Global testbed for green and smart mobility

As the high-tech growth accelerator of the Dutch economy and part of the technological backbone of Europe, Brainport Eindhoven is a global frontrunner in innovation. “We excel at inventing, developing and integrating world’s most complex high-tech machines, systems, parts and products at utmost precision and with unprecedented accuracy” according to the hub’s website.

Brainport is now an automotive cluster, situated in the former Volvo development center. It is a top technology region in the south of Holland. We dont only excel in smart mobility but also in High Tech Systems and Materials, Advanced Manufacturing, Medtech, Food and Smart /Green mobility, so please remove this part. Brainport Eindhoven itself is a world-class technology region in the south of Holland, with the city of Eindhoven at its core. High tech and design are combined with an advanced high-end manufacturing industry and a flouring entrepreneurial culture. Close collaboration and knowledge sharing are part of the DNA of the region and characterize the open innovation culture which makes Brainport both smart and sustainable.

The Brainport ecosystem includes OEMs, SMEs, suppliers, contract manufacturers and knowledge institutes which cooperate closely and have access to physical and fiscal facilities for cost-efficient fast-track development. New opportunities are identified and brought to market by continuously connecting people and companies in order to quickly take advantage of the rapid and accelerating changes in the global automotive industry. This attracts talent and enterprises from all over the world. Entrepreneurs, knowledge institutions and governments form a unique business climate in which they compete by collaboration, expand by adaptation, multiply by sharing, achieve by trying and predict the future by inventing it. Clusters In Brainport Eindhoven technology and networks are clustered on campuses in order to create economic value and facilitate business development. Each of these campuses houses an ideal mix of companies, talents and knowledge institutes with a specific expertise. The campuses are located in a relatively compact area and together they form a value chain that covers all technology readiness levels.

The Automotive Campus in the city of Helmond, the driving force behind Dutch innovation in the fields of automotive technology and smart and green mobility. It offers an attractive learning and working environment, the latest test facilities and flexible accommodation. The campus provides facilities and equipment for testing, simulation and prototyping. “It is where automotive technology is turned into business and where solutions offering answers to future mobility challenges are developed,” according to Johann Beelen, business developer of Brainport Development, the economic development agency of the region. Global test-bed Thanks to its modern facilities and government-supported public test roads the Automotive Campus and its surroundings serve as a real-life international test-bed. Diverse systems can be tested. Guided by the Brainport ethos of sharing knowledge, there is (almost) no influence or involvement of brand-bound activity as it is an OEM-independent and neutral setting. 

Talking Traffic A great example of how companies and organisations in Brainport work together on developing and testing smart mobility solutions is Talking Traffic.

To enhance everyday traffic, various public and (in some cases competing) private parties work together in partnership to combine the huge amount of traffic data about speed, driving behaviour and location . This available data is shared with road users real-time to cater their personal needs. Based on vehicle-to-X-communication it decreases driving times, makes better use of existing roads, achieves CO2 reduction, reduces fuel consumption and noise and makes traffic safer. Talking Traffic started in Brainport Eindhoven and is now rolled out in the rest of the Netherlands.

AutomotiveNL The campus is home to AutomotiveNL, a cluster organization for the Dutch automotive industry and mobility and automotive education sectors which was established in 2011 as a Dutch private limited company when three associations – the Automotive Technology Center, High Tech Automotive Systems and Materials, and High Tech Automotive Campus – merged their objectives, operations and resources. Incubation Brainport’s Automotive Campus supports a rich breeding ground for mobility start-ups through the provision of incubation services such as direct access to facilities, affordable workspaces and a network of renowned automotive companies. This makes the campus an ideal place for start-ups to settle and for established companies to spot new technology and to be inspired by the next generation of mobility professionals. Disruptors in training Five-hundred automotive students are on the campus to learn and put their knowledge into practice. This means a future talent pool is always within direct reach. Moreover, the presence of the educational institutes leads to continuous education and cross-pollination between education and daily practice and students and experienced professionals. “Innovation starts with knowledge.

That’s why it is important to put companies, test facilities and students in one location like a campus. Students can work on challenges from companies, test their knowledge directly in practice and work with the most contemporary equipment.

This is how future mobility solutions are created’, says Beelen. From lab to fab in the blink of an eye Brainport’s fertile soil and the presence of a tight supply chain of hundreds of small and medium sized, specialized suppliers make it possible to transform innovative ideas into advanced products within a short time and to market products, parts or systems within a considerably shorter period of time at competitive costs. This is due to a unique culture of collaboration and mutual trust that has developed over the years. Companies based in Brainport fast-track development thanks to the combination of a handful of global, leading multinationals and rapidly acting supporting small and medium sized enterprises.

Homologation

The last hurdle in going to market is product homologation. Companies in Brainport Eindhoven can provide the final and independent verification of a product’s compliance with worldwide standards. Brainport realizes that time is money, and that rejection at the homologation stage can sink a business or idea. Room for creativity Brainport Eindhoven attracts the brightest minds from around the world by offering lots of room and opportunities for smart people with an open attitude, creative mind, willful talent and perseverance. People who want to work together with scientists, designers, inventors and makers. This open and inviting attitude combined with technological progress leads to a dynamic growth of progressive companies, (international) knowledge workers, young entrepreneurs and creative designers with a great variety in backgrounds and cultures. Everyone feels and experiences that the future is literally being made on site.  

Smart Mobility

Companies with research facilities in Brainport Eindhoven have been working on smart mobility for many years. In 2018 a new area-oriented approach in which smart mobility is an integral solution was introduced. The Brainport approach includes:

• Putting the traveler at the center and deploying smart mobility solutions based on knowledge about the traveler (who is on the road why? What are their alternatives?.
• Understand the psychology of road users – to make smart mobility solutions like parking hubs effective the industry has to find out how to persuade/seduce travelers to use them.
• Area-oriented approach: Brainport planners are no longer focusing on solving bottlenecks for a single transport mode, but rather on improving the accessibility of an area through a combination of technologies.
• Buy-in and a joint task force from employers, and various governments as a condition for success.
• By obtaining financial buy-in and a joint task force from different public and private partners Brainport creates a joint program that both public authorities and employers/private partners feel responsible for.