Design Academy Eindhoven (DAE)—one of Europe’s best design programs—will remain in Eindhoven, school officials shared recently. The announcement comes after ideas were floated to relocate DAE to Roermond, another Dutch city about 45 minutes south of Eindhoven.

DAE was founded in 1947, and has been located in Eindhoven ever since. Today, DAE operates from Witte Dame, an educational cluster in Eindhoven sited in a former factory complex. But its lease at Witte Dame expires in 2027.

Executive board members from DAE announced in 2022 that the school was exploring other locations, including buildings in Roermund. News that DAE may uplift from its namesake stirred unrest among students and faculty. But this week’s decision means that DAE will stay in its hometown, although another address has yet to be identified.

“We are very happy to have finally made this decision after a careful and considered analysis of all options” said Joseph Grima, chair of DAE’s executive board, after the decision was made.

“We can now provide certainty to our students, educational and organisational staff, and the Eindhoven design ecosystem that we will stay in the city,” Grima continued. “We have always expressed our preference for Eindhoven, due to our long-standing history in the city and its established ecosystem of design. We are therefore pleased with the municipality’s strong commitment to helping us remain here.”

Raf De Keninck, another member of DAE’s executive board, affirmed though that another location in Eindhoven hasn’t yet been found, and DAE officials are exploring several options. “The remaining options in Eindhoven meet our requirements,” De Keninck said in a statement.

“The situation regarding future student accommodation is positive,” De Keninck elaborated. “And we are also optimistic about strengthening the design ecosystem. We experience a positive attitude from stakeholders and the province. We look forward to further developing and securing agreements. As a leading international design school, we would like to work together with the entire field to shape the D of Design in the Brainport Eindhoven region.”

Where the DAE sets up next will be announced soon.