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Twente Region

Twente region is a leading technological region with focus on the global challenges and strong knowledge clusters. The region is a logistics hotspot, has a Technical University, a University of Applied Sciences,and a strong SME base, especially in the HTSM and manufacturing sector. With +630.000 inhabitants – living in 14 municipalities - it is part of the Dutch-German Euregio with 3.4 million inhabitants.

The region is strategically located on the east-west connection North Sea Baltic Corridor between Amsterdam and Eastern Europe. This strategic position makes Twente an important link in the development of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). International connections with other urban agglomerations (e.g. Randstad, Ruhr area) and urban nodes (e.g. Amsterdam, Zwolle, Münster, Berlin) are essential for the economic growth of our region. Investing in physical cross-border connections by road, water and railway are therefore of high importance, but also investing in connecting knowledge institutes, knowledge to business and cultural and recreative initiatives on both sides of the border.

Despite the unique position of the region, the national border continues to be a barrier. The aim is to make daily cross-border traveling 'a normal way of life' and to have a 360-degree approach of the region in all policies and programs to create solutions to tackle global challenges. For example, cross-border railway infrastructure does not connect properly, that’s why the region invests in the project called EuregioRail (see below). Another example is their bicycle highway F35, connecting the region with the German border over a total length of 62 kilometers and hopefully in the near future crossing the border.

Together with the Province Overijssel and regional industries the region invest in the mobility-transformation for commuters in the project Overijssel Onderweg and the Container Terminal in Hengelo and Almelo. New developments are the testing with unmanned systems from the Airport Twente for safety and freight purposes, their project for unmanned automated hub to hub logistics for container freight (SAVED) and opportunities to create low emission interregional hubs for airflights.

A third of all car journeys in the Netherlands are shorter than 5 km. The distance is easy for many people to cycle to work, the shop, or to college. The Twente region would like more people to choose the bicycle for their daily journeys. Therefore Twente region has been investing in safer and more comfortable cycling connections and is promoting the routes through campaigns and bike promotion. Because more cyclists not only means less traffic but also a cleaner and greener living environment. The Twente region calls on you to cycle more often, because cycling is good for your body, your wallet, and nature. See here their new promotion video.

Twente is involved in EU projects such as the CEF project Optimizing Inland waterways in the Euregio (2017-2024), SUMPs-up (2018), and Fast Track (2021-2023)

You can find out more about their mobility policies in the following documents:

For more information, you can check out their website or follow them on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Youtube.