165 Dutch ambassadors and top diplomats on a 'school trip' to High Tech Campus Eindhoven

It was a cheerful sight, the parade of 165 ambassadors and top diplomats who visited the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven last Thursday. Some could not suppress a sense of a school trip amid their annual 'return home week', and there was every reason to do so. Not only did they get a deep dive into the internationally indispensable technologies being developed in the Brainport region, but they also had every opportunity to catch up among themselves and exchange experiences. As a result, the conversations covered semiconductors, photonics, quantum technology and robotics, as well as the local situation in the many dozens of countries where these diplomats are active the rest of the year.

In groups, the ambassadors visited various locations in the region where work is being done on globally critical technologies. Technologies that contribute to our national security, global food supply and energy transition, among other things. One group of ambassadors visited Signify, where the development of dual-use technology for Defense was the focus. Another group visited Eindhoven University of Technology, where the strength and future of the Dutch semiconductor industry was discussed. Yet another group visited The Chocolate Factory in Veghel, where smart technologies for the food processing industry were discussed. A final group of ambassadors were informed about Design by the Dutch Design Foundation.

European high-tech hub

After the substantive working visits, the Ambassadors gathered at the High Tech Campus Eindhoven for a plenary conference opened by Minister Klever of Foreign Trade and Development Aid. Brainport Foundation Chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem welcomed the Ambassadors and the companies present. “Through intensive cooperation between government, industry and knowledge institutions, our region has developed in recent decades into an important engine of the Dutch economy and a crucial high-tech hub in Europe,” Dijsselbloem explained to the ambassadors. “There, not only large companies like ASML, NXP and Philips, but also startups, scale-ups and all kinds of SMEs work on the key technologies of today and tomorrow." Today, Brainport has almost 7,000 companies in the high-tech sector.

Cooperation

In his speech, Dijsselbloem emphasized the enormous importance of cooperation between regional companies, knowledge institutions and governments. “Cooperation is the key word in this region. In the so-called triple helix and between companies and knowledge institutions. That is two- or even three-way traffic. Sometimes, the government helps the business community move forward, sometimes the other way around. That the regional business community here takes responsibility for the society they are a part of: I am very proud of that.”

After Dijsselbloem, the minister also spoke out about the importance of the Brainport ecosystem. “This is the place where the Netherlands excels. There are few other regions where industry contributes so strongly to our economic growth. It is a top region for startups, innovation, and employment. High tech alone accounted for no less than 81,000 jobs in 2023. Jobs that contribute to the future of all Dutch people. Innovation, daring, and growth. That is what made Holland Tradeland so great.”