Destination Plan Wageningen Campus
Wageningen Campus is set up as a meeting place for researchers, entrepreneurs and students in the field of nutrition and food production, living environment and health. Knowledge-intensive organisations such as universities, research institutes, companies and NGOs arry out R&D activities and ensure that innovations find their way to application in society.
Wageningen Campus consists of two locations:
- Location Wageningen Campus, around the buildings of Wageningen University & Research (WUR)
- Location Business & Science Park Wageningen (BSPW)
Location Wageningen Campus
The Wageningen Campus location, around the buildings of Wageningen University & Research (WUR) on Mansholtlaan, consists of three parts.
WUR buildings
First of all, the spatial structure of the campus is formed by a large green central area, with WUR buildings in and around it. Here, buildings for research and education are permitted. Small businesses, innovative start-ups and researchers with some degree of business activity can also establish themselves here. They have a close collaboration and relationship with wur's research and researchers.
Business Strip
The 'Business Strip' (address Bronland) has as its destination: knowledge-intensive activity. For example, the R&D centres of Unilever and FrieslandCampina are located here and a lively start-up community, innovative SMEs and R&D hubs of corporates are located in the offices and laboratories of multi-company buildings Plus Ultra I + II. Some NGOs that deal with the knowledge ecosystem are also located here. All these organizations carry out high-quality research and development activities, test and evaluate advanced technologies, products, sustainable (production) processes, are concerned with how research results are implemented in society or how necessary transitions are achieved.
Wageningen Campus Oost
Wageningen Campus Oost, across the street (Mansholtlaan), is now home to NIOO-KNAW and the Aeres University of Applied Sciences. The amended zoning plan for Campus Oost was approved in 2022: the plan allows knowledge-intensive companies to establish at Campus Oost. South of the existing buildings, Wageningen Campus Oost is being developed further.
Wageningen Municipality and WUR have the mutual desire to create an optimal business climate for knowledge-intensive companies. To date, the provisions in the campus zoning plan were limited. To better align the different zoning plans, the municipality has created an umbrella zoning plan. This zoning plan details the options for businesses wishing to settle on the campus. The plan includes, for example, a clear definition of “knowledge-intensive businesses/institutes” and of “research and education”. Moreover, the land-use category “research and education” now also allows for small knowledge-intensive businesses to settle on the central area of the WUR campus. These are, however, limited to a maximum of 500 m2 per business, which equals some 15 employees. This amendment offers room for small WUR-related businesses, such as start-ups, that collaborate with WUR or use its facilities.
No later than March 2022, Wageningen Municipality is to specify whether the number and total size of these small businesses that are to be permitted to locate on the part of Wageningen Campus that falls within the education and research zoning plan will be maximised. Larger knowledge-intensive companies can locate on the Business Strip on the eastern side of Wageningen Campus.
Location Business & Science Park Wageningen (BSPW)
Wageningen Business and Science Park is intended for companies in the life sciences,food and health. The Business & Science Park is within walking distance of Wageningen University & Research, but is not part of WUR. However, the name Wageningen Campus can be found in the BSPW logo – this expresses that there is a strong bond between the different locations and that the organisations located at the BSPW are part of the Wageningen Campus ecosystem.