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The Economic Board is a regional public‑private organization that acts as a convenor, connector and strategic accelerator for economic development, innovation and scale‑up activity in the Brainport Eindhoven region of the Netherlands. Operating as an intermediary between government bodies, knowledge institutions and private companies, the organization’s stated purpose is to strengthen the regional innovation ecosystem, attract investment, enable cross‑sector collaboration and help technology companies and research organizations translate ideas into scalable economic activity. The Economic Board presents itself as a platform for regional strategy, matchmaking and program delivery rather than as a commercial product company: its core role is ecosystem development and the facilitation of collaborative projects that address shared challenges and opportunities within advanced manufacturing, high‑tech systems, digital technologies, smart mobility, health technologies and related fields. Core activities The Economic Board’s principal activities center on four interlocking functions: strategic agenda‑setting, ecosystem building, project facilitation and external positioning. First, the organization helps develop and promote a shared regional strategy by bringing together municipal and provincial authorities, universities and research institutions, and leading private firms to identify priority themes and investment needs. Second, it convenes and grows multi‑stakeholder networks—clusters, working groups and thematic communities—that enable knowledge exchange, joint research initiatives, and joint bids for public and private funding. Third, The Economic Board actively facilitates specific innovation programs and collaborative projects by supporting project initiation, helping partners find co‑funding, and providing project governance and matchmaking services to connect companies with research groups and talent. Fourth, the organization works to raise the international profile of the region to attract foreign investment, talent and entrepreneurs through targeted promotion and participation in investment missions and trade‑promotion activities. Main products and services As an intermediary organization, The Economic Board does not sell physical products but delivers a suite of services aimed at accelerating innovation-led economic growth in the region. Typical services and program types include: - Ecosystem convening and networking: organizing thematic platforms, roundtables and large events that bring together industry leaders, start‑ups, universities, civic leaders and investors to stimulate cooperation and joint initiatives. - Strategic program design and coordination: helping to design and coordinate multi‑party programs on topics such as smart industry, digital transformation, circular economy, mobility innovation and life sciences, including defining objectives, KPIs and governance arrangements. - Matchmaking and business support: connecting companies to partners, suppliers, pilots, living labs, regulatory guidance and funding sources; assisting scale‑ups with introduction to corporate partners, investors and international markets. - Investment attraction and export promotion: preparing investor briefs, hosting inbound investor delegations and participating in international trade and investment promotion activities to showcase regional strengths and opportunities. - Talent and skills initiatives: coordinating efforts across education providers, employers and public bodies to align curricula, internships and training with regional industry needs to address skills shortages and strengthen human capital pipelines. - Policy advice and public‑private coordination: advising local and regional governments on policy frameworks, incentive schemes and infrastructure investments that enable innovation and regional competitiveness. Target sectors and beneficiaries The Economic Board focuses on technology‑intensive and knowledge‑driven sectors that are central to the Brainport region’s economic identity. These include high‑tech systems and materials, semiconductor and photonics supply chains, advanced manufacturing and robotics, smart mobility and logistics solutions, digital transformation and AI applications, and health‑tech and medical technologies. Beneficiaries of The Economic Board’s work include multinational corporations with research and production sites in the region, medium‑sized technology firms and suppliers, start‑ups and scale‑ups seeking rapid growth, universities and research institutes looking for industry linkages, and public sector organizations focused on regional economic development. Operational model and partnerships The Economic Board typically operates through a mix of stakeholder contributions, program funding from public and private partners, and co‑funded projects with regional and national institutions. It is structured to enable collaboration across institutional boundaries: governance mechanisms commonly include representatives from local and provincial government, major corporate partners, and academic leaders. Through this public‑private structure the organization aims to align investment, talent and innovation policies with private sector needs and research agendas so that collaborative projects can move more quickly from concept to demonstration and wider deployment. Impact orientation The Economic Board’s activities are oriented toward measurable regional outcomes: increased levels of private and public R&D investment, a higher number of scale‑ups and technology spin‑outs, improved talent attraction and retention, and the development of demonstrator projects and pilot sites that validate new technologies. By focusing on place‑based strengths and facilitating multi‑partner initiatives, the organization seeks to sustain and expand the regional tech ecosystem, promote resilient industrial value chains, and enhance the international competitiveness of the Brainport Eindhoven area. Public presence and outreach In addition to programmatic work, The Economic Board maintains an outward‑facing role, publishing strategic documents, reports and event summaries that document regional priorities and progress. It commonly participates in national and international forums on innovation policy, cluster development and industrial strategy to both share lessons from the Brainport model and to attract partners and investors. While not a commercial technology developer itself, The Economic Board is a recognizable regional brand and coordinating body for technology and innovation activities in one of Europe’s technology‑intensive regions.