Strong growth in employment Campuses and Science Parks in the Netherlands
Campuses and science parks of the Netherlands are essential for growth of jobs and new business. Innovations and innovative collaborations result in solutions that accelerate societal transitions. So says the research report published on 4 December by Buck Consultants International (BCI). The report shows that the Utrecht Science Park has also grown strongly in terms of employees and remains by far the largest science park in the Netherlands with more than 31,000 employees.
‘We also see the significant growth in jobs at the Utrecht Science Park, even despite the fact that for a long time growth was hindered by lack of lab space. Meanwhile, much more space is being created at Utrecht Science Park. Also at our satellite location Utrecht Science Park Bilthoven, a lot of good space will become available after the RIVM’s relocation. The same applies to Utrecht Science Park Zeist after the relocation of TNO. It is nice to see that Utrecht Science Park remains by far the biggest science park in the Netherlands due to its growth (see page 31 of the report). We see that Utrecht Science Park also has the most employees at knowledge institutions, and this on about 1.5 square kilometres of surface area (see page 30 of the report). In addition, we also see a strong growth of employment at research & development companies at Utrecht Science Park, namely +76% from 2018 to now. This is almost 3 times higher than the average employment growth in the Utrecht Municipality. This is partly due to the growth of Merus, GenDx and Genmab. The number of companies has also grown significantly at 64% from 2018,’ said Jan Henk van der Velden, managing director of the Utrecht Science Park Foundation.
The report underlines the importance of continuing to invest in knowledge, innovation and thus in the development of science parks, such as the Utrecht Science Park, as a job engine for the city, region and country. Based on the environmental vision, the number of jobs in research & development companies (from vocational to academic level) at the Utrecht Science Park will increase by another 4,000 to 8,000 in the coming years.
See and download the research report (in Dutch)
Betweter Festival during Utrecht Science Week 2026: your idea for an experiment is welcome!
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.
Princess Máxima Center to expand with innovation wing thanks to partnership between the Foundation and Rabobank
The Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology will be able to start expanding the center later this year with a five thousand square meter innovation wing. This has been made possible by a multi-year strategic partnership between the Princess Máxima Center Foundation and Rabobank. The new innovation wing will provide space for pioneering research, innovation in care, and collaboration programs. This expansion supports the development of better and more effective treatments for children with cancer.
New Year’s promotion: all-in sports with a generous discount at Sportcentrum Olympos
Employees of Utrecht University, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences (HU), UMCU, Hubrecht Institute and Westerdijk Institute can temporarily enjoy an extra 20% discount on all-in sports at Olympos!
Wennink plan: Life Sciences and biotechnology are important growth drivers for the earning capacity of the Netherlands
The Dutch Life Sciences and biotechnology sector can make a much larger contribution to the Netherlands’ economic strength. This is shown in a new growth strategy presented today as part of Peter Wennink’s advisory report. The report also highlights Utrecht Science Park as one of the key innovation locations and sources of progress and growth.