European Network of Defense - Related Regions (ENDR) conference 2026 in Eindhoven

On this page, you’ll find more background information about North Brabant and the locations, partners and key-speakers of the ENDR-conference. Want to be extra well prepared? Read on!

North Brabant is home to a strong high tech sector, an innovative manufacturing industry and leading academic institutions. Together, these strengths provide a solid basis for leveraging economic opportunities and stimulating innovation.

In Brabant, we focus on several projects and innovation alliances which strengthen Brabant as an innovative region in physical and digital safety. Safety and economy reinforce each other with our focus on the development of innovations that contribute to a futureproof, (inter)nationally unique and relevant ecosystem in which safety innovations can be developed, scaled and implemented.

Therefore, we build further on our strongest technologies: Sensors, Intelligent and Autonomous Systems, Smart Materials, Cybersecurity Technologies and Integrated Photonics. By combining these technologies, we strengthen our ability to avoid incidents, limit the impact of incidents and intervene to quickly recover sustained damage. This creates a resilient society that is better equipped to withstand physical, digital, and hybrid threats. We always approach these technology domains from a dual-use perspective, recognizing that technologies can be applied in both civilian and military contexts.

Brabant is the leading region for technological innovation in safety and security solutions. By strengthening digital and physical resilience, we create economic and societal impact across the region. At the same time, we seize opportunities in the security domain and contribute to national and European security challenges and strategic autonomy.

Brabant offers a unique defence ecosystem where innovation, industry and end-users are connected within a single region. Home to major military installations such as Oirschot Barracks, Eindhoven Air Base, Volkel Air Base, Gilze-Rijen Air Base and Woensdrecht Air Base, alongside world-leading high tech campuses and a strong defence industrial base, Brabant provides a rare opportunity to accelerate innovation from lab to field. Here, new technologies can be developed, tested, validated and deployed in close collaboration with defence end-users, significantly shortening the path from research to operational impact.

Kazerne

In 1814 King Willem I founded a mounted police force. Due to the negative associations of the term 'Gendarmerie' with the French occupation, the new force was not given this name. Instead, the force received the name "Marechaussee", originally referring to everything associated with horses. The Marechaussee combined, and still combines, military duties with civilian responsibilities.

In 1825 the current 'Kazerne' was commissioned as one of the first Marechaussee bases in the Netherlands. In 1912 the Marechaussee left the 'Kazerne' which was subsequently converted into a fire station. In 1952 the fire station closed, and hereafter the 'Kazerne' served multiple municipal and industrial functions. Eventually the 'Kazerne' was fully restored in 2014 and 2017 and was given a cultural and hospitality function in 2014. In 2019, this was expanded with a hotel function.

Philips Stadium

The Philips Stadium has been located on the same place at the Frederiklaan in Eindhoven since 1910. It started as a simple pitch for Philips employees and grew further to a modern football temple with 35.000 covered seats.

The Philips Team was founded by the employees of the Philips light bulb factory on December 12th, 1910. On January 15, 1911, this team plays its first official match against the second team of Hollandia from Woensel (a place near Eindhoven).

On August 31st of 1913, two of the founders of the Philips Team (Hendrik Huisen and Willem Schouten) start the Philips Sport Association. This association was initially focused on athletics. On the 22nd of October in 1913, the Philips Team joined the association which led to the addition of football as a section to the association. The football section of the Philips Sport Association played with the Philips Team until 1916.

From the 31st of October 1916 onwards, the Philips Team goes forward under the name Philips Sport Vereeniging (association), later abbreviated to PSV. PSV’s home ground is the sports field that was first put into use in 1910. Over the years, the sports field has been expanded with covered stands and a clubhouse with a capacity of 900 visitors. The stadium quickly became too small and was expanded multiple times into the stadium that is currently there.

The next expansion is planned to be executed in 2027. The stadium will be expanded on the North- and East-side which will result of a capacity of 45.000 seats in 2030. It is still under investigation whether the West- and South-side can be expanded.