The Provincial Executive has today given the green light to submit the plan to the Provincial Council. The Provincial Council will thus have the opportunity to express their wishes and concerns before the fund can actually start.
Economic challenges and opportunities
Various analyses, including the Wennink report, show that Limburg has less access to growth capital than expected based on its economic size. This limits the possibilities for innovative companies to grow and develop sustainably in the region. Without targeted action, there is a risk that talent, knowledge, and entrepreneurship will develop outside Limburg.
At the same time, important opportunities arise. New technologies and strategic developments, such as the arrival of the Einstein Telescope and innovations in the defense sector and key technologies, offer possibilities for growth in business activity, knowledge, and employment. To better seize these opportunities and strengthen financing options for innovative activities, the Provincial Executive – after consultation with the Ministry of Economic Affairs, client of the Wennink report and also co-shareholder of LIOF – has decided to establish the Brightlands Future Fund.
Deputy Stephan Satijn: “Limburg has great potential, but often lacks sufficient growth capital at the right moment to fully utilize it. With the Brightlands Future Fund, we give smart ideas room to grow and ensure that talent and innovation remain firmly anchored in our region.”
Stimulating innovative companies
The Brightlands Future Fund, with a targeted size of 100 million euros, is intended as a supplement to the existing financing landscape. Returned funds can be reinvested, so that investments can also contribute to new economic development in the longer term. The fund invests along the entire innovation development line: from early phase and valorization to growth and scaling. It focuses on a broad technological scope, with special attention to the themes of the Brightlands Campuses, defense-related innovations, AI, and innovative SMEs.
From the start, the fund can also be used for innovative business activities around the Einstein Telescope cluster, contributing to further strengthening the regional innovation and knowledge ecosystem. With this, the Province aims to mobilize private and public investments and fill existing gaps in the financing landscape.
The Provincial Council now has the opportunity to provide their input, after which a final decision will be made.