NRC reports that the Eindhoven region can no longer handle the success of the high-tech industry, especially ASML. The region is urgently in need of finances for infrastructure, especially in the housing sector. The good news is that ASML is willing to contribute to these costs.
According to the NRC, patience has run out in the region. The economic success of the high-tech industry causes bottlenecks. Growing companies not only mean an increase in employees but also infrastructure costs.
Brabant and local municipalities cannot handle this on their own, reports Omroep Brabant. The central government is expected to contribute two-thirds of the required 1.3 billion while the municipalities, the province, and the business community supplement the remaining third. Apt measures are undoubtedly necessary for continuous economic growth.
18,000 new employees
A major reason for the extra housing required: is the ever-growing ASML. By 2030, the Netherlands’ most important high-tech company expects to hire 18,000 more people. ASML employees often come from abroad. And yes, all those employees have to live somewhere.
More than 50,000 additional homes are planned in the Eindhoven region to cater to the demand. According to the NRC, the Veldhoven chip company is prepared to contribute to realising new homes. ASML wants to keep housing in the area affordable, also for the local population. House prices in the region are partly being pushed up because ASML employees have more budget for mortgages or rent, thanks to their good salaries. Indeed, this adds pressure on the housing market.
We don’t know yet how much ASML will contribute. But it could be a multiple of previous public-private partnerships. ASML already contributed 12.5 million euros in 2017 to improve the accessibility of the De Run campus in Veldhoven.
