be paid about 2/3 by the State and 1/3 by the Region (province, region and private parties). "This is a very nice step, "said director of economic development company Brainport Development Paul van Nunen. "We should pause and even be a bit proud of the importance of our technology and industry for the Netherlands. But let's also get back to work quickly; we as Brainport cannot do this alone. We are going to tackle this with Twente, Delft, Groningen and the ministries."