In March, the then outgoing government announced it would invest 450 million euros in technical talent in the Netherlands. For the period after 2030, the cabinet allocated an additional 80 million euros annually for education. This financial boost was part of "project Beethoven". 

In a letter to the Parliament yesterday, ministers Bruins and Beljaarts announced that the bulk of this 450 million euros will go to the Eindhoven region. The TU/e is working with Fontys (HBO) and Summa (MBO) on an implementation plan. Besides Eindhoven, three other regions will receive money for education in the field of "semicon": Delft will get 43 million euros, Twente 72 million euros and Groningen 29 million euros.

The goal of "project Beethoven" is to keep companies such as ASML and NXP in the Netherlands. Besides money for investment in education, there is also money for infrastructure, including an expansion of the NS railway station in Eindhoven.

Developing plans

Hans de Jong, former executive of Philips Netherlands, has been appointed by the cabinet as special envoy to develop these plans. In cooperation with the regions of Eindhoven (also known as Brainport), Delft, Groningen and Twente, he determined the current allocation of funds. The ministers write that they support the plans and are following De Jong's recommendations. But the regions must submit plans to actually receive the funding.

According to De Jong, 38,000 additional technically skilled workers are needed in the microchip sector until 2030. The Eindhoven region alone, thanks in part to the growth of ASML, needs 26,000 new workers. 

Cuts

The extra money comes just at the right time, because due to inflation and salary increases, universities are facing rising costs, while the new coalition has announced cuts in higher education of more than 1 billion euros. On balance, TU/e expects to still be able to grow, but much more slowly. Currently, TU/e has about 13,000 students. According to the original plans, that number was supposed to grow to 15,000 students in 2025. With “Beethoven,” TU/e expects to reach that number in 2030.