Zeeland is one of the Netherlands' key chemical industrial hubs, home to the cross-border Smart Delta Resources cluster and North Sea Port, described as Europe's only cross-border port and its third-largest by added value, giving the province a concrete stake in discussions about energy infrastructure, cross-border cooperation and industrial competitiveness that extend well beyond national borders. Regional Minister Johan Aalberts said the membership strengthens Zeeland's voice in Brussels, framing participation in the network as a way to help preserve the chemical industry locally while contributing to the EU's broader strategic autonomy objectives.

MAVESZ, for its part, brings a national Hungarian perspective on industry advocacy and regulatory engagement, adding a Central European voice to a network whose existing membership has historically skewed toward Western European industrial regions such as North Rhine-Westphalia and the Rhône Valley. This kind of geographical diversification matters for a network whose credibility with EU institutions rests partly on being able to speak for chemical clusters across the full range of Member States, not just the largest and most established ones.

ECRN said both new members will contribute to its ongoing work on the green transition, global competitiveness and building a more resilient, autonomous European industrial base, themes that increasingly intersect with the kind of place-based policy approach the European Committee of the Regions has also been promoting for chemical clusters, and that are likely to feature in ECRN's continued engagement around initiatives such as the Critical Chemicals Alliance and the implementation of the Chemicals Industry Action Plan.

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