Free Bicycle Light Repairs Mark Launch of National Cycling Visibility Campaign in Utrecht
The national bicycle lighting campaign ‘AAN in het donker’ (Lights On in the Dark) will be launched on 29 October on Leuvenlaan at Utrecht Science Park. Between 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., cyclists can have their lights checked and repaired free of charge. André van Schie, Member of the Provincial Executive, will be there to talk to Utrecht residents about the importance of proper bicycle lighting.
Looking back at Utrecht Science Week: research, education, and entrepreneurship in the spotlight
Utrecht Science Week 2026 has come to a close. For over a week, visitors enjoyed workshops, lectures, group discussions, and tours focused on science and innovation at Utrecht Science Park. With more than thirty program activities across over 25 locations, there were ample opportunities to experience science up close. We look back on a fantastic week that once again highlighted the essential role of collaboration, and the combination of research, education, and entrepreneurship, in addressing the societal challenges of our time.
The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded Vidi grants to 109 researchers. Twelve leading researchers at Utrecht University and UMC Utrecht will each receive a Vidi grant of up to €850,000. NWO awards Vidi grants annually, enabling recipients to develop an innovative line of research over the next five years and further expand their research teams.
People who lose their voice, for example after surgery for head and neck cancer, want to be able to speak again with a voice that sounds like their own. ReVoice aims to provide this, with the help of AI. With this innovation, head and neck surgeon Weibel Braunius, innovation manager Mart Schoondermark, and patient Boudewijn Faber won the Ureka Mega Challenge 2026 from UMC Utrecht.
A southern ground hornbill at ARTIS has received two custom-made, 3D-printed prostheses for its broken upper and lower beak at the University Veterinary Hospital in Utrecht. The treatment is a collaboration between ARTIS, Utrecht University’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, UMC Utrecht and Amnovis. The procedure was a success: just one day after the operation, the hornbill was able to pick up food independently.
Utrecht, 15 October 2026 – Scinus Cell Expansion (“Scinus”) has established its new base at Plus Ultra Utrecht, Kadans Science Partner’s (“Kadans”) newest innovation hub at Utrecht Science Park. As of 19 October 2026, the life sciences technology company occupies half of the eleventh floor. The flexibility of Plus Ultra Utrecht makes it possible to accommodate the specific laboratory and operational required with Scinus’ specialised activities, providing an environment that supports the company’s continued growth and development.
From a winning idea to their own company. In 2025, Julia Berezutskaya and Nick Ramsey won the UMC Utrecht Ureka Mega Challenge with their innovation, Alphabet. Through this challenge, UMC Utrecht supports healthcare professionals and researchers in further developing promising ideas and bringing them into practice. A year later, Julia shares how their innovation has developed and what steps are still to come.
Utrecht Science Park is home to several living labs focused on energy and circularity. These include Lumifield, which explores the generation and storage of solar energy, and the biogas digester, which uses organic waste as an energy source. On their own, these are already promising initiatives. Connected, they could become something much bigger: a functioning, learning model for a circular campus.
On hot summer days, temperatures can rise significantly at Utrecht Science Park, while students are looking for places to study, relax and find some shade outdoors. At the same time, planting trees is not always straightforward: underground, the campus is crisscrossed by a dense network of cables and utility lines. So how can we create shade, greenery and places to relax without major changes to the ground?
The sixth edition of Utrecht Science Week takes place from Friday, 25 September to Sunday, 4 October. During this time, Utrecht Science Park opens its doors to the general public, showcasing how research, innovation, and collaboration lead to tangible societal and economic impact. At the same time, the week underscores the importance of sustained investment in knowledge and innovation.
Through experiments, workshops, tours, and lectures, researchers share their knowledge during the Utrecht Science Week (USW). One of them is Iva Bicanic, professor Sexual abuse of children: the consequences and treatment at the UMC Utrecht.
A new study into cycling routes in the Province of Utrecht aims to identify how routes can be designed to not only improve safety, but also contribute to health and well-being. The research project, conducted by Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, places particular emphasis on women’s perceptions of safety while cycling.