Eindhoven region given 326 million euros for chip sector training and fast cycling paths

The Cabinet will give the Eindhoven region 275 million euros to train people to work in the microchip sector, ministers Dirk Beljaarts (Economic Affairs) and Eppo Bruins (Education, Culture, and Science) reported. Other areas, like Delft, will receive 43 million euros, Twente will receive 72 million euros, and Groningen will be given 29 million euros. Eindhoven was also given 51 million euros for new fast cycling paths.

In this way, the ministers are implementing the 'Beethoven project' that the previous Cabinet set up to keep chip companies such as ASML in the Netherlands. A part of this project was that the Cabinet would invest hundreds of millions of euros to train new employees at secondary vocational education (MBO), higher professional education (HBO), and university education (WO) levels.

Hans de Jong, the former president of Philips Nederland, has been appointed by the Cabinet as a special envoy to develop these plans. He will do this with the regions of Eindhoven (also known as Brainport), Deflt, Groningen, and Twente. The aforementioned distribution of money is part of this.

The ministers are optimistic about the plan and are following De Jong's advice. However, the regions must develop detailed plans before receiving the money.

According to De Jong, there is a need for 38,000 additional technically trained people in the microchip sector up to and including 2030. Partly due to ASML's growth, Eindhoven alone will need 26,000 new employees. This was said by the special envoy based on his own research. He asked the chip machine companies what their expansion plans were to come to this conclusion.

A spokesperson for chip company NXP called it good news. "We are lobbying for as much technical talent to be trained in the Netherlands as possible so that we can stay as strong as possible in the areas of research and development." He said that NXP is currently unable to get enough employees from the Netherlands to fill the vacancies.

This was not the only financial news for Eindhoven: The province of Brabant is going to spend 51 million euros on five new fast cycling paths in Eindhoven. More than 50 kilometers of new cycling routes will pass through ten different municipalities, and they are meant to ensure that thousands of people reach their destination quicker and without obstacles.

The money comes from a pot for measures that can make the Brainport region of Eindhoven more accessible in the short term and reduce traffic jams now that plans for the A2 motorway have been shelved, the province reports.

Two of the new fast bike paths will be between Eindhoven and Best. The other routes will connect Eindhoven, Oirschot, and the bicycle roundabout Hovenring in Eindhoven with the industrial area De Run in Veldhoven.

A new fast-cycle route will also be built between Tilburg and Lieshout. In Best, a bicycle bridge will be built over the Wilhelminakanaal, and three bicycle tunnels will be built under the motorways. The municipalities involved, and the province will ratify the agreements this summer.

Construction of all the routes is expected to start by 2025. The government, province, municipalities, and private parties contribute to the project.