Smarter and faster construction: TNO helps Eindhoven Metropolitan Region with historic leap of scale

A culture of collaborative innovation

Such a strategic collaboration is nowhere in the Netherlands as promising as in the so-called Brainport region, believes Peter van Buijtene. He is a business developer at TNO and the primary contact for the scaling up in the MRE. 'The MRE has traditionally had a strong culture of collaboration. With the presence of major high-tech companies and industry, the 21 municipalities in the region prove that good collaboration and innovation helps you better maintain your competitive edge of this region.'

A complex challenge that requires integral innovations

The importance of this scaling up is evident from an investment package of 2.5 billion euros with which the national government and the region want to strengthen the business climate for international companies, knowledge workers and students. Not only by building homes, but also by investing in equity, public facilities and accessibility. The problems and challenges are such that the old ways do not suffice anymore and a new way of planning, transporting and building is needed.

'Given the enormous scale of this challenge, we simply cannot manage it with existing solutions,' says Marianne Aalbersberg, also a programme manager Liveable cities and regions. 'It's not just about building many homes in a short time. We also need to ensure that the region remains healthy, liveable and accessible for all. And that it remains an attractive region with sufficient facilities.'

Peter adds: 'Take the city of Eindhoven, for example. There's hardly any space to build outside the municipal boundaries. So we need to densify smartly. This directly affects accessibility, air quality and livability. And we haven't even mentioned the nitrogen problem during construction itself or the energy supply for all those new homes.'

Contributing from the beginning

The strategic collaboration between TNO and the Brainport region is not new, but it is different from before. 'Where we were previously mainly involved on a project basis, we are now much more a strategic partner who contributes from the beginning', explains Marianne. "The challenge is so complex and large that the region needs a party that can look across different domains and contribute with state of the art innovations."

Our expertise aligns well with the five main challenges the MRE focuses on: housing, spatial development, rural areas, mobility and energy. 'By approaching these domains with the help of our expertise, data and tooling not separately but interlinked with each other, we can tackle the challenges of scaling up more effectively. The great thing about this collaboration is that we can deploy our knowledge early in the planning phase, allowing us to contribute much more effectively to the challenge', Marianne explains.

The Predictive Digital Twin as an innovation example

The conversation about this strategic collaboration gained momentum when TNO presented the possibilities of an experimental environment based on predictive models for the region. This so-called Predictive Digital Twin service is now offered through the rapidly growing TNO spin-off Scenexus: digital replicas of a physical environment - such as a city or region - are connected in real-time to the actual situation via sensors and data. The system can therefore not only monitor the current situation, but also predict what the effects of certain interventions will be.

'If you want to build homes somewhere, for example, you can use such an experimental environment to make the impact on the living environment visible', Peter explains.

Innovations across the entire chain: from circular building materials to smart mobility

But our contribution to the scaling up goes beyond just digital tools. An example of this is the new Biobased Building Materials Innovation Center. Here, experts research how agricultural materials can serve as insulation material and how demolition material can be reused more quickly. TNO also plays an important role in the Brainport ecosystem in the field of industrial construction. 'Eindhoven University of Technology, for example, develops innovative principles - 'Industrial Construction 4.0' - for housing construction. We help construction companies apply these principles on a scalable basis in their factories', Peter explains.

TNO also offers specific knowledge for energy systems and mobility.

Unique ecosystem accelerates innovation

The integrated approach can create significant acceleration in the process, says Peter: 'If you work traditionally, building a home from plan to completion takes about ten years, eight of which are for planning', Peter explains. 'Now we can shorten the planning process by at least half. Then your house will be ready in 6 years instead of 10 years.'

But according to Peter, it's not just about speed. Integrated considerations also help prevent future problems. He explains: 'The choices you make now could cause problems in 30 years. If you only focus on building quickly without considering climate change, for example, certain areas could be completely dried out in 30 years or flooded due to water problems. By incorporating these factors now, we're building a truly future-proof region.'

Building for the future

With this integrated approach, we also want to inspire other regions. After all, the housing challenge is a national issue. By combining TNO innovations with early strategic involvement, complex challenges can also be tackled in an accelerated and future-proof manner in other municipalities.

Do you have a complex housing challenge that you want to accelerate responsibly Contact our experts. TNO offers the knowledge, experience and tools to enable faster and better decision-making, without compromising liveability, sustainability and affordability.