Thousands of visitors from all ages at the Utrecht Science Park during the ‘Weekend van de Wetenschap’
From growing cells to making your own flower bulbs. And from researching soil with fungi to practising in court. There was plenty to experience at the Utrecht Science Park during the ‘Weekend van de Wetenschap’ (Weekend of Science).
The Utrecht Science Week wrapped up with the ‘ Weekend van de Wetenschap’ on Sunday 6 October. Six organisations at the Utrecht Science Park opened their doors to science lovers of all ages.
Starting in the morning, visitors were already queuing up to discover science at the various organisations.
Throughout the day, it was nicely crowded around the Koningsberger building and the Botanic Gardens, where Utrecht University’s wide range of activities could be found, with experiments, presentations and experiments on various topics such as the brain, veterinary medicine, climate, law and health. In addition, visitors could do research at the Tuinlab in the Botanic Gardens.
At the Hubrecht Institute, the activities of the institute itself, the Westerdijk Institute and Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht came together. Here, visitors could, among other things, isolate their DNA, make a fungus and look through the eyes of a doctor.
At the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital (WKZ), visitors were introduced to bacteria in our bodies and there was an inflatable bowel through which they could walk as true bacteria. They also practised dealing with emotions, using VR glasses to practice different situations where these emotions arise.
The Princess Máxima Center opened its doors to introduce visitors to the world of researchers and, for a day, they were researchers themselves. Wearing lab coats, they did many experiments, were shown around the labs and gained knowledge at the mini-lectures.
The ‘Weekend van de Wetenschap’ at the Utrecht Science Park was a great success. It is great to see that even the younger audience can learn about science and the research being done here at the Utrecht Science Park in an accessible way. This was a great ending of the Utrecht Science Week.
Utrecht Science Park Summer Café: Farewell to Managing Director Jan Henk van der Velden
On Monday, 6 July, the Utrecht Science Park Summer Café took place at Grand Café Living on Utrecht Science Park. This edition was dedicated to the farewell of Jan Henk van der Velden, Managing Director of the Utrecht Science Park Foundation, after nine years in which he played a key role in the development and positioning of the ecosystem.
UMC Utrecht is to get a new main entrance and a green campus park
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Petra Baarendse appointed new Managing Director of Stichting Utrecht Science Park as of 1 September
Utrecht, 2 July 2026 – As of 1 September 2026, Petra Baarendse will take office as the new Managing Director of Stichting Utrecht Science Park. She succeeds Jan Henk van der Velden, who has stepped down and will take on a new role as Managing Director of Stichting Nationaal Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug.
Opening Utrecht Science Week with keynote by Juliette Legler on the hidden influence of environmental chemicals
On Friday, September 25, the annual science festival ‘Utrecht Science Week’ kicks off once again at Utrecht Science Park. We are pleased to announce that this year, Prof. Dr. Ir. Juliette Legler will deliver the Utrecht Science Lecture. Juliette Legler is Professor of Toxicology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University and leads the ‘One Health Toxicology’ group at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS).