Property owner and entrepreneur: are you already a member of VONK?

“Virtually everyone I speak to is enthusiastic about the plans for Kennispark,” says Bianca Screever, president of VONK, the association for real estate owners and entrepreneurs at Kennispark Twente. “Now that the city council has agreed to the investments, we can really get to work on the transformation. We want to involve as many entrepreneurs and property owners as possible.” Entrepreneurs Jelle Klein Teeselink of HoSt Bio-energy systems and Dick Theisens of Symbol joined VONK to help build the area. Will you join them too?

“Entrepreneurs and real estate owners are looking forward to the area exuding what the name suggests: a park-like environment with few cars and space for pedestrians and cyclists. A place that breathes knowledge, is linked to the University of Twente and is a pleasant working environment where you also like to receive visitors,” says Screever. The chairman sees that a lot of preliminary work has been done in recent years by the University of Twente and the municipality. “With VONK we show that the entrepreneurs and property owners also want to invest in the area. And we are sitting at the table with the University of Twente and the municipality as equal partners. These three parties together form the area organization.”

Bianca Screever, president of VONK

Three priorities for VONK

VONK is focusing on three themes: mobility, park management and sustainability. “Mobility is going to change in the coming years. Electric charging, working from home, more cycling to work,” Screever lists a number of developments. “And if you want to change the appearance of the area, we have to work on our parking solution at a strategic level.” The second priority is park management. “You want to work in a place where you have a nice stay. We strive for the campus feeling. Green, safe, transparent and good facilities are keywords that go with that.” Sustainability is the third pillar for VONK. “In this we are going to collaborate with the initiative Kennispark gives energy. Can we generate more energy at Kennispark? How do we deal with our waste streams? Those are a few questions we’re going to include in this.” With VONK, the entrepreneurs and real estate owners have more influence on the use of the ten million euros the municipality is making available for the first phase of the area development. “If you want to have a say and have a say, you have to join us now,” Screever states.

Jelle Klein Teeselink, entrepreneur and property owner:

“The success of the entrepreneurs determines the success of the area”.
Since the end of 2021, Jelle Klein Teeselink has been a member of VONK on behalf of HoSt Bio-energy systems. Together with 240 colleagues in seven countries, he is working on technology to convert residual flows into renewable energy. From the main office at the Kennispark about 170 people work on these technologies that are sold in more than thirty-five countries. HoSt’s roots are in Hengelo. “Because of our growth we moved to the Kennispark in Enschede in 2008. Close to the talent at the University of Twente and Saxion and close to the train station,” says Klein Teeselink. For HoSt, an ideal combination. “The success of the Kennispark is largely determined by the success of the entrepreneurs. They make the area. It is therefore important that we as entrepreneurs have a say, because we have some challenges to solve together with the UT and the municipality. Businesses are growing fast, talent and space is scarce, parking a problem. VONK pools the opinions of entrepreneurs and property owners and represents them. I like to work on that and that’s why I’m thinking along on the parking committee.” If Klein Teeselink is allowed to make a proposal, his dream for Kennispark is to have a TGV-like train connection from Amsterdam to Berlin via Enschede. “In an ultimate scenario, you could get from the Randstad to Berlin within 3.5 hours and to Enschede within an hour. That would help enormously to increase the accessibility for international talent. We are all looking for hundreds of talented new colleagues, you simply aren’t going to find them all in Twente.”

Jelle Klein Teeselink, HoSt Bio-energy

Dick Theisens, entrepreneur and property owner:

“Real estate owners also have a role in area development”
Entrepreneur Dick Theisens of Symbol also chose Kennispark in 2008 because of its proximity to Twente University and the train station. Theisens and his colleagues advise organizations on continuous improvement, quality management and change management. In 2013, they built their own building on the Palatine, next to the innovation path. “For us, Kennispark is the place where it happens, where innovations come from. We ourselves have a unique collaboration with the university and also teach there.” Theisens believes that the responsibility for the development of the area cannot be placed solely with the municipality. He himself is involved in the sustainability committee of VONK as chairman. “You have a role as an entrepreneur and property owner. As a member of VONK you can play that role. For example, by helping to think about how we can give the area a neat and professional appearance. How we make the real estate more sustainable and how we make the area greener and more attractive.” For Theisens, the further development of the innovation path is also a point of attention. “The planting of the trees by the municipality last fall was a first step in improving the connection between the station and UT. At the end of March the shrubs will follow and the path will already become much greener and more attractive.” Now we need to start taking the next steps together, Theisens argues. “So that more innovative companies want to settle here. That is also beneficial for the current property owners and entrepreneurs.”

Dick Theisens, Symbol

Get involved!

Bianca Screever hopes that more entrepreneurs and property owners will soon join VONK: “We can now, together with all partners in the area, continue to realize our area vision. We can now visibly realize the transformation, the plans for Kennispark have been talked about for a long time, it is now time to do it!”

Do you want to influence the implementation of the plans for Kennispark? Have a say in the parking solutions, park management and sustainability in the area?
Then join VONK as an entrepreneur and real estate owner and register today.
Want to know more first? Please contact Bianca Screever.