28 Sep
2022
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Brabant authorities, companies and knowledge institutions want to develop The Brainport Line, a new innovative transport system that will connect all Brainport campuses around Eindhoven with each other and with regional work locations and, via Eindhoven Central, also with national and international economic centers. The province of Noord-Brabant, the municipality of Eindhoven and Brainport Development are the initiators of the plan that is supported by the business community and knowledge institutions from Brainport Eindhoven. The project has been submitted to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management to be eligible for a contribution of more than 1 billion euros from the National Growth Fund.
The Brainport line is a new smart and emission-free public transport system in which 'pods' of various sizes drive on free lanes, along transfer points at arterial roads and around existing public transport nodes. Use is made of sensor technology, autonomous driving and proven (regional!) Technology, such as platooning. The Brainport line can be introduced step by step in the period up to 2030. The system connects innovation and testing possibilities in the beating heart of the knowledge-intensive manufacturing industry in the Netherlands. The system is an economical showcase: It is a flexible system because it is not tied to a route with rails. It is therefore easy to scale up and can be used in smaller cities but also larger metropolises, all over the world. This offers great economic opportunities for the business community in Brainport Eindhoven that is developing the Brainport line and contributes to the international image of the Netherlands as a precursor to innovative smart & green mobility applications.
Growth fund
In September, the cabinet announced that the National Growth Fund, which was presented earlier, will contain 20 billion euros. Projects can be financed from the fund that can contribute to strengthening the sustainable earning capacity of the Netherlands in the long term. Deputy Christophe van der Maat of mobility in the province of Noord-Brabant thinks the fund is an extremely good move by the cabinet: “It is very important that we continue to look ahead in the Netherlands. There is a lot of creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation capacity in our country, which is activated with the Growth Fund. We have already done our homework and made this bid, which we believe fits seamlessly with the goals of the fund. With the Brainport line we not only improve accessibility to, to and between top economic locations in the economic engine of the south, but the system also acts as a driver for the mobility transition in Brabant, and also generates money. According to the social cost-benefit analysis, this yields approximately 150 million euros after deduction of costs. ”
Strong growth
The Brainport line is no superfluous luxury for the Eindhoven region: by 2040, 70,000 jobs will be added and more than 60,000 homes will be built in the urban area, including 6,000 in the station area around Eindhoven Central. For example, Brainport Line connects the economic hotspots within the region, but it also strengthens connections with economic centers such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam, and important European regions such as Düsseldorf, Aachen and Brussels. According to Eindhoven alderman Stijn Steenbakkers of economics, the Brainport line is much more than a mobility system: “We are going to create jobs by developing, realizing, marketing and exporting this innovative mobility system! Each design, development, testing and implementation step generates lessons, developments, services and products that can be marketed at home and abroad. This provides employment at all educational levels, varying from vehicle technology, infrastructure development, underlying technologies and new mobility services. For example, we actively work on the necessary innovations and developments that will bring our country further in the mobility and energy transition. Everything comes together here: transport, jobs and sustainability. ”
Build top position
According to Hans de Jong, President Philips in the Netherlands and board member of the Brainport Foundation, the Brainport line offers a unique opportunity to deploy highly innovative at the interface of high-tech manufacturing and automotive industry: “Brainport Eindhoven is one of the jet engines of the Dutch economy. . The technology that is being developed and produced in this region makes solutions possible for global social themes, such as digital care, smart mobility, and alternative energy generation. Those solutions are world-class, the accessibility of the region must also be. This investment is in line with the ambition to further expand our international top position. We do this together: public and private, that is the strength of Brainport. ”
The proposition has broad support from the business community and knowledge institutions in Brainport Eindhoven, they have already made it known that they want to use the transport system for their employees. This increases the exploitation of the system.
