Kennispark Twente under construction

‘Brand new premises for production of microfluidic chips’

Every day at Kennispark Twente, knowledge institutes and companies work on the latest innovations that are of great importance for tomorrow. The Science Park is one of the top three innovation campuses in the Netherlands and the aim of the redevelopment is to create an environment where businesses and knowledge institutions can innovate and collaborate even better. Additional lab facilities and meeting places for students and companies will be created. In addition, there will be a sharper focus on medical technology.

“Kennispark will be an environment where everything comes together in a limited number of square metres: challenging jobs, a pleasant working environment, sports facilities and housing,” says Lucas. “A lot of cool things are happening in a row at the moment. For example, a whole new innovation district is coming up between the campus and the current science park. “I’m very excited about that. And I’m just as happy with Micronit’s new building. This Kennispark company started out as a spin-off from the University of Twente. Now they’re going to build their own building here, completely equipped for the production of microfluidic chips. That is a real achievement. It’s certainly something to be proud of.

The approach to the existing Kennispark includes investments in the outdoor area. “We’re going to design the park in a sustainable way. The outdoor area must become a pleasant meeting place. There will be lots of trees, plants and footpaths. The construction of the parking garage should ensure that company car parks can be ‘exchanged’ for green, pleasant spaces at Kennispark,” says Lucas.

The overall revamp of Kennispark must ultimately ensure that highly educated talent remains in the region. “I hope that students from the University of Twente will choose that first job at Kennispark and that they won’t want to leave Twente,” says Lucas.

Factory for microfluidic chips

Micronit is going to expand considerably at Kennispark, the company produces and develops lab-on-a-chip products (bio chips) and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) that can be used to analyse and process bodily fluids on a very small scale. During the corona crisis, it also proved its qualities to the world, producing chips used to determine the genetic make-up of the corona virus.

“The number of customers we have is only going to increase in the near future. That is why this building is of great importance to us,” says CEO Ronny van ‘t Oever. The new premises, together with the talent in the region and the strong collaborations that have been created, ensure that we can continue to grow well in Twente.” Because not only Micronit, but the entire medtech industry will take off in the coming years, Van ‘t Oever predicts. “As a society we have to deal with an ageing population. How can we ensure that good care can take place in a home situation? It is important that we work on that, as well as preventing health problems and making early diagnoses. Micronit, just like other medtech companies in Twente, is working hard to make that happen.”

Market leader in chip testing

Another great development at Kennispark is the recent renovation of Eurofins | MASER. This high-tech company specialises in testing chips for cars and consumer electronics. The Twente-based company is currently market leader in Europe. Last year, the old office at Kennispark was transformed into a brand new, ultramodern building that quickly catches the eye when you drive into it. “The building attracts attention and ensures that we can now better profile ourselves as an ‘attractive’ company,” says COO Rudy Sesink. “We perform work here at Eurofins | MASER that is crucial to the chip industry and can now make that more presentable to the outside world.”

Over the next few years, the production of chips in Europe is set to increase significantly, partly as a result of the European Chips Act proposed by the European Commission. The aim of this act is to develop a resilient supply chain within the semiconductor industry. Kennispark recently took the initiative to put the strong Chip Design cluster in Twente into action. Eurofins | MASER participates in this cluster strengthening and sees good opportunities to grow along with the increasing production capacity of chips in Europe. CEO Thijs Kempers: “We want to remain Europe’s largest and with the new building, in combination with the investments in new technology and machines made recently, we are ready for the next ten years. So as far as we are concerned: Keep it coming!”

NEXT Twente

ASR Dutch Science Park Fund is another player investing in Kennispark. This long-term investor will focus, among other things, on the development of a multi-tenant building in the new innovation district, called NEXT Twente. “One of the reasons why entrepreneurs go to a science park is because there is (substantive) cohesion and shared facilities,” says fund director ASR Dutch Science Park Fund Luc Joosten. “It is important that we strengthen this. ASR is contributing to this with this building.” The new building will house companies, but also set up shared facilities. “Think for example of a meeting centre, an exhibition space and perhaps an auditorium. We have already started with the planning. The building is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.”

Fraunhofer Project Center

Recently, the first stone was laid for the Fraunhofer Innovation Platform for Advanced Manufacturing, a research facility resulting from a collaboration between the University of Twente, Fraunhofer and Saxion. The facility offers the opportunity to translate scientific knowledge into applicable technological innovations in the smart industry. The location will include a test factory with production systems and advanced manufacturing technologies.

Avoiding headaches

With the renewal of Kennispark Twente, Lucas hopes to serve as an example for other science parks in the Netherlands that are in need of restructuring. “We have learned many lessons. In the coming period, we want to spread our story. Because how do you approach it exactly, such a major renovation? And how do you ensure that you retain control over your territory, so that it does not become fragmented? We can use our experiences to prevent a lot of headaches for other science parks.

The projects that have so far together accounted for 100 million in public and private investment are:
1. Outdoor area and entrance to ITC, University of Twente
2. Smart connection, municipality of Enschede
3. Investment plan, municipality of Enschede, for parking garage and public space
4. Fraunhofer Innovation Platform for Advanced Manufacturing
5. Multitenant building phase 1 and 2, ASR Dutch Science Park Fund
6. Residential Building, Domijn & De Veste
7. Demcon Headquarters
9. Housing student teams Capitol 25, University of Twente & student teams
10. New building production factory Micronit
11. Rebuilding Eurofins | MASER