TU/e has a long history of regional, national and international cooperation. This cooperation comes into play chiefly whenever subsidy funding is involved. On such occasions, many partners from trade and industry, the government and knowledge institutions work in concert. This approach is appropriate to the concept of open innovation. Together we unite our expertise and knowledge around one theme and so create synergy.
Europe
This approach is successful in the European context. The high-tech Brainport region is taking on an ever-greater role in Europe. Evidence of this is provided by, among other things, the fact that the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), founded to encourage innovation processes throughout Europe, has received funding to foster innovation in this region. It does this through what are known as Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), which are intended to boost European innovative strength in practical areas. KICs are business-structured cooperative alliances in which people in higher education, research bodies and trade and industry from all over Europe cluster their powers to bridge the gulf between knowledge and innovation.
To date three KICs have been established by the EIT, in the fields of climate change (Climate KIC), renewable energy (InnoEnergy KIC) and ICT (EIT ICT Labs). The EIT expects the most promising innovations in coming years to occur in these key fields. Research in each of these is grouped into sub-areas and two such sub-areas are based in Eindhoven: Energy-efficient Cities and Buildings (InnoEnergy) and Health and Well-being (ICT). TU/e is a prominent partner in this work.
Eindhoven
The coordination of two sub-areas takes place in Eindhoven:
- Energy-efficient cities and buildings (key area InnoEnergy) and
- Health and Well-being (key area ICT Labs).
The TU/e is a prominent partner in this network.
The TU/e works mostly with partners from the regions Île de France, Upper Bavaria, Cologne and Inner London.
