18 October 2021 Industry News

Netherlands creates international space hotspot

An aerial view of ESA's technical centre, the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC). Image: ESA
An aerial view of ESA's technical centre, the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC). Image: ESA

A new Space Campus that is part of ESA’s technical heart, the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), the Galileo Reference Centre (GRC - EUSPA), SBIC Noordwijk and Space Expo is being created in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.

With the development of this Campus, Noordwijk is the ideal location for those who wish to foster business growth and are keen to engage with space industry. The Campus is a unique environment where entrepreneurs, start-ups and scale-ups, education institutes, research organisations, governmental organisations and other (societal) stakeholders can come together and collaborate.

The Netherlands is a high-tech country and is world-renowned for sensors and optical systems. Many European space missions would not exist without Dutch rocket technology and Dutch solar arrays. The country also has traditional expertise in water management, agriculture, environment and mobility a DNA which forms the basis for space in the Netherlands.

Thanks to the historic establishment of ESTEC, a whole 'space' network of companies has grown up in Noordwijk and the surrounding area. Other great assets for Noordwijk include the Galileo Reference Centre (GRC) - where data from the Galileo satellite system is received - and ESA-SBIC, Europe's first centre for space start-ups. Some 80 percent of the space activities in the Netherlands take place in this area known as South Holland.

The NL Space Campus will the meeting place and platform for the national and international space sector. It is the place where bright minds meet, share knowledge and inspire each other to innovate and bring space technology to a higher level.

Two multi-functional buildings, ‘Gaia & Giotto’, are being developed on the campus, offering office space for companies and start-up’s new to the space sector within a creative and dynamic environment.

The buildings offer flexible layout and space plan, interior design, high-quality facilities like fibre high speed internet, building security, comfortable building installations and good parking facilities, also for e-cars and e-bikes.

The GAIA building with a lettable area of 2.200 square metres will offer about 100 places to work. The larger GIOTTO building (3.400 square metres) will offer about 150 work spaces.

With more than 2200 high-tech professionals and 100+ PhD’s, ESTEC at the NL Space Campus in Noordwijk is an international hotspot for space research and innovation. The unique environment that the Campus offers is of great benefit for companies needing direct access to European space programmes, avoiding additional administration, long procedures and delayed delivery times.

The NFIA (Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency) and its regional partner Innovation Quarter can also assist with all the necessary information about establishing your company in the Netherlands.

For more information see - spacecampusoffices.com

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