Seasonal opening Botanic Gardens
Starting March 1, you are welcome again at the Utrecht University Botanic Gardens. The first spring buds on the Stinzen slope are flowering already. What else can you expect this year?
Renovations
During the winter closure, work was done on major maintenance, such as the replacement of the 60-year-old bank protection of the fort canal, and some other renewals.
- The prairie area in the Discovery garden has been prepared for new plantings. Soon 50 to 60 species will be planted: true prairie plants that also occur in the wild and partially new to our collection. In this way, we hope to soon provide a fairly realistic picture of what the American prairies look like.
- A new entrance for pass holders of a campus card, Friends card, Museum card and USP partners (see yellow circle in photo).
- The new Evolution garden is being well underway with more planting, detailing of special plant groups and placement of artistic installations and informational signs.
Programming
Again this year we have a great program with various activities, including:
- Spring weekend: Facts & Myths about gardening on March 22 and 23 (mainly in Dutch);
- The official opening of the Evolution garden in June with several special activities;
- Scavenger hunts for children;
- Garden lab: the Green time machine;
- Summer evenings;
- Join the expert in several variations.
Check out the full annual program with something for everyone.
Furthermore, you can once again enjoy colorful butterflies in the Butterfly greenhouse and one of the largest rock gardens in Europe.
Another nice thing to know is that the shop assortment has been renewed and Tuincafé Botanica provides delicious food and drinks in the garden café and on the terrace.
UMC Utrecht takes third surgical robot into use
UMC Utrecht has commissioned a third surgical robot. With the arrival of the latest generation, the Da Vinci 5, even more patients can be operated on with minimal stress. This leads to fewer complications and faster recovery. “Apart from the benefits for patients, the Da Vinci 5 also allows us to train even better,” says Jelle Ruurda, gastrointestinal surgeon and professor of robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery. “At the touch of a button, colleagues can watch remotely, and even learn from previous operations. This way we share knowledge faster and more widely.” The hospital is thus building on a tradition of 25 years at the forefront of robotic surgery.
Kuros signs agreement with USPB
Kuros will expand R&D and manufacturing activities.
Utrecht Science Park Bilthoven (USP Bilthoven), the science park for life science and biomanufacturing companies, has entered into a lease agreement with Kuros Biosciences to support the company’s continued growth and expansion of R&D and manufacturing activities. This milestone agreement underscores USP Bilthoven’s ambition to be a premier destination for companies scaling advanced biomanufacturing and life sciences operations in Europe.
Scientists strip cancer cells of their disguise using sound waves
A combination of immunotherapy and ultrasound appears to be safe and may potentially help treat metastatic cancer in the future. However, research into this new treatment is still in an early stage.
Inspiring and connecting visit by the President of Estonia to Utrecht Science Park
On Wednesday, April 8, 2026, the President of Estonia, Mr. Alar Karis, together with his wife Sirje Karis, ambassador Mr. Paul Teesalu and a delegation from the Estonian Health Ecosystem, visited the Utrecht Science Park. During the visit, much knowledge was exchanged and valuable connections were made.