Novio Tech Campus and Oost NL join forces in further growing the campus
Novio Tech Campus (NTC) in Nijmegen is a hotspot for entrepreneurs and innovators in Health and High Tech. The campus…
Novio Tech Campus (NTC) in Nijmegen is a hotspot for entrepreneurs and innovators in Health and High Tech. The campus is already home to some 70 companies, and the demand for suitable spaces for innovative Health and High Tech companies - such as clean rooms and laboratories - is and remains high. To further strengthen this position, and to take the next step in developing the campus as a vibrant working and living environment, investments in area and building development are needed. Today, Oost NL and NTC signed a letter of intent to jointly work on the growth of the campus, especially with the possibilities from the Perspective Fund Gelderland (PFG).
According to Bert Krikke, director of the Novio Tech Campus, investments are badly needed: "In the current form it is difficult for existing companies to grow and for new companies to establish themselves. An important aspect of the development is also to retain employment in the region and to link talent to companies. We also want to create more of a community, with hospitality, a conference center and other facilities. We want to take the lead as NTC in the area development. For that, financing is necessary."
The letter of intent is a first small step towards that, Krikke explains: "We would like to cooperate in the further development of our campus, which is necessary if we want to compete with other campus areas in the Netherlands and abroad. In doing so, we are looking at, for example, a new iconic central building where, among other things, public and research functions can come together and startups can establish themselves." In the meantime, the parties involved will investigate the possibilities of realizing a temporary building that can fulfill a central position on NTC. The plans of NTC will be in line with the development vision 'Winkelsteeg' of the municipality of Nijmegen and contribute to the further strengthening of Health and High Tech in Nijmegen.
Valuable ecosystem
Novio Tech Campus has developed into an innovative breeding ground, where researchers and entrepreneurs in Health and High Tech work together on the innovations of tomorrow. Open innovation here leads to growth and stimulates the development of products and services to keep healthcare effective and affordable. Pieter Dillingh, MT member Perspective Fund Gelderland at Oost NL: "This makes the campus a model of cooperating companies from different sectors. Cross-fertilization takes place and wonderful initiatives arise as a result. This is how we strengthen the innovative capacity and economic growth power of our region. The whole of the Netherlands is reaping the social and economic benefits of this."
Gelderland Perspective Fund
Freek Welling, MT member of the Gelderland Perspective Fund at Oost NL, explains that the Gelderland Perspective Fund is an instrument that can be used to make investments in the campus possible: "The PFG provides us with an instrument that can be used to stimulate investments and build on the future of the NTC. To make NTC an even greater success it is necessary to involve important players in the further growth of the campus, such as the Province of Gelderland, the Municipality of Nijmegen, NXP, Radboud University, Radboudumc and private parties, such as co-financiers and building developers. Together we can drive and accelerate the development of NTC." The first step in the collaboration is to draw up a plan of action. Deloitte Financial Advisory is involved as a knowledge partner.
The Perspective Fund Gelderland focuses on investing in faster and stronger innovation power of companies that focus on major societal challenges such as energy transition, climate adaptation, circular economy, biodiversity, accessibility, economic location climate and living environment. PFG is investment fund of the province of Gelderland with a revolving fund of €200 million and a possible subsidy to finance an unprofitable top. The focus is on realizing social return, with economic return following. Oost NL carries out the program and fund management.
