After several very successful editions, a “Walking Dinner” for board members and directors is being organized again this year during Utrecht Science Week. The Walking Dinner is the stakeholder event of Utrecht Science Week and has “Utrecht Child Health” as its central theme this year.

Please note: this event is private and accessible only by invitation upon registration.

During the Walking Dinner, we will demonstrate how research and innovation at Utrecht Science Park are being used to ensure children grow up with better opportunities and in better health in a changing world.

At Utrecht Science Park, knowledge institutions, research institutes, and companies collaborate intensively on groundbreaking research and its practical application. This collaboration contributes to both societal and economic impact. A key focus within this collaboration is improving the health, development, and opportunities of children and young people. With the Walking Dinner, we bring together administrators from the Utrecht Science Park, the city, the region, and The Hague, as well as researchers, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, and societal partners to further strengthen this shared ambition: developing and applying knowledge and innovation that contribute to a healthy, safe, and promising future for children. Visitors walk past various special locations within the Utrecht Science Park and are shown demonstrations and presentations highlighting the unique added value of the concentration of knowledge within a single square kilometer and the collaboration within the Utrecht Science Park.

Some examples highlighted during the evening:

At the Princess Máxima Center, Europe’s largest pediatric oncology research hospital, collaboration between children, parents, and professionals takes center stage. Everything is done in co-creation, from the development of the logo to the interior design of the building. Together with the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, all care is organized around the sick child. Innovative examples are shown to improve the survival chances of children with cancer and their quality of life.

The Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital/UMC Utrecht offers a glimpse into the neonatal intensive care unit. They follow the children during their upbringing to identify potential harm. A link is made here with the research “Health Behaviour in School-aged Children” from the strategic theme Dynamics of Youth at Utrecht University. Additionally, there are short visits to the ‘children’s paradise’ and the ‘school’.
Utrecht University of Applied Sciences presents the project ‘Healthy Weight at School’. In their research, they focus on healthy nutrition and exercise in primary schools. This involves collaboration with, among others, Utrecht University, the Municipality of Utrecht, and Wageningen University & Research.
This evening, Danone Nutricia Research provides more insight into its research work regarding nutrition for children with growth retardation. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in children worldwide. Danone Nutricia Research is conducting groundbreaking research to solve this problem.

The Walking Dinner takes place during Utrecht Science Week.

Please note: this is a private event and accessible by invitation only.