New strategy aims to grow Kennispark Twente to 700 companies and 16,500 jobs

Looking to the future, Kennispark is deliberately focusing on the targeted growth of knowledge-intensive organisations: start-ups, spin-offs, scale-ups and established companies developing and scaling technology. The strength of the ecosystem — with direct access to knowledge, talent, networks and facilities — forms its distinctive added value.

The ambition is clear: by 2035, Kennispark will host around 700 companies, more than 40% of which will be active in the high-tech sector. The number of jobs will grow by 30% to approximately 16,500. Research ideas will develop into new businesses, existing companies will scale up, and start-ups will grow into international players. In this way, Kennispark strengthens the economic resilience of Twente and offers young people prospects for a future in the region.

Close collaboration with institutions such as the University of Twente, ROC van Twente and Saxion University of Applied Sciences creates a strong link between education, research and industry and generates opportunities across different levels of education. Kennispark also sees the Vredestein site as a promising expansion area for new companies and for scaling up the activities of existing Kennispark businesses.

By 2035, Kennispark aims to position itself clearly as the leading innovation hub for semiconductor and medical technology in the eastern Netherlands. For semiconductor technology, the full innovation chain is present: from research and prototyping to pilot production and scaling up. With shared R&D facilities such as the High Tech Factory and the MESA+ NanoLab, the area offers a unique infrastructure. In addition, pilot and test environments facilitate the crucial step from R&D to market introduction, while production capacity is strengthened through New Origin.

Within the MedTech cluster, researchers, medical technology companies and healthcare providers at Kennispark work together to develop advanced solutions that help keep healthcare accessible, affordable and sustainable.

The 230-hectare area already hosts more than 480 companies, over 12,000 students and thousands of researchers. Together they develop technologies not only for applications in semiconductor and medical technology, but also in fields such as defence and security, digitalisation, and the energy and climate transition.

In the coming years, Kennispark will grow into a vibrant area with space for culture, sports, hospitality, amenities and more housing. Strong connections between companies, students and researchers form the core of a lively community. By structurally programming opportunities for interaction — such as networking events, shared facilities and a Talent Café — Kennispark will become a place where collaboration is natural and where a strong international community emerges: a place where people not only work and study, but also choose to settle long term.

Kennispark lies at the heart of the large-scale spatial development programme Spoorzone Hengelo Enschede (SHE), the key area of Twente’s regional growth strategy. In this area, 30,000 homes and 30,000 jobs will be added. Kennispark serves as the economic and innovation engine within this development.

With nearly 13,000 jobs, an added value of almost €1 billion per year and a strong international orientation, Kennispark already holds national and international significance. The area attracts talent from the Netherlands and abroad, creates high-quality employment and stimulates new markets and business activity.

Further development of Kennispark requires clear and consistent choices regarding spatial planning, infrastructure and targeted investments. We call on the national government to take responsibility together with regional and local partners and to make a clear choice now to strengthen science parks as engines of innovation.

The proven economic return and the structural contribution to national innovation capacity justify allocating the €100 million reserved in the coalition agreement for innovation at regional campuses largely to existing science parks such as Kennispark. These are the places where the innovations the Netherlands needs are actually created, scaled up and translated into international impact. By investing now in physical space and high-quality facilities, the national government strengthens the long-term competitiveness and economic resilience of the Netherlands.