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Satellogic, a global Earth Observation satellite manufacturing and data company, has chosen a 4,700 square meter location in Berkel en Rodenrijs near Rotterdam in the Netherlands, to set up their largest satellite production facility to date.

Construction of the building is currently being completed, after which the facility will be fitted out with state-of-the-art manufacturing, integration, and testing equipment. Production will commence during the second quarter of 2022. At full production capacity the plant should deliver 25 satellites per quarter by Q3 2023. Satellogic is aiming to employ a minimum of 80 new staff members and is currently hiring, amongst others, satellite manufacturers, precision optical engineers and technical support personnel to staff the facility.

In addition to helping the company find a fitting location, the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency and regional economic development agency, InnovationQuarter, introduced Satellogic to regional service providers, technical suppliers, educational institutions and potential partners as well as suppliers from the Dutch space ecosystem. This is a valuable step in assisting both existing and new businesses to identify opportunities to work together and to boost the regional economic activity.

Ideal location and boost for the space sector

Berkel’s location was chosen strategically because the region is home to a large number of skilled workers but also offers the best logistical support in the world.

“Delft’s reputation for space expertise and talent is world-renowned, as is Rotterdam’s status as a global logistics hub and gateway to Europe,” said Gustav Wenhold, VP Manufacturing Operations at Satellogic. “Both cities are just ten minutes away, allowing us to get the best of both worlds.”

Satellogic becomes part of a very suitable ecosystem: about 80% of all Dutch space activities take place in the province of South Holland. Read more about the aerospace industry in South Holland region.

“In fact, the arrival of Satellogic is the largest addition to our space cluster by a foreign party in more than 30 years,” says Rinke Zonneveld, director of InnovationQuarter. “This is an enormous boost for the development of the sector and it offers opportunities not only for the Dutch space supply chain, but especially for our space talent.”

“Satellogic’s mission is to democratize access to Earth Observation data and foster innovation across industries and borders. Expanding our global footprint increases our reach as well as diversifies and strengthens our teams,” commented Emiliano Kargieman, company’s founder and CEO.

Satellogic has offices in the USA, Argentina, Spain and Israel and will continue to operate its current Assembly, Integration, and Test (AIT) facility in Uruguay with a capacity of 24 satellites per year. Satellogic has announced to become a public company through a business combination with CF Acquisition Corp. by the end of 2021 and is planning to begin trading on Nasdaq under ticker symbol “SATL.”

More information?

Get in touch with the Account Manager Aerospace at InnovationQuarter

Niels Krol

Senior Investor Relations Manager / Senior Account Manager Aerospace
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ZeroAvia (Hollister, California, USA) is expanding its mission to develop carbon-free hydrogen-powered aircraft to Technology Park Ypenburg (TPY) in The Hague, in The Netherlands.

British/American ZeroAvia was founded in 2017 and is developing hydrogen-fueled powertrain technology to compete with conventional engines in propeller aircraft, with an aim of zero-emission and lower noise. TPY in The Hague was chosen as their first base within the EU, due to the presence of high-tech manufacturing companies at the park and the proximity of knowledge and talent in the vicinity, especially in Delft.

Vice-President Europe Sergey Kiselev explains that the business mindset of Dutch stakeholders in sustainable aviation was one of the main reasons for expanding their activities to the Netherlands: “we were impressed by the willingness and preparedness of Dutch knowledge institutions and the potential supplier network to work with us to achieve our ambitious and revolutionary goals. It’s that same can-do spirit that underpins our own start-up mentality and seems to fit perfectly.”

Developing 19-Seat Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft

Kiselev heads ZeroAvia’s European headquarters in Cranfield, UK. So far the company has secured nearly $ 74 million of funding since its inception, mostly from the US and UK. Last December the UK government granted £ 12.3 million ($ 16.3 million) to deliver a 19-seat hydrogen-powered aircraft that will be ready for market in 2023. Kiselev: “Our Dutch expansion will focus on finding cooperation and partnerships in the Netherlands and throughout continental Europe to further develop our solutions.”

ZeroAvia is currently looking for a Business Development Manager Europe to work from the office at TPY in The Hague.

