My UM
My UM
Search

Limburg among world’s top smartest regions

Brightlands news

Limburg is one of the most innovative regions worldwide. Each year, the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) selects 21 regions around the world that excel in innovative strength, knowledge development and sustainability. Limburg is part of this selection - the so-called Smart21 - garnering a nomination for the title “The Intelligent Community of the Year.” The announcement was made during the Brightlands symposium at TEFAF that is dedicated to the impact of innovation.

Chairman and founder of ICF Louis Zacharilla praised the Limburg region for the groundbreaking innovations that are developed here through a collaboration between knowledge institutes, education, the Brightlands Campuses, business and government. "Limburg is one of the best-kept secrets within the ICF network of areas we review. So much is happening here in the fields of medical technology, new materials, artificial intelligence and healthy nutrition. My recommendation to them is that they don’t keep this potential success story to themselves. It’s high time they get more visibility!"

Brightlands Symposium

Motivation for more innovation

Deputy for the Province of Limburg Stephan Satijn was delighted with the nomination for Limburg. "This is amazing recognition for what we have already achieved in the past few years: through our campuses, our commitment to the Einstein Telescope and the power of our local businesses. This motivates us to continue on our chosen path, focusing even more on innovation and ensuring that society benefits from this. We want everyone, in Limburg and beyond, to share in our progress. We will communicate this story even more strongly over the coming period, and Brightlands will more explicitly become the brand innovative Limburg will use to present itself."

Worldwide knowledge sharing

The ICF is a global federation of over 200 cities and regions that help each other apply technology in order to foster inclusive and broad prosperity, with attention for sustainability to improve the quality of life. As a member of the ICF, Limburg hopes to learn from the knowledge and experience of other world regions when it comes to how they structure innovation and development, and to apply these lessons in the further development of Limburg as an innovation region. Limburg also hopes this will bolster its chances of bringing the Einstein Telescope to this Euregion.

Group photo at Brightlands symposium

Proven innovative strength

In order for Limburg to become a member, it had to undergo assessment by the ICF on criteria ranging from the proven innovative strength and effects of triple helix collaborations to knowledge development and digital infrastructure. On this basis, Brightlands Limburg Region was admitted to the federation, and then also nominated as one of the 21 candidates for the international title of Intelligent Community of the Year. In October, the Smartest Region of the Year will then be chosen from these Smart21. Up until now, Brainport Eindhoven in the Netherlands has been the only one to acquire this title, and that was in 2011.

Leading position for Limburg

Last June, the European Union also awarded Limburg the prestigious “Regional Innovation Valley” label, and the year before that, our province was promoted to Innovation Leader on the Regional Innovation Scoreboard. These awards underscore Limburg’s leading position in innovation and offer new opportunities for further growth and investment in the region.

 

Source: Brightlands newsletter

Also read