Leading Dutch companies and PSV Eindhoven football club join forces in innovative partnership initiative

“Philips and PSV have always had a deeply-embedded relationship. This is a logical next step in one of the longest-running sponsorship deals in the world,” said Henk Valk, Market Leader Philips Benelux. “Brainport Eindhoven, one of the fastest growing regions in the Netherlands, is vitally important for Philips and vice versa. The aim of the companies in the region is to help build the Brainport Eindhoven brand as an innovative, world-class top technology region. We share one major challenge: attracting and retaining talent. We also want to invest in the business climate and the health of employees and residents, so that we can strengthen the region's national and international appeal.”

“This is a first in the history of top sport. We will create a new ecosystem and the way we will do it is characteristic of the interconnection in this region,” said PSV General Manager Toon Gerbrands.

Philips and PSV will collaborate in the areas of health and innovation. The new Sports Performance Center, which is due to be built at the De Herdgang football training complex on the outskirts of Eindhoven, is part of this ambition. Philips and PSV are already teaming up in a crowd-funding initiative with the Dutch Heart Foundation to set up a nationwide network of citizen care providers and automated external defibrillators (AEDs). PSV is also using Philips’ Lumify portable ultrasound solution to diagnose injuries on the soccer field.