Jasper's day
Jasper Knoester is the dean of the Faculty of Science. How is he doing, what exactly does he do and what does his day look like? In each newsletter, Jasper gives an insight into his life.
Friday 4 April 2025 - a day at Brainport Eindhoven
‘On Fridays I usually head up to Groningen early, but today I’m going the other way. I’m off to Brainport Eindhoven — the high-tech hub of the Netherlands — together with the mayors and aldermen of Leiden and surrounding towns, plus a few other key players. We’re going to check things out and get inspired, see what ideas we can bring back to help our own region grow and thrive. I’m walking to the tram before seven. The sky’s clear — looks like it’s going to be a good day.
But first, a quick pit stop at our own campus to tie up a few urgent loose ends. By eight o’clock, I’m on a coach to Eindhoven with around fifty others. Lots of introductions along the way. I’m sitting near two Leiden alderwomen: Yvonne van Delft (Energy, Work and Income, and Culture) and Wietske Veltman (Economy, Knowledge, Sport and Health). Wietske’s taken over from Fleur Spijker, who I worked with a lot — so it’s great to meet her already. Turns out she has roots in Groningen too, which gives us an instant connection.
Together we are stronger!
By around ten we arrive at the Brainport Industries Campus (BIC) in Eindhoven. First up: two presentations on how 21 municipalities are working together to keep their region thriving. It really speaks to me. I’m glad to see how many ideas line up with our own faculty’s strategic plan. It’s about teaming up, being stronger together, looking beyond your own interests and giving others room to grow. When you think in terms of the region as a whole, everyone benefits more in the end. It’s a mindset we need at our faculty — and university — too. We even get a look at the “family tree” of local companies. Unsurprisingly, nearly everything traces back to Philips — even the drugstore chain Etos, whose name stands for Unity, Dedication, Dialogue and Cooperation!
Next, we tour the BIC-1 building, where education, innovation and development all come together under one roof. MBO and HBO (vocational and applied sciences) institutions are based here, alongside large and small businesses, all focused on cutting-edge tech and innovation. Smart industry is the key concept — smarter, AI-driven, on-demand production using robotics. Super impressive. One thing really stands out: the number of internationals working here. It’s crystal clear how much the innovation engine relies on foreign talent. Which makes me wonder again: why does politics have such a hard time with English-taught university programmes? Earlier, we heard Brainport will need 70,000 extra skilled people in the coming years. There’s no way that’s going to happen with just the shrinking pool of Dutch students.
Why is politics so hung up on English-taught programmes?
After lunch, I join a group visiting the local startup incubator at Eindhoven University of Technology. Great to hear they’re working with Luris, our university’s knowledge exchange office. The idea here is that the real competition isn’t within the Netherlands, so regional collaboration is essential. I love that mindset. We also stop by the startup Tolkie, where they’re building an app to help people with low literacy access (government) websites more easily.
In the afternoon we explore Strijp-S, the old Philips factory district in Eindhoven. It’s now being transformed into a trendy residential area full of small creative businesses — over 200 startups already! You’ve got former factory halls turned into apartments and office spaces, sitting next to shiny new high-rises. Some iconic Philips buildings, like the Klokgebouw, are still at the heart of it all. I’m a fan of industrial heritage and this looks like a great place to live — very different from the otherwise rather dull city of Eindhoven.
We round off the day with dinner at the Klokgebouw, where a few people share their reflections. The message that really stuck with everyone? The power of working together. I had the chance to meet lots of mayors and aldermen in a relaxed setting today, and I took the opportunity to encourage them to help convince their colleagues in The Hague: we really need international talent in this country, and international university education plays a crucial role in that. And even then, our region still has work to do — we’ll need to offer an attractive place to live and work to everyone who wants to come and strengthen us.
The bus ride home flies by. We chat about the day and thank the organisers. Just after eleven I’m back home. Everyone’s already asleep, so I make a pot of tea and reflect on what turned out to be a really inspiring day. Before I know it, it’s half past midnight. Early start again tomorrow — off to Groningen to visit friends and old neighbours!’