High-Tech Manufacturing at Technology Park Ypenburg (TPY)

“TPY is delighted that such a progressive and industry-changing company such as Zeroavia has recognised the benefit of connecting with the 100+ years established aviation cluster in the Netherlands and has chosen Technology Park Ypenburg (TPY) as the ideal location to base and grow their mainland European business and talent base” commented Meine Oosten, Chairman of the Foundation managing TPY.

Sustainable Aviation in Zuid-Holland

InnovationQuarter, the regional economic development agency, works with the regional aerospace cluster to make aviation more sustainable in Zuid-Holland. The focus is on developing new, lighter materials and structures and improving aerodynamic performance at Delft University of Technology. Manufacturing on an industrial scale is carried out at companies such as GKN-Fokker and at TPY The Hague by companies such as Airborne, KVE (Daher) and GTM.

Emphasis is also on the use of new energy carriers: in Rotterdam, work is being done on the realization of a pilot plant for making synthetic kerosene and there are initiatives to electrify general aviation. The Dutch aviation supply chain, together with high-tech manufacturing companies in The Hague (TPY) and the city of Rotterdam are working on the development of a hydrogen propulsion system for a 50-seat regional turboprop aircraft and the implementation of all necessary infrastructure at TPY The Hague and Rotterdam The Hague Airport. InnovationQuarter has assisted ZeroAvia in setting up operations in the Netherlands and will continue to support them in their ambition to develop zero-emission aviation.

Niels Krol

Senior Investor Relations Manager / Senior Account Manager Aerospace

 

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To accelerate the development of promising innovations in unmanned technology, autonomous systems and sensors, Unmanned Valley – the field lab for sensor-based technologies located at the former Valkenburg naval air base, 16 kilometers north of The Hague in the Netherlands – is launching a subsidy scheme. Startups and scale-ups can apply for a subsidy of up to 25,000 euros.

Gebouw 356 op de locatie Valkenburg met beheerders en huurders. De personen op de foto zijn gevraagd mee te werken voor het RVB en hebben goedkeuring gegeven.

A total of 300,000 euros is available for several innovation projects. One of the conditions for awarding the grant is that the applicant himself co-finances 25% of the project. The subsidy scheme has been made possible by the Dutch municipality of Katwijk and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

It’s impossible to imagine many sectors today without drones and other sensor-based applications. The industry is developing at lightning speed and the potential for the Netherlands is enormous. In order to take full advantage of this, it is essential to speed up.

Accelerate innovations to make an impact

“Innovative ideas from young companies must become successful more quickly, be relevant and applicable, and thus create value,” says Theo de Vries, program manager at Unmanned Valley. “With this scheme, we want to make more use of the innovative power of start-ups and scale-ups and accelerate sensor-based innovation, thereby making the business climate at Unmanned Valley even more attractive and creating new high-tech employment in the region.”

“Companies must demonstrate that the development they envisage is feasible and practicable and which concrete results can be expected. This means that the assessment of the project plan weighs heavily. If the application fits within the set conditions for innovative strength, job creation and strengthening the business climate, this scheme will ease the financing needs of start-ups and scale-ups and create room for them to innovate and grow.”

Other incentive schemes

Together with other initiatives, the subsidy scheme contributes to strengthening and renewing the Dutch economy in general, the aerospace industry, and the drone and sensor-based sector in particular.

Recently, partner organizations InnovationQuarter and Do IoT Fieldlab also announced two new voucher schemes that stimulate the collaboration between young tech companies and end-users, and are also relevant for companies active in the field of unmanned technology, autonomous systems and sensors; the voucher scheme of the AgriTech innovation program and the Do IoT voucher scheme. Unmanned Valley plays a role in both voucher schemes.

Unmanned Valley and 2021

Unmanned Valley is an initiative of Delft University of Technology and the municipality of Katwijk – made possible by the Dutch central and regional government as well as the EU’s Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

In 2020 the first companies – all active in the field of aerospace, drones and sensors – moved to Unmanned Valley. For 2021 the priorities will be the further development of the housing and test facilities as well as strengthening the link between the business community, educational and knowledge institutions and governments. In time, Unmanned Valley must develop into a breeding ground for high-tech industry.

For more information about the new subsidy scheme, visit our “Sneller innoveren met subsidie” web page (in Dutch).

