Chapter eight Good Multi-Level Governance: Brainport Eindhoven

Abstract

Local authorities in many countries enter into cooperation with other local authorities. Such cooperation (voluntary or mandatory) is meant to improve service delivery efficiency, to enhance economic development, or to formulate joint strategies for international competition. In some cases, local authorities expand cooperation to private actors. That is what this Chapter is about. “Brainport Eindhoven” is an example of such public-private cooperation. The name refers to cooperation in the South-East of the Netherlands, where local governments, businesses, and knowledge institutes work together to transform the traditional industrial region into a high-tech region: a “brainport.

This Chapter is partly based on the results of a research project funded by the Netherlands Science Council, NOW, and research regarding Brainport Eindhoven (Van Ostaaijen, Schaap, 2012).