The south of the Netherlands is a unique location for the development of mobility services, explains Pierre van Veggel from MobilitymoveZ.NL: "The south of the Netherlands has an excellent reputation as a smart region. There's a hugely strong network of companies, knowledge institutions and public authorities with lots of mobility know-how and that's an excellent basis for innovation.” A lot of investment in smart systems has already taken place in recent years. For example, this region has the most smart traffic lights in the country and the traffic control centre in Helmond is linked to various towns and cities.
Test area typical for Europe
The SmartwayZ.NL programme, which also includes MobilitymoveZ.NL, has provided a framework for public authorities, companies and knowledge institutions to organise since 2016. That has facilitated efficient decision-making during the development of new mobility concepts. Van Veggel: "We have our own panel of travellers with more than 5,000 participants and we are actively collaborating with employers. As a result we know a great deal about people who travel in our area and it is easy for us to approach them with questions or requests to take part in tests."
The urbanisation in Noord-Brabant and Limburg is typical for the rest of Europe. The concepts which companies test in this car-oriented environment can also be applied elsewhere. The large logistical sector also reflects the traffic picture in the south of the Netherlands. Venlo and Tilburg are two of the largest logistical hotspots of Europe. A huge quantity of goods flows from Rotterdam via Tilburg and Antwerp to southern Europe and from Zeeland via Venlo to Germany and the rest of Europe.
A focus on wide-ranging mobility innovations
The MobilitymoveZ.NL programme has been around since 2017 and is going to be extended until 2023. The focus used to be on 'connected, cooperative and automated transport'. Now the scope is broader. Traffic management, smart logistics, road management, sustainability, traffic safety, data and digitisation are themes which MobilitymoveZ.NL is involved in. On top of this the geographical focal area has been extended to Limburg.
Government and business initiatives
MobilitymoveZ.NL is facilitating public-private collaboration in two ways. Sometimes one of the governmental partners in the south of the Netherlands has a specific task, which means they look for one or more companies that are keen to work on an innovative mobility solution commissioned by MobilitymoveZ.NL. Sometimes a company will have an innovative mobility solution, but it will need the government or other companies in order to test the concept in practice. In those instances the company will take the initiative and MobilitymoveZ.NL will investigate whether they can provide any help and support.
Registration and more information
If you would like to use the facilities in the south of the Netherlands, please register using the registration form. There you will also find the tender documents and more information.
Link to the registration form
