The province of North Brabant supports Helmond’s ambitions through its own social goals: strengthening innovation, accelerating smart and sustainable mobility, and securing high-quality employment. Together, the municipality and the province will ensure public control over the further development of the Automotive Campus and its surrounding ecosystem.
The municipality and the province intend to acquire the existing real estate on the Automotive Campus from Bouwbedrijf van de Ven in Veghel. This will place the campus’s future development fully in public hands. The move fits within a broader national trend in which governments take a more active role in campus development.
Strategic importance for Helmond and the Brainport region
The municipality of Helmond and the province of North Brabant see the Automotive Campus as strategically important for both Helmond and the Brainport region. Automotive is one of the three pillars of Helmond’s economic policy, alongside food tech and smart manufacturing. These sectors rely on strong making skills - a quality deeply rooted in Helmond’s DNA.
The province invests in the Automotive Campus because it plays a key role in Brabant’s mobility and innovation system. The campus supports the transition to smart and sustainable mobility and energy and uniquely brings together education, research, and business. As one of the Netherlands’ twenty leading campuses, it makes a strong contribution to innovation and employment in Brabant. Public participation strengthens this position and ensures the campus remains a driver of regional economic growth.
Over recent years, under the ownership of Bouwbedrijf van de Ven, the Automotive Campus has developed into a leading international campus. It is a place where solutions are created for major social and technological challenges, such as electrification, decarbonisation, digitalisation, safety, and sustainability. By increasing public involvement, the municipality and the province aim to retain knowledge and innovation in the Netherlands and to support long-term economic growth and employment.
“With this step, we are securing strong public control over the development of the Automotive Campus,” says Martijn de Kort, Alderman for Economic Affairs. “By continuing to invest in our top sectors, we ensure that knowledge and innovation remain in the Netherlands. This creates a solid foundation for a strong economy in Helmond and the Brainport region. Economic growth is essential to ensure that prosperity and facilities grow in step with the population, now and towards 2040. Campuses are proven drivers of regional economic growth and offer above-average employment.”
“Campuses in Brabant are engines of growth,” adds Stijn Smeulders, Deputy for Urban Development and Mobility. “Targeted development creates room for innovation, talent, and new business activity. This will help the Automotive Campus take the next step forward.”
Martijn van Gruijthuijsen, Deputy for Economy, Talent Development, and Finance, adds: “A strong economic ecosystem emerges when education, entrepreneurs, and government reinforce one another. Public investment in the Automotive Campus strengthens Brabant’s innovation capacity, talent development, and sustainable growth.”
Public control over development
In recent years, the Municipality of Helmond, the province, and Bouwbedrijf van de Ven have investigated the best way to manage and govern the campus. A conscious decision was made to give the public sector a greater role. By placing ownership and development in public hands, government bodies can better steer both the physical development and the development of the campus and the ecosystem of businesses, education, and protection of its innovative strength.
“After 14 years of growth, development, and construction, the time has come to move the Automotive Campus into its next phase,” says Frank van de Ven, owner of Bouwbedrijf van de Ven. “We are confident in entrusting this responsibility to the municipality of Helmond and the province of North Brabant.”
The proposed purchase offers opportunities for further development on the remaining land owned by PNB and the municipality. An integrated approach will create space for new R&D and testing facilities, education, and start-up/scale-up accommodation, and strengthen the cohesion of the ecosystem. In the future, we will explore which partners we can work with to further develop the Automotive Campus, so that we can continue to meet the needs of the innovative mobility ecosystem in Brabant.
Careful follow-up process
No information will be disclosed about the value of the proposed transaction. The purchase is subject to a comprehensive due diligence process and requires approval from the management of Bouwbedrijf van de Ven, the municipal council of Helmond, and the Provincial Council of North Brabant. This process includes a thorough review of financial, legal, and technical aspects.
At the same time, the municipality and the province are preparing a new business plan for the future development of the campus. Once this plan is finalized, it will be submitted to the municipal and provincial councils. All parties aim to complete the process as efficiently as possible.
