Strijp-T is ready for the next phase.

By Bart Brouwers

Philips has achieved its greatest successes there, and spin-offs such as NXP and ASML have emerged. Those who search well may still find traces of the world's first CD or cassette tape, or of the X-ray tubes developed there. From the very beginning, Strijp-T had a strong foundation in the high-tech manufacturing industry, making it the true birthplace of the Brainport region - and the Brainport concept. Smurfit/Kappa and Draka later moved in, but with the arrival of VanBerlo Design last year, a truly new phase has begun.

Make - Create - Innovate, the core motto of VanBerlo, will apply to all of Strijp-T. The fences around the site, a standard procedure in the times of Philips, are slowly disappearing, thereby completely transforming the character of the 27-hectare site. From secret planning to fully open innovation, the strategy that proved to be so successful at High Tech Campus Eindhoven, another former Philips site that underwent a transformation.

Boudie Hoogedeure, on behalf of GeVa Vastgoed, the owner of Strijp-T, is currently working on attracting new businesses to establish themselves on the premises. In order to make this process as smooth as possible, an agreement has been made with the municipality not to follow the old method. Hoogedeure stated: "You could actually say that we are now in the process of writing a zoning plan ourselves, with the municipality looking over our shoulder. A very nice way to take the necessary steps in these new times and at this special location."

In order to continue innovating and keep up with this changing world, people, organizations, and the way they work must truly change, says Hoogedeure. "When organizations collaborate and thus strengthen their specific strengths, the difference is made. At Strijp-T, we innovate together, on the path towards creating this future world."

In this way, Strijp-T can also distinguish itself well from other innovative areas such as High Tech Campus, Brainport Industries Campus, and Strijp-S. Hoogedeure: "We see making, creating, and innovating in the broadest sense of the word: what do we make, how do we achieve this, and how do we bring this to the customer. Within the chain of the creative industry, which is larger than just Strijp-T, we work together to make innovative ideas market-ready. This involves both physical and digital products. Each organization focuses on a part of the chain where they are specialists, and together with other specialists, they achieve a good end result."

On an oversized beer mat, Hoogedeure has outlined the conditions for the establishment of new businesses.

The complexity for Strijp-T lies not only in the conditions for new businesses, but also in the presence of industrial giants such as Smurfit/Kappa and Draka. Due to their activities, for example, it is more difficult to plan hospitality activities or housing construction in their immediate vicinity. "We have to take all of that into account in the new zoning plan."

GeVa heeft weliswaar het voortouw genomen, maar klaart de klus niet in zijn eentje. Zo is er op 8 februari een symposium in VanBerlo's Innovation Powerhouse waar verschillende belanghebbenden bijeen komen om te praten over de opties. Vertegenwoordigers van gemeente, Rijksoverheid en bedrijfsleven gaan met elkaar in gesprek om de grenzen van de mogelijkheden te verkennen. Hoogedeure: "Er moet ruimte zijn voor experiment, maar met in acht neming van alle veiligheidsvoorwaarden. Dat wil zeggen dat we aan de voorkant wel heel goed kijken naar de criteria zoals we op het bierviltje hebben gezet, maar niet meteen allerlei andere beperkingen gaan toepassen. Daarbij beseffen we ook dat het toetsbaar moet zijn. Stel dat iemand wordt afgewezen, hoe regel je dan bijvoorbeeld een bezwaarprocedure? Een ambtenaar heeft doorgaans een compleet handboek waaraan hij kan toetsen. Dat zal er nu niet zijn en dat kan hartstikke eng zijn voor sommigen. Er is veel onderling vertrouwen nodig om dit te laten slagen, maar tegelijk kun je er ook van uitgaan dat GeVa alle belang heeft bij een nette en goede afhandeling."

Alderman Staf Depla is one of the speakers during the symposium on Thursday. And not without reason: "Strijp-T is special. On November 11th, I was still there at the exhibition and closing of the Philips Glass Laboratory. About the thousands of people who came before us in this part of Eindhoven to work on the future. From the glassblowers to the engineers. I see that drive and collaboration now as well. Together we are looking at what is possible here. We are looking at what is appropriate, which companies are truly of added value here, and how we can adjust regulations accordingly. Then, in 100 years, we will probably be able to look back on a piece of history that we are proud of."

To complete Strijp-T entirely, Hoogedeure also has one more wish that he would rather not wait a hundred years for: "How beautiful would it be if the connection with our neighbors from Strijp-S would become even better, for example by extending the Strijp hill a bit further. Then we would fully honor the connected Philips history and a logical joint development for the near future."

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