Niels Krol

Senior Investor Relations Manager / Senior Account Manager Aerospace
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Contact /Tanja Baars Datum /

Start-ups, scale-ups and others active in the field of unmanned technology, autonomous systems and sensors need tailor-made housing and excellent test facilities. Unmanned Valley – the field lab for sensor-based technologies located at the former Valkenburg naval air base, 16 kilometers north of The Hague in the Netherlands – and the Dutch Central Government Real Estate Agency (‘Rijksvastgoedbedrijf’) have therefore accelerated the second phase of the development of ‘Building 356’. Also a ‘makerspace’ will be realized and the R&D capabilities of the field lab’s indoor drone center will be expanded. These investments contribute to the further development of a fully-fledged ecosystem for drones and other sensor-based innovations in the Netherlands.

“The development of a strong ecosystem is central so that companies can innovate more successfully and thus make more impact, also internationally,” says Theo de Vries, program manager at Unmanned Valley. “We have made great progress last year. We developed new offices, work spaces and facilities. This has translated into a growing community at Unmanned Valley and the number of test operations. It is important to keep momentum and to get all the crucial elements as optimal as possible.”

Collaboration between businesses, educational and knowledge institutions and the government is the key to success, according to De Vries: “I am pleased with the steps we are taking together with the Dutch Central Government Real Estate Agency, Do IoT Fieldlab, Leiden Instrument Makers School, University of Applied Sciences Leiden and Inholland University of Applied Sciences. By bringing forward the development of additional office space, creating a so-called makerspace and improving the R&D capabilities of our indoor drone center, we increase the attractiveness of Unmanned Valley, stimulate collaboration between businesses and educational and knowledge institutions, and continue to build an important economic cluster.”

Godelieve Bun, director of Leiden Instrument Makers School, the leading Dutch secondary vocational school specialized in precision technology, adds: “As a partner of Unmanned Valley, we offer companies access to specialist precision mechanical facilities. For over 130 years our students and teachers have been developing the latest technical solutions to support customers. ”

Accelerated development of additional office space and makerspace

Last summer, the Dutch Central Government Real Estate Agency sustainably renovated 3000m2 of the former aircraft workshop ‘Building 356’ and transformed it into an inspiring working environment. The first companies, all active in the field of aerospace, drones and sensors, have since moved to Unmanned Valley.

Because of the great interest, the Agency has accelerated the second redevelopment phase of Building 356. An additional 1700m2 of space will be realized to accommodate a mix of start-ups, scale-ups, mature companies and knowledge institutions – including leading Dutch secondary vocational school MBO College Airport that will move its drone activities to Unmanned Valley. The first tenants are expected to move to the new units from the second quarter of 2021.
Together with the Leiden Instrument Makers School a joint makerspace will be realized, initially with basic equipment for maintenance and small modifications to drones and other sensor-related innovations. For more complex projects the companies at Unmanned Valley will have access to the high-quality machinery and research equipment – as well as the associated knowledge, skills and experience – of the Leiden Instrument Makers School, the IoT Forensic Lab of University of Applied Sciences Leiden and the composites laboratory of Inholland University of Applied Sciences.

Indoor GPS positioning and state-of-the-art 5G communication infrastructure

Being a business park with extensive test facilities – indoor in the former aircraft hangar ‘Hangar 1’, an outdoor flight box and in time also a BVLOS test corridor to sea – makes Unmanned Valley unique in the Netherlands.
To develop Hangar 1 into a multi-use indoor drone center, a GPS repeater system and – in collaboration with Do IoT Fieldlab – an ultra-modern 5G communication infrastructure will be installed. This extends the opportunities to perform experimental test work independently of weather conditions and, if desired, out of sight of others.

Unmanned Valley is an initiative of Delft University of Technology and the municipality of Katwijk – made possible by the Dutch central and regional government as well as the EU’s Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – and will develop into a breeding ground for high-tech activities. InnovationQuarter is closely involved in the development of Unmanned Valley by participating in their content programming, actively connecting regional stakeholders and contributing to (inter)national promotion and acquisition.

