This month, Eindhoven University of Technology, Fontys and TNO officially became equal shareholders of Eindhoven Engine – a third each. Together, they promise to do everything possible to accelerate innovation in the Brainport region through collaboration and co-creation at a co-location. The result is a stronger cluster providing knowledge and skills to the innovative business community – from startup to large company – to the maximum of their advantage.
“In this way, we can achieve the intended exponential acceleration of innovation even faster,” says Katja Pahnke, who together with Maarten Steinbuch is responsible for the day-to-day management of Eindhoven Engine. “We connect knowledge institutes to the business community. Stimulate collaboration at a single location. This gives you the intended cross-fertilization between different disciplines.” Steinbuch adds: “It allows you to benefit from each other’s expertise, network and experience. That acceleration of innovation, that’s what we do it for.”

“We expect these short lines of communication to be of even greater significance for SMEs,” notes Ella Hueting from Fontys. TNO’s Jaap Lombaers: “We’re going to have teams of students from TUE and Fontys in our innovation programs for and with the industry. In this way, we can serve business and industry in the Brainport region in all kinds of ways. We expect that this will enable us to lower barriers.”
Eindhoven Engine started in 2019. TUE, Fontys and TNO are the founding fathers, together with the companies ASML, NTS, NXP, Philips Healthcare, Signify and VDL. With support from the Brainport Action Agenda Region Deal, sixteen projects have been started.