Construction Brainport Industries Campus Gets Underway

The meeting around the official start sign could not take place this afternoon due to the bad weather, but the construction of Brainport Industries Campus (BIC) has nevertheless started. It will be the first location in the Netherlands where the manufacturing industry will share facilities for production, storage, logistics, research and innovation on a large scale in a so-called ‘Factory of the Future’. With 200 hectares (400 football pitches), the size of the project is enormous. BIC focuses on high-tech suppliers, with which the Dutch industry leads the way internationally.

The construction of the first phase involves 100,000 square metres, which next year will house Anteryon, supplier of industrial equipment, and KMWE, supplier to the aviation (Boeing, Airbus), aerospace, mechanical engineering (General Electric), medical and semiconductor industries, among others. ICT developers High Tech Software Cluster and Softwareport are also moving in, as is Summa College. From August 2018, some 1,600 MBO students in engineering and process technology will be studying at the Factory of the Future.

Talent

The Brainport Industries Campus is an excellent opportunity to strengthen chain cooperation, innovation and much more efficient production,” says Ferdinand Gremmen, Director of Royal VolkerWessels company SDK Vastgoed and developer of the BIC. “Collaboration with knowledge institutions and education also means a boost in attracting and training talent in the field of technology.”

Employment

Alderman Staf Depla: “How Brainport Industries Campus brings together high-tech manufacturing companies in the green area Brainport Park is not yet happening anywhere in Europe. The entire high-tech supply chain, from small startups to multinationals, works together in one large ‘Factory of the Future’ at one location. That’s also good news for employment.”

Smart building

The smart building principle of the Factory of the Future ensures maximum flexibility. Because spaces are completely modular, companies can respond adequately to changing market conditions. Companies also share high-quality facilities, such as cleanrooms, flexible production areas, warehouses and other advanced facilities.