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While UtrechtInc is proud of this recognition, the real stars of the story are the entrepreneurs, researchers, and students who walk through its doors every day.

On Sunday, May 31st, Utrecht Science Park will once again be the setting for the Utrecht Marathon. Thousands of runners will line up at the starting line to achieve a fantastic feat: running a quarter, half, or full marathon! To help you prepare optimally, the Utrecht Science Park Foundation, in collaboration with partners Utrecht University, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, and Olympos Sports Centre, is organizing a running symposium where you’ll be informed and inspired to get the most out of your running performance.

Have you ever wondered what it takes to turn research or an idea into a startup? The validation programmes offered by UtrechtInc may provide the first step. Applications are now open.

The Tropical greenhouses at the Utrecht University Botanic Gardens are among its most beloved attractions. But after decades of service, they are ready for retirement and the decision has been made to replace them. Replacing the Greenhouses is far more complex than tearing down glass and steel. It means temporarily relocating, and later returning, thousands of living plants. How do you even begin to move a rainforest?

The AI Lab for Public Services has joined the national partnership ICAI. This makes it even easier to collaborate with other AI Labs that work with government organisations.

Premature babies are more likely to suffer from developmental delays. Can providing the right nutrition reduce this risk? Els Janson, PhD candidate at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, is investigating how nutrients in breast milk can stimulate brain development after premature birth.

For the first time, scientists have been able to watch the flu virus live as it infects human airway cells. They developed a new technique which makes the viral genetic material light up under the microscope. By tracking the virus throughout the steps of its life cycle, the researchers found out that only a minority of flu infections is successful. This is mostly due to errors in reading out the viral genetic material. The new technology can be used to address unanswered questions about the flu virus life cycle, which could help in the development of better antiviral drugs and preparation for future epidemics. The study from the Tanenbaum group was published in Cell Systems.

More than 80,000 people work and study at Utrecht Science Park. During the day, there’s plenty of activity, but evenings and weekends are often quieter. Some residents of the student flats at Utrecht Science Park share this sentiment and would like to connect more with each other. This is also evident from a survey conducted in 2025 by organizations including SSH, the USP Housing Boards, and the Utrecht Science Park Foundation.

Utrecht Science Week kicks off this year on Friday, September 25th. The Betweter Festival at Tivoli Vredenburg is the ever-popular opening night event. This year marks the tenth edition of the Betweter Festival. This art and science festival, where visitors immerse themselves in a unique mix of talks, music, film, interactive installations, and live research, is inviting participants to submit ideas for experiments during the festival.

February 4th was World Cancer Day. Every year, the world reflects on the impact of cancer on patients and their loved ones. Utrecht Science Park is home to the largest and most multidisciplinary cancer research community in the Netherlands, the Utrecht Cancer collaborative platform. Collaboration to combat this disease is the key to success. Learn more about how we’re doing this at Utrecht Science Park in the article and video below.

Hogeschool Utrecht and the Gemeente Utrecht are extending their collaboration to provide children from families with a U-pas with a free eye examination and, if needed, free glasses. In the Netherlands, one in five children under the age of 18 needs glasses, amounting to around 634,000 children. Unfortunately, children’s glasses are usually not reimbursed and are unaffordable for many families. At the same time, both practical experience and research show that providing free glasses for children not only promotes equal opportunities, but also yields social and financial returns in the long term.