Tweet16-01-2012 om 16:50 by Maastricht Region Branding Foundation

Campuses: Zuid-Limburg’s keys to the future

The Province of Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht UMC+, and DSM are making good progress with the accelerated development of the Chemelot Campus at Sittard-Geleen and Maastricht Health Campus. Today, they announced that they will be jointly investing upwards of 180 million euros extra in research facilities, a capital fund for businesses, an educational programme, and property. The Province of Limburg’s share in this endeavour amounts to well over 55 million euros. This week, the proposals were sent to the States-Provincial for approval.

The development of the campuses is in keeping with a government policy that is intended to turn the south-eastern region of the Netherlands into Brainport 2020, one of the economic engines of the Netherlands. The region already accounts for 55% of the country’s patents, 45% of private R&D investment, and 35% of Dutch exports. The Chemelot Campus is one of six campuses of national importance.



The campuses in Zuid-Limburg are the ideal place for entrepreneurs and institutions that are working on products and applications for the future. The world needs new, sustainable, green materials, based on renewable resources for example. Happily, people are living longer. One consequence of this is an increased demand for products such as new biomedical materials. The campuses will be able to provide solutions to both issues, which reflect some major needs of our society.

Open innovation creates spin-off, generating new products that can be marketed more rapidly. New businesses will develop on the campuses, leading to new jobs. The campuses are also the place where people are being trained for these jobs of the future. They are a hotbed of medical, technological, and biotechnological innovation. This can only be achieved with the help of powerful initiators. Companies, knowledge organizations, and government bodies who share a common belief in the future.

The environment, too, will have to be just right, involving appropriate organizational conditions and scope for venture capital. It is precisely for this reason that the government, educational institutions, and businesses are investing in the development of the Chemelot Campus and Maastricht Health Campus. They are Limburg’s “tickets to the future”. Over the next ten years, this will generate 2100 new jobs for knowledge workers and thousands of additional jobs by boosting indirect employment.

Four specific plans are being presented today. These are the Business Plan for the Chemelot Campus, the establishment of Limburg Ventures II (a venture capital fund), the Enabling Technologies programme, and the strengthening of sciences at Maastricht University.

Structural reinforcement
These campus developments are not ends in themselves. They will help to establish an excellent business climate, thereby reinforcing Limburg’s economic structure. This accelerated development of the campuses will go a long way towards establishing Limburg as one of the best places in the world for development and for the marketing of new products, such as biomaterials.




Joint press release from DSM, Maastricht UMC+, Maastricht University and the Province of Limburg

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