1 Draft version, final version published as: Arnoud Lagendijk and Frans Boekema (2008), A Global circulation and territorial development: the case South-East Brabant, European Planning Studies, 16 (7), 925 - 939 Global circulation and territorial development: the case South-East Brabant in the Netherlands Arnoud Lagendijk Frans Boekema Abstract Since the early 1990s, the south-eastern part of North-Brabant (also known as the Greater Eindhoven region) in The Netherlands has enjoyed a major turn in its economic position and outlook. From a more or less traditional industrial region in decline, it has become a “cradle of innovation” with a key position in the wider “knowledge-based” economy. This paper sheds light on this transformation by referring to the recent literature on territoriality and relationality, and how it has informed post-Marshallian accounts of clustering. In particular, we discuss the context and scope for regional strategy-making in light of selectivities stemming from state and firm activities. The success of the Eindhoven region cannot be understood without seeing how it was structurally privileged by agents and processes largely external to the region. Part of its success, however, can be attributed to strategic action undertaken within the region itself. Introduction The south-eastern part of the province of North Brabant, also known as the (Greater) Eindhoven region, is one of the most interesting regions in the Netherlands from a technological and innovative perspective. The last two decades have witnessed a remarkable transition in the region’s economy. In the early nineties, the socio-economic