The government (1.7 billion) and the Eindhoven region (almost 800 million) have decided to invest a total of 2.5 billion euros with the aim of strengthening the chip sector in the Netherlands. The money has been reserved to improve infrastructure in the Brainport region and for investments surrounding the recruitment of technical talent for the high-tech semiconductor industry. "This is good news for the region, for the Netherlands and for Europe", said TU/e Board Chairman Robert-Jan Smits.
The package includes a one-time investment of 450 million euros for technical education, in addition to structural 80 million euros per year.
The idea is that various educational institutions from four regions (Eindhoven, Enschede, Groningen and Delft) will work together with industry, and under the leadership of Brainport, on a talent development plan to take the Dutch chip sector to the next level. There is a screaming shortage of technical talent in the Brainport region in particular, for which the TU/e together with Fontys and Summa had already submitted a proposal a year and a half ago.
What exact resources the TU/e will receive will be clear once the final plan is ready.
National talent plan
Smits: "With this, a big step can be made to significantly increase the numbers of students in the technical disciplines, at mbo, hbo and university. As educational institutions in Brainport, we are looking forward to working together with partners in the regions of Twente, Groningen and Delft to shape the national talent plan. Summa College, Fontys University of Applied Sciences and Eindhoven University of Technology, as purveyors to the Brainport region, will obviously take their responsibility in this."
After all, to enable the digital revolution in the future, chips are needed that can handle the increasing amount of data. Smits: "The Brainport region is one of the world's most relevant semicon ecosystems, with Eindhoven University of Technology playing a pivotal role within it, both in terms of talent and knowledge development as well as the startup scene. Investing in the chip industry means investing in the future earning power of the Netherlands and contributing to Europe's sovereignty agenda."
Infrastructure
There is also a government contribution of more than 700 million euros for infrastructure projects in the Eindhoven region, such as a better train station and fast bus connections between the center of Eindhoven and Veldhoven, where ASML is headquartered. On top of that comes 350 million euros from the region. There is also 425 million reserved for the construction of tens of thousands of homes, also for students, in and around the Brainport region.
Read the letter (in Dutch) from the government containing the decision here.