Niels Krol

Senior Investor Relations Manager / Senior Account Manager Aerospace
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Contact /Bert Klarus Datum /

Two ambitious aviation hubs in greater Rotterdam – The Hague, TPY and RHIA, have signed a cooperation agreement with the support of InnovationQuarter to join forces. Together they offer innovative entrepreneurs and researchers a place to develop and test new innovations for electric and hydrogen-powered flying. The collaboration will lead to a real life demonstration and test environment in the Next Aviation Fieldlab, Hoog 16Hoven and the Ypenburg business park.

v.l.n.r.: Stephen Hands, Managing Director TPY en Miranda Janse, directeur RHIA

Worldwide, hydrogen is seen as a major contender for the upscaling of sustainable aviation, whereby breakthroughs in small aviation should enable upscaling to larger aircraft. The partners believe that sustainable aviation can be achieved faster and aim in the Netherlands – with a rich aviation history – to play an important role in the future of aviation. As part of an extensive regional innovation cluster from Drechtsteden to Noordwijk, the parties want to attract start-ups, scale-ups and international companies that want to contribute to this, in areas such as:

  • Storage and distribution of emission-free fuels and energy sources;
  • Fast refuelling with new fuels;
  • Adaptation and testing of aircraft;
  • Alternative powertrains or parts thereof for regional aircraft, including a new propeller type;
  • Storage and distribution of new energy sources onboard aircraft;
  • New solutions for lightweight materials and structural parts;
  • Scaling-up possibilities through production automation;
  • Certification requirements and processes.

The collaboration ties in nicely with other current initiatives. For example, the Next Aviation Fieldlab at Rotterdam The Hague Airport is home to the Pipistrel Velix Electro (PH-NLX), the first registered electric aircraft in the Netherlands. In the Smart Rotors project, RHIA, Koninklijke NLR, TU Delft and companies located in TPY are working together on the development of more efficient and quieter propellers. A prototyping centre and workshops have been developed at TPY where work can be done on innovative components for sustainable aviation.

InnovationQuarter supports innovation development in the aerospace sector in greater Rotterdam – The Hague by actively connecting businesses to knowledge institutions and relevant authorities and by facilitate intensified collaboration between aerospace-related innovation hubs. The partnership between TPY and RHIA in the field of sustainable aviation, sealed today, offers unique opportunities for SMEs in the region, will contribute to the international visibility of this sector and potentially attract new foreign companies that offer added value to the regional cluster.

Local and regional officials are enthusiastic about this new development in the region. “There are many opportunities for innovation here in greater Rotterdam – The Hague, also in the field of aerospace. You can only capitalize on those opportunities through cooperation. So it’s great that RHIA and TPY are joining forces. This can accelerate innovations that contribute to major social issues such as making aviation more sustainable, accessible and safe,” says Adri Bom-Lemstra, Deputy for Economy and Innovation at the province of Zuid-Holland. Barbara Kathmann, the alderman of the Municipality of Rotterdam, is also enthusiastic: “RHIA and TPY show that work is being done on cleaner aviation and that Rotterdam has an innovative business climate that responds to opportunities, including hydrogen, which are high in the Rotterdam region. agenda.” Saskia Bruines, alderman of the Municipality of The Hague, emphasizes that “economic cooperation between The Hague and Rotterdam is becoming closer and that the initiative of TPY and RHIA makes an excellent contribution to this.”

By bringing together the possibilities for aviation, RHIA and TPY can play an even stronger role in the shared ambition: Accelerate the realization of zero-emission aviation while strengthening our industrial base. This is where they can make a difference, whether in airport operations or aircraft and systems design to enable the transition in aviation. Stephen Hands, Managing Director TPY, and Miranda Janse, Director RHIA, say they are very happy with the collaboration and look forward to welcoming other companies and institutions.

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Together with the European Space Agency (ESA), the Netherlands Space Office (NSO) will continue to invest in the ESA-BIC programme for another six years. This programme provides all manner of support to startups with a solid business plan centred around the use of space technology or satellite data. Furthermore, these businesses can earn a place in the Space Business Innovation Centre (SBIC) on the Space Campus in Noordwijk.

It goes without saying that space is an innovative high-tech field. At the same time, it is the key to myriad solutions for social challenges. A growing number of young creative entrepreneurs and startups succeed at developing promising applications for space technology. “Space technology and satellite data offer enormous potential for the development of a wide range of new business ideas. Recent examples include the development of new smallsats for IoT and monitoring services for urban green spaces. Our country is home to many creative geniuses who are developing interesting new revenue models in this manner,” says Harm van de Wetering, director of the NSO. “We therefore want to offer startups with excellent ideas the opportunity to further develop their plans.”

