Cities of Innovation: Eindhoven

Additional information

ICT Infrastructure

  • —  Comprehensive 4G coverage and 5G tests.
  • —  Companies and citizens test new data applications that further facilitate Smart City developments.

Local, national and international transport links

Eindhoven has a highly developed public transportation system. The city was one of the first places in the Netherlands with a fully operational electric bus fleet. Forty-three electric articulated Citeas were introduced in 2016. Since 11 December 2016 every bus has travelled 350 kilometres per day. Altogether, the 43 buses have driven nearly four million kilometres.

 

In addition, Eindhoven is the first city in the Netherlands collaborating with an electric car sharing platform (Amber Mobility). The Amber cars will soon automatically register with the municipality’s parking permit system. The parking permits are then allocated to license plates as soon as they drive in Eindhoven. As a result, shared cars can also be exchanged between cities in the future. Amber has developed this in cooperation with the suppliers of the licensing systems. In the near future the electric car fleet will be expanded to shared electric bikes as well.

 

Eindhoven has a dense cycling network. You are able to access every city district within 10 minutes by a safe and separate cycle path. A nice example is The Hovenring – a suspended cycle path roundabout in Eindhoven and the first of its kind in the world. It is situated in between Eindhoven, Veldhoven and Meerhoven, which accounts for its name, which is Dutch for Ring of the ‘Hovens’.

University links and access to talent

Eindhoven University of Technology comprises three main academic institutions: Eindhoven University of Technology, Fontys University of Applied Science and a Design Academy. There are 21,000 students and three collaborations between academia and entrepreneurship programmes.

 

The Dutch Design Week event encourages experimentation, innovation and crossover, and is the biggest annual design event in northern Europe.

 

The TU/e Innovation Lab is at the heart of the Dutch knowledge economy. The lab serves to bring knowledge to the market by translating academic and technological findings into solutions that help tackle societal challenges.

 

Eindhoven Engine specialises in researching and teaching high tech systems.

Costs and availability of workspace

Co-working spaces include:

Regus
Founded by All
Twice Buildings

HighTechXL

BounceSpace

Seats2Meet

Additional information

In 2013, Eindhoven was ranked as one of the 15 most inventive cities by Forbes.