©Ilse de Wolf example, two weeks ago I was in southern Germany together with the director of the Holst Centre. This is how we, as a regional government, try to open doors to international cooperation and innovation.” It is difficult to keep highly educated people in Brabant and many of them leave for the Randstad region. What are you doing about that? “We need those bright minds so that in the future, we can secure the earning power, prosperity and well-being of the Brabanders. Whether it’s an econometrist from Tilburg University or an automotive student from the Eindhoven University of Technology - we need all kinds of talent. Unfortunately, many of them are admittedly leaving. We are doing our best to turn that tide, for example, by working on housing projects for the major cities, arranging public transport as effectively as possible and supporting the cultural climate. We also believe it is important to encourage entrepreneurship. For instance, there is the Brabant Startup Fund, which financially supports start-ups. All these measures together should ensure that the province becomes even more attractive.” This year marks 20 years of the Precision Fair. How do you view Mikrocentrum’s role? “I see Mikrocentrum as the hands and feet of the high-tech ecosystem in the province, the PR. Experts from the precision industry are often looking for more depth and for new innovations. Those things are extremely important, but it is also crucial to see what else is going on in the industry. That is what Mikrocentrum is there for. The Precision Fair is a perfect example of this, as a place where the sector can meet, catch up and have discussions. I just mentioned that it is important that the sector also starts looking at applications in the social sphere and the trade fair can play an important role in that as well.” Martijn van Gruijthuijsen Van Gruijthuijsen (1972) was born and raised in Megen in the Netherlands. He started out at a MAVO vocational secondary school and eventually earned his VWO diploma (university entrance) at a HAVO secondary school. In 2002, he completed his studies in public administration at Tilburg University. From 2005 to 2019, Van Gruijthuijsen worked for the Tilburg University as a policy officer, coordinator and program manager. In 2011, he also became a member of the VVD party for the Provincial States of the Netherlands. Here he was, among other things, party chair and vice-chair. After eight years as a member of the Provincial States, he took over the position of Provincial Executive member for Economy, Knowledge and Talent Development in June 2019. 7
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