28 September 2023
Healthcare is under pressure, but technology can help solve its challenges
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1 billion euros required from Dutch Growth Fund for innovative mobility system
The Brainport Line is a new, smart and zero-emission public transport system, consisting of ‘pods’ of various sizes that will drive on designated driving lanes and stop at various transfer hubs along the main roads and at existing public transport hubs. The system is developed based on sensor technology, autonomous driving and proven technology, such as platooning. Gradual implementation of the Brainport Line is possible. The idea is that the line will be fully implemented by 2030. This new transport system serves as connecting factor between the innovations and testing opportunities that are being created in the beating heart of the knowledge intensive manufacturing industry of the Netherlands. The Brainport Line is an economic showcase: it is a flexible system, because the pods are not driving on rails and are therefore not bound to a certain route. Hence, the system can be easily scaled up and implemented in smaller cities and in larger metropolitan areas anywhere in the world. Offering huge economic opportunities for the industry in Brainport Eindhoven that is developing the Brainport Line. What’s more, the system will contribute to the international image of the Netherlands as pioneer in the area of innovative smart & green mobility applications.
In September, the Dutch government announced that the National Growth Fund, which was presented earlier, will contain 20 billion euros. The fund will be used to support projects that help enhance the sustainable earning capacity of the Netherlands in the long term. Executive member for mobility at the Province of North Brabant, Christophe van der Maat is of the opinion that the fund is a great idea of the Dutch government: “It is very important that we continue to focus on the future in the Netherlands. Our country has a lot of creativity, entrepreneurship and innovative power to offer, which will be activated via the Growth Fund. We have done our homework and developed this propositionl, which, in our opinion, fits seamlessly with the goals of the fund. By implementing the Brainport Line, we are not only improving the accessibility of, to and between the economic top locations in the economic driving force of the south, but we will also use the system to drive the transition of the mobility sector in Brabant. Moreover, it is a profitable transport system. According to the social cost-benefit analysis carried out, the project will generate approx. 150 million euros after deduction of the costs.”
The Brainport Line is not a luxury for the Eindhoven region: by 2040, an additional 70,000 jobs will have been created and more than 60,000 residences will have been built in the city area, including 6,000 residences in the area surrounding Eindhoven Central Station. The Brainport Line will connect the economic hotspots in the region, strengthen the connection with economic centers like Amsterdam and Rotterdam and enhance the connection with important European regions, such as Düsseldorf, Aachen and Brussels. According to Stijn Steenbakkers, Alderman for economy and innovation at the Municipality of Eindhoven, the Brainport Line is much more than a mobility system: “By developing, realizing, marketing and exporting this innovative mobility system we will create jobs! With every step we take in the design, development, test and implementation phase, we will learn lessons and create developments, services and products that can be marketed both nationally and internationally. Creating employment at all levels of education, from vehicle technology and infrastructural developments to the underlying technologies and new mobility services. Allowing us to actively contribute to the necessary innovations and developments that will help our country move towards a more sustainable mobility and energy sector. The Brainport Line will bring everything together: transportation, jobs and sustainability.”
According to Hans de Jong, President of Philips Nederland and board member of the Brainport Foundation, the Brainport Line will offer a unique opportunity to create innovations at the cutting edge of the high-tech manufacturing industry and the automotive industry: “Brainport Eindhoven is one of the greatest driving forces behind the Dutch economy. The technologies that are being developed and manufactured here provide solutions for worldwide social topics, such as digital care, smart mobility and alternative energy sources. Those solutions are all world-class solutions. That is why we should also provide world-class accessibility to our region. This investment fits in perfectly with the ambition to further build on our international top position. We do that together, with public authorities and private companies. Because that is the strength of Brainport Eindhoven.”
The proposition is highly supported by the industry and knowledge institutes in Brainport Eindhoven. They have expressed their intention to use the transport system for their employees. Increasing the exploitation of the system.