North Brabant and Baden-Württemberg are working together for the future of the European automotive, semiconductor and battery industries

For the Dutch automotive industry, international cooperation is not a luxury, it is a necessity. The challenges we face, from electrification and battery development to semiconductors and hydrogen, are simply too large and too complex to tackle alone.

The strength of the Netherlands lies in innovation, agility and specialised expertise. By connecting our ecosystem with leading automotive regions such as Baden-Württemberg - home to companies like Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Bosch - we create new opportunities for innovation, investment and access to European programmes.

As Pim Grol highlighted, collaboration between Dutch and German companies is already deeply embedded in our industry. Initiatives like this help strengthen those connections and create new opportunities across automotive, batteries, energy and high-tech manufacturing.

In an increasingly competitive global market, Europe's strength will not come from individual regions competing against one another, but from building strong cross-border ecosystems that accelerate innovation and reinforce strategic autonomy.