13-01-2021

Municipality presents urban development plan for Kennispark Twente

Municipality presents urban development plan for Kennispark Twente

The Municipal Executive presents the plan to transform Kennispark from a business park into an innovation district where living, working and meeting are central. The Business & Science Park and the University of Twente campus will be merged into one.

The transformation will result in a quality leap in the area and increase its attractiveness as a business location. Over the next ten years, this area development can create more than 1800 new jobs at Kennispark and another 800 indirect jobs in the region. The municipal council has yet to adopt the urban development plan.

Kennispark was the first Business & Science park in the Netherlands where research conducted by the University of Twente was converted into business activity. In 30 years, Kennispark has grown into a campus of national importance. It is an important job engine for Enschede and Twente. But meanwhile the area is suffering from the law of inhibiting headway. A transformation is needed to continue competing with other Science Parks worldwide and to retain its economic value for the region. “Kennispark Twente is a true innovation campus and makes a major contribution to the ambitions of the region, province and state in the field of the innovative future-proof economy. This is something to be enormously proud of as a city, but we must not take it for granted. We must invest now in order to reap the benefits as a city and region in the future. The urban development plan is an important step in this direction,” says alderman June Nods.

Fertile ground for innovation and creativity

The urban development plan offers all those involved with Kennispark a clear vision of the desired development of the area. It will allow the municipality of Enschede, its partners and private organizations to make targeted investments in buildings, public spaces and facilities at the Kennispark of the future. This should ensure an attractive living and working environment that will make it easier for the city to attract and retain talent and employment.

“At the Kennispark, collaboration between the university and the business community has been normal for over 30 years. In the next 30 years, too, it must remain a fertile ground for innovation and creativity. A top campus where UT spin-offs and high-tech companies want to continue to settle. That’s why, together with the municipality of Enschede, we have commissioned the drafting of an integral plan to transform the area into an innovation district where scientists, students and entrepreneurs will meet as a matter of course and new ideas will emerge,” said Mirjam Bult, vice-chairman of the Board of Governors of the University of Twente.

Ambition of the city

In terms of attracting and retaining talent and increasing the accessibility of jobs, Kennispark, in conjunction with other metropolitan projects such as Centrum Kwadraat and De Kop, will make an important contribution to realizing Enschede’s further growth to 170,000 inhabitants.

Read more about the 10 development principles from the Urban Design Plan

Contact

PO Box 217
7500 AE Enschede
info@kennispark.nl

Privacy & Terms

Hengelosestraat 500
7521 AN Enschede
info@kennispark.nl

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