If it's worth anything, this southern Californian thinks very highly of TU Delft. Their product design course on edX was a great little introduction to the field, and the only MOOC I've actually seen the whole way through!
Halfway through typing this comment I remembered that I indeed know of "Delft's blauw" (Delft's blue) which usually refers to a color used on pottery. So yes, I apparently do know Delft for its pottery, but much more for technology. Then again, I'm Dutch so I should know what goes on in cities here.
Perhaps this is true, but hopefully not any longer among HN readers:
- Antonie van Leeuwenhoek: world first microbiologist, huge improvements in the microscope
- Martinus Beijerinck: discoverer of the virus
- Produces the Nuna, which won the world solar challenge in Australia 5 times