The Eindhoven region is located between the economic centres of the Dutch Randstad, the German Rhein-Ruhr area, and the Flemish Diamond. The region covers an area of 1370 km2, representing 3.3% of the total area of the Netherlands. The Eindhoven region has 700,000 inhabitants and 32,000 businesses. The economic structure is characterised by the presence of a high quality industrial base, and a service sector which is continuously undergoing steady growth.
The Eindhoven region is known in the Netherlands as the Industrial Mainport. Key industrial clusters include mechatronics, the automotive industry and electronics. New sectors are industrial distribution, environmental technology, medical technology and information technology. Research and development activities are a particularly prevalent in the region. Of the total amount spent annually on research and development in the Netherlands, some 50% goes to the Eindhoven Region.
As in most other countries, the Netherlands have three levels of government: the state, the provinces and the municipalities. The Eindhoven Regional Government (SRE) is an intermunicipal co-operative union in which municipalities co-operate in order to promote common interests; in other words government by the municipalities for the municipalities. The working area covers 21 municipalities.
The SRE looks after the common interests of the municipalities in the region. For example in the field of spatial planning, traffic and transport, housing, the environment, recreation and tourism, education, health, culture and socio-economic affairs. The purpose is to bring about a balanced development of the region, in which there are rural districts in addition to a clearly defined urban district, each with its own set of problems and opportunities. The SRE tasks are mainly of a planning, ordinating and co-ordinating nature.
One of the more recent initiatives of the SRE is the ELAT
project. The Eindhoven, Leuven, Aachen Technology Triangle (ELAT) stands
between three of NW Europe’s most important centres of population
and economic activity: the Dutch Randstad, the German Rhein-Ruhr area and
the Flemish Diamond.
Eindhoven, Leuven and Aachen are all key players in the field of research
and development. The proximity of the cities on an European scale makes
it possible to act as one region.
The main objective of the ELAT project is to develop and implement a joint
innovation strategy for the technology triangle, using ICT to involve knowledge
institutes, businesses and public authorities in the technology triangle.
The goal of the joint innovation strategy is to make the ELAT area an internationally
recognised top region for technology and improve the economic climate.
The Triangle Eindhoven, Leuven, Aachen offers a challenging new regional perspective for the Eindhoven region that also requires cross border connections in the real world. Therefor the SRE is eager to explore the opportunities to develop a sustainable connection with the Belgium city of Hasselt, located at the very heart of the ELAT triangle.
