If it were up to the Eindhoven City Council, the municipality would buy the Brainport Industries Campus from its current owner, a British investor. Brainport Alderman Stijn Steenbakkers explained this ambition in the Studio040 talk show . “I like to see an enterprising government”.
“What we see is that a lot of things that are happening there are very important for the future jobs that we are going to have here in the region. So it is important that you have a good rental mix: large companies, small companies, start-ups, educational and research institutions”, Steenbakkers says in the talkshow Eindje van de Week (end of the week).
“With this type of real estate, it can change owners quite quickly, faster than the investment horizon. They want to make a financial profit from it – you can’t blame them for that because that is what they are focused on. But then they can say: let’s take that educational institution out because they cannot pay a certain rent. Then you take out the whole concept of such a campus for the long term”.
Vital
And the municipality wants to prevent these kinds of developments. “We are in a different geopolitical context. We have to be more careful with vital economic infrastructure. And that is more than just the ports or the airport, these kinds of things are also part of that. You want to have an idea of what is happening there. There are companies here that make the core of the F-35 engine, that is an important position”.
MBO level
“If everyone can be the landlord there, admit tenants, change leases, then that has potential consequences for the region. There are really 500 students from the Summa there. And that is really crucial, because 60 per cent of the jobs in the high-tech manufacturing industry are MBO (secondary vocational education) level”.
Moreover, the municipality is making a favourable deal, the Alderman says. “Financially, it is a solid business. To put it in Eindhoven’s terms: ‘We leave nothing for it and even keep a little bit of it.’ I am an advocate of an enterprising government myself. The government has always played a role in major innovations, the traditional idea is that the government stands aside and the market determines what happens, is that that is not exactly what you want”.
HTC
Previously, there was a lack of entrepreneurial spirit, when the High Tech Campus Eindhoven was sold to a Singaporean state fund. “HTC is another example, would we have liked to have that? That is not the case now,” Steenbakkers answers evasively. “But it is clear that HTC is important for the future of the city. Of course there is also an economic interest for the region, but we are extremely happy with the management that is there now”.
Next Tuesday, the City Council will decide on the takeover of BIC. On Tuesday evening, the talk show Eindje van de Week can be seen on the TV channel of Studio040. Volunteers from the Lichtjesroute (route of lights) Tits Bongers will also be a guest, who recently received honorary citizenship.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
