Building Breda’s tomorrow together

Breda is a city with a rich past and a beautiful historic city centre. We should be proud of it and take good care of it. However, that alone is not enough to remain a city where people enjoy living, working and spending their leisure time in the future too.

To be ready for the future, technology is of great importance. Digitalisation is changing our daily lives and our work in a way that is profound, but also necessary. Whether it concerns staff, energy, raw materials or space, we are facing scarcity. Add international tensions to the mix and it is clear: standing still is not an option. On the contrary, this is the moment for our city and region to look ahead and take bold steps.

Breda’s strength lies in seeing technology and creativity as means of making a real difference. We have innovative education, enterprising businesses, creative makers and a location that connects us with the world. And perhaps most importantly: Breda has traditionally been a city of meeting. The Nassaus did not establish their court here for nothing. And the Grote Kerk has been the place that brings people together for centuries. We are building on that rich tradition: innovation still begins with people meeting one another and exchanging ideas.

The Breda Innovation District gives that strength a clear place. Not only physically, but also as an environment where talent flourishes, startups break through and chance encounters lead to collaboration and new ideas. ’t Zoet is a striking example. Where our sugar industry once flourished, a creative and innovative environment can emerge, complete with amenities and social and physical connections. In this way, Breda breathes new life into old structures and creates room for the economy and society of the future.

Great strides have already been made in recent years. At the same time, it is a long-term process. It requires perseverance, courage and a willingness to learn and adapt along the way. As a true city of solutions, we will make it happen. In Breda, we bring it all together: education and businesses, makers and government, ideas and implementation. That is where the strength of our city lies. Together, we are making Breda the place where innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship reinforce one another, and where we build a liveable city and a strong economy for the future.