Campuses: the South Limburg keys for the future
Press release 12 January 2012
Start of the Chemelot Campus Consortium; investments of millions in Chemelot Campus and Maastricht Health Campus (joint press release of the Province of Limburg, DSM, Maastricht UMC+ and Maastricht University)
The Province of Limburg, Maastricht University and Maastricht UMC+ and DSM are making headway with the accelerated development of the Chemelot Campus in Sittard-Geleen and the Maastricht Health Campus. Today, they announced that together they will make an extra investment of well over 180 million euros in research facilities, a capital fund for companies, an education programme and real estate. The investment share of the Province of Limburg is a sum of over 55 million euros. The proposals were sent to the States-Provincial for approval this week.
The development of the campuses is in line with the cabinet’s policy that aims to remould Southeast Netherlands into Brainport 2020, one of the economic engines of the Netherlands and already responsible for 55% of the patents, 45% of the private R&D investments and 35% of Dutch exports. The Chemelot Campus is one of six campuses of national importance.
The campuses in South Limburg are the place to be for entrepreneurs and institutions working on products and applications for the future. The world needs new sustainable green materials; for instance materials based on renewable resources. With the ageing of the population there is a growing need for, for example, new biomedical materials. These are two important issues in our society for which the campuses can offer solutions.
Open innovation leads to spin off, resulting in new products that can be put on the market quicker. On the campuses, new companies and thus new jobs will emerge. The campuses are also where people will be trained for these jobs of the future. They are incubators for medical and (bio) technological innovation but in order to achieve that, they need to draw in people by having companies, knowledge organisations and authorities there that jointly believe in the future.
However, a good environment with the right organisational preconditions and room for venture capital, is also essential. It is precisely for that reason that government, education and companies will invest in the development of the Chemelot Campus and the Maastricht Health Campus. They are Limburg’s 'tickets to the future'. They will create 2100 new jobs in the next ten years for knowledge workers and many thousands of additional jobs as a result of the increase in indirect employment.
Today, four concrete plans were presented: the Business plan for the Chemelot Campus, the establishment of the venture capital fund Limburg Ventures II, the Enabling Technologies programme and the reinforcement of Sciences at Maastricht University.
Structure strengthening
The campus developments are not a goal in themselves; they contribute to an excellent establishment climate and therefore strengthen the economic structure in Limburg. With the accelerated development of the campuses Limburg is making a big step towards becoming one of the best in the world in the field of development and marketing new products such as biomaterials.
For more information, please refer to the fact sheets below:
1) Business Plan Chemelot Campus Consortium
2) Limburg Ventures II
3) Enabling Technologies
4) Reinforcement of Sciences at Maastricht University
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