ICF's Lou Zacharilla speaks with Mr. Stephan Satijn, Regional Minister for Economy, Finance & Business Operations, Province of Limburg, in this sit-down interview discussing the Brightlands-Limburg Region, a Smart21 Community of 2025.

Perhaps best known as the place where the Maastricht Treaty was signed to establish the European Union, the Brightlands-Limburg Region has undergone a decade of growth and transformation. Through a concentrated effort to leverage existing industries and a strong university presence, the Region has developed an "ecosystem of ecosystems" focused around four campuses spread throughout the province:

• Brightlands Chemelot Campus, focused on materials, circularity, and sustainable chemistry.
• Brightlands Maastricht Health Campus, specializing in health.
• Brightlands Smart Services Campus, concentrating on data science and AI.
• Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo, dedicated to food, nutrition, and the bio-based economy.

The future looks "bright" for Brightlands-Limburg as well, as the Region is in heavy pursuit of the Einstein Telescope Project - a topic that Mr. Satijn and Lou discuss at length in this discussion.