NSO does so together with the European Space Agency via ESA’s incubation programme in the Netherlands: ESA BIC Noordwijk. Both parties have extended their current contract with the Space Business Innovation Centre Noordwijk (SBIC Noordwijk), the programme’s executor, for a period of six years.

BIC stands for “business incubation centre,” a place for both novice and experienced entrepreneurs who want to do something in the field of space. A business goes through the incubation programme with the goal of growing into a healthy organisation (and a valuable addition to our society). There are twenty-two such centres throughout Europe. ESA BIC Noordwijk was the first of these BICs to be established. Since 2003, it has supported more than 120 space startups.

Local differences

No two BICs are the same and each has its own local partners. Likewise, the exact nature and focus of the programme differs slightly per region. ESA BIC Noordwijk, for example, benefits from being located a literal stone’s throw away from ESA’s research & development centre ESTEC, at NL Space Campus.

Its location is crucial, as it facilitates rapid and easy access to technical support from the European Space Agency. In addition to support for the technical aspects of aerospace entrepreneurship, the partnership between NSO, ESA and SBIC Noordwijk also allows companies to receive financial and corporate assistance.

Extensive support

Among other things, ESA BIC businesses and startups receive a zero-equity investment. Companies can be reimbursed for a sum of up to €50,000 – spent on research & development and patent applications – without having to give away a percentage of their business. Entrepreneurs also receive support in the form of workshops, training programmes and coaches.

The new contract formally covers the period from 2020 to 2024. Any businesses that are admitted into the programme as part of the final batch of 2024 will also receive support for the duration of the programme (two years). Until at least 2026, this makes Noordwijk the place to be for businesses in the Netherlands who are looking for support with their space endeavours.

 

Frame

Some of the well-known businesses that came out of the ESA BIC Noordwijk programme:

HIBER – a satellite network of smallsats that provides IoT connectivity with global coverage. Last year, the Dutch cabinet selected this company as one of three National Icons. It is one of the few businesses to be developing applications for outer space.

JohanSports – a performance tracker for athletes. It utilises GALILEO, also known as “the European version of GPS.” The system is used by e.g. the Dutch hockey association KNHB and football clubs Feyenoord, ADO Den Haag and Panathinaikos.

Sobolt – gathers, processes and interprets data from earth observation satellites and uses this knowledge to e.g. advise municipal governments on the use of urban green areas.

 

A selection of the businesses that successfully completed the programme recently:

Meds2Go – a medical device that helps patients keep their medication at the right temperature. It is based on cooling technology that was originally developed for the aerospace sector.

Satsearch – an online platform that facilitates the supply and demand of aerospace components.

Polariks – helps wine farmers optimise their yields with the help of hyperspectral cameras mounted on a robot.

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Unmanned Valley – the field lab for sensor-based technologies located at the former Valkenburg naval air base in Katwijk, the Netherlands – welcomes the first companies, all active in the field of aerospace, drones and sensors. This represents an important step towards the development of a fully-fledged ecosystem for drones and other sensor-based innovations, and further strengthens the aerospace sector in the Netherlands.

Aerialtronics, Deck180, Drone Flight Company, Dutch Drone Academy, Elkay International (Europe) and Marshall Netherlands are the first companies to have already moved in. Within a few months, Atmos, Drone Light Labs and Mapture.ai will also relocate (parts of) their activities to the field lab, which offers in- and outdoor facilities for companies and knowledge institutes to develop, test and implement new sensor-based solutions.

The move of these companies marks the very successful 3000m2 redevelopment of the former naval air base’s workshop ‘Building 356’, which is now almost fully rented out. In a next phase, the Central Government Real Estate Agency (‘Rijksvastgoedbedrijf’) is expected to redevelop an additional 1700m2 of space to accommodate a mix of startups and scale-ups, mature companies and knowledge institutions.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in testing activities over the past months, but with the relocation of these first companies, Unmanned Valley really comes to life”, says Theo de Vries, program manager at Unmanned Valley. “Drones often only make headlines as a threat to air traffic or as a pizza delivery service. These companies show that things are different in reality and that the economic and social potential for the Netherlands can be enormous.”

De Vries speaks very highly of the Central Government Real Estate Agency: “During the COVID-19