Top Technology Region/ Eindhoven-Leuven-Aachen Triangle (TTR-ELAt) (Netherlands-Belgium-Germany)

The TTR-ELAt is an initiative to support cross-border collaboration in a densely populated network of small and medium-sized cities located at the heart of western Europe with an economic output of USD 244 billion. The collaboration spans three countries, four science and technology policy regimes and six sub-regions. The collaboration centres on a shared recognition of technological strengths (chemicals and advanced materials, high-tech systems and health sciences). The area seeks to better capitalise on its skilled workforce, multinational enterprises and strong research facilities. While building on decades of cross-border activities, the TTR-ELAt seeks to overcome cumbersome governance issues to create the benefits of agglomeration with complementarity expertise so as to increase international attractiveness.

This chapter is an excerpt of Nauwelaers, C., K. Maguire and G. Ajmone Marsan (2013), “The case of the Top Technology Region/Eindhoven-Leuven-Aachen Triangle (TTR-ELAt) - Regions and Innovation: Collaborating Across Borders”, OECD Regional Development Working Papers, No. 2013/22, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.ore/10.1787/10.1787/5k3xv0lg3hf5-en.

Introduction

The TTR-ELAt (Top Technology Region/Eindhoven-Leuven-Aachen Triangle) gathers six regions located at the intersection of Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium (Figure 9.1). The area in which the TTR-ELAt is located has a long history of cross-border policy efforts. Such collaboration began in the 1970s with project-based co-operation among the cross-border regions of the Euregio Meuse-Rhine (an area that covers a large part of the TTR-ELAt area) and the Euregio Rhine-Meuse-North (EMRN). These activities provided a test bed for experimenting with cross-border collaboration. The TTR-ELAt was launched in 2009 as the merger of two initiatives, the TTR and the ELAt. The TTR (Top Technology Region) was first established in 2004 in recognition of the role of the Southeast Netherlands in its national context for technology-led growth, and subsequently enlarged through collaboration with the neighbouring regions. The ELAt (Eindhoven-Leuven-Aachen Triangle) was an initiative of the mayors from the three cities that also began 2004, which was soon joined by several local and regional actors, notably universities, located in the “triangle” area. The large number of co-operation projects in the cross-border area has helped to define the combined TTR-ELAt as the most relevant cross-border functional definition for technology and innovation policy support.

Figure 9.1. Top Technology Region/Eindhoven-Leuven-Aachen Triangle (TTR-ELAt)

Note: This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries.

Source: TTR-ELAt (2013), “Background report to OECD study cross-border regional innovation policies”, March.

Table 9.1. Size of the TTR-ELAt area

Note: The shaded column is a region that is not actively involved in the TTR-ELAt policy efforts.

Source: TTR-ELAt (2013), “Background report to OECD study cross-border regional innovation policies”, March using data sources from Eurostat, November 2012.

Table 9.2. Key economic indicators: The TTR-ELAt and its regions

Notes: Regional definitions used here often cover larger sub-regions than are actually covered by the TTR-ELAt. The shaded column is a region that is not actively involved in the TTR-ELAt policy efforts.

Source: TTR-ELAt (2013), “Background report to OECD study cross-border regional innovation policies”, March using data from Eurostat and UNU-MERIT, November 2012.

Table 9.3. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for cross-border innovation policy:

The TTR-ELAt