“People are the fuel”: Dijsselbloem on Brainport’s next phase

At the High Tech Campus Eindhoven, the symbolic heart of Brainport Eindhoven, Jeroen Dijsselbloem delivered a clear message: innovation alone is not enough. In a world shaped by geopolitical tensions and technological competition, Brainport must double down on cooperation, talent and focus.

The region today counts around 7,000 tech companies, from startups to global leaders like ASML. Together, they drive innovation in areas such as energy, healthcare and security, accounting for nearly half of local employment.

That success is built on the “triple helix”: close cooperation between industry, academia and government. “That is the key to our success,” Dijsselbloem said. But the global context is shifting. The US dominates digital platforms, China controls resources and manufacturing, and supply chains are under pressure. “Chip manufacturing is the battlefield of global power,” he noted.

Focus and investment

In response, Europe must strengthen its position, not by aiming for full independence, but by becoming “more equally interdependent.” That requires targeted investments in key domains such as AI, energy, security and life sciences.

Dijsselbloem pointed to concrete examples, including the new photonic chip pilot line at the High Tech Campus, as proof of what coordinated public-private investment can achieve. At the same time, Europe still struggles to scale innovations into global companies. Closing that gap will require stronger financial markets and faster decision-making.

Common Ground for Innovation Awards 2026 - Jeroen Dijsselbloem

Talent as the decisive factor

If there is one theme that ran throughout the speech, it was talent. “Talent is the number one issue,” Dijsselbloem said. “People are the fuel for innovation.” That means investing in education, reskilling and attracting international talent. It also means creating the conditions for people to stay: housing, infrastructure and a livable city.

Eindhoven itself is changing rapidly. In 2005, around 27% of the population had an international background. Today, that figure is around 45%, and moving toward 50%, Dijsselbloem said. That transformation brings opportunities, but also responsibilities. “We need to build a new community as we go along,” he said.

Knowledge sharing and social innovation

The evening’s theme, knowledge sharing, fitted directly into that broader picture. From the open innovation model at the High Tech Campus to the region’s collaborative DNA, sharing knowledge remains a cornerstone of Brainport’s success. But Dijsselbloem also pointed to a new frontier: social innovation.

Through initiatives like “Brainport voor Elkaar,” companies are now being asked to apply their expertise not only to technological challenges, but also to societal ones, supporting public and non-profit organizations in tackling issues such as inequality and social cohesion.

It is a shift from economic cooperation to a broader, more inclusive model of regional development.

Building the conditions for growth

To sustain that model, the region must continue investing, not just in technology, but in the fundamentals. Housing shortages, congestion and pressure on the electricity grid all threaten to slow down growth. Addressing these issues is now part of the same strategic agenda as innovation itself.

Programs like the Brainport Deal and the Beethoven Deal aim to align national and regional investments in talent, infrastructure and innovation capacity. “All of that,” Dijsselbloem said, “will allow the ecosystem to expand further and become stronger.”

“You are the people who build our future”

In closing, the mayor turned back to the audience. The awards, he noted, are about more than recognition. They are about making talent visible and valuing it. The Common Ground for Innovation Awards, partly inspired by Eindhoven’s Gerard & Anton Awards, reflect a shared belief: that innovation is driven by people.

“You are the people that build our future,” he told the nominees and winners. It was both a compliment and a call to action. Because if Brainport’s success has been built on collaboration, its future will depend on whether that collaboration can scale across technologies, across borders, and increasingly, across society itself.