Helmond and North Brabant to acquire Automotive Campus

The Province of North Brabant and the municipality of Helmond plan to acquire the current real estate on the Automotive Campus from construction company Van de Ven of Veghel. This would place the campus’s further development fully in public hands. The move fits within a broader national trend in which governments are taking greater control of campus development. Earlier, a similar step was taken with the Brainport Industries Campus in Eindhoven.

Strategic importance for Helmond and Brainport

The province and municipality consider the Automotive Campus to be of major strategic value for both Helmond and the Brainport region. Automotive is one of the three key sectors in Helmond’s economic policy, alongside food tech and smart manufacturing, where talent for design and manufacturing is central.

The province is investing in the further development of the Automotive Campus because the site plays a strategic role within Brabant’s mobility and innovation ecosystem. The campus is a link in the transition to smart and sustainable mobility and brings together education, research, and industry. As a leading Dutch campus, it contributes substantially to innovation capacity and employment in Brabant. Provincial participation will help the campus remain a driving force in regional economic development.

Work at the Automotive Campus focuses on solutions to societal and technological challenges, including electrification, decarbonization, digitalization, safety, and sustainability. By increasing public involvement, the province and municipality aim to retain knowledge and innovation in the Netherlands while continuing to invest in the economy and long-term employment.

“With this step, we are ensuring strong public control over the development of the Automotive Campus. By continuing to invest in our key sectors, we keep knowledge and innovation in the Netherlands,” said Alderman Martijn de Kort (Economic Affairs). “For Helmond and the Brainport region, this lays the foundation for a strong economy. That economic growth is essential to ensure broad prosperity and public amenities keep pace with the population, now and through 2040. Campuses have proven to be engines of regional economic growth and generate above-average employment.”

Drivers of growth

“Brabant’s campuses are drivers of growth,” added Stijn Smeulders, provincial executive for Urban Development and Mobility. “By continuing targeted development, we create space for innovation, talent, and new business activity; the Automotive Campus can thus move to the next level.”

Martijn van Gruijthuijsen, provincial executive for Economy, Talent Development, and Finance, said: “A strong economic ecosystem emerges where education, entrepreneurs, and government reinforce one another. With public investments in the Automotive Campus, we are strengthening Brabant’s innovation capacity, talent development, and sustainable growth.”

No details have been disclosed regarding the value of the proposed transaction. The purchase is subject to extensive due diligence and requires approval from the management of Bouwbedrijf Van de Ven, the Helmond City Council, and the Provincial Council of North Brabant. Such a process involves a thorough review of all financial, legal, and technical aspects. In parallel, the municipality and the province are developing a new business plan to further develop the campus. Once agreement is reached, the outcomes will be submitted to the city council and the Provincial Council. All parties aim to finalize the process as quickly as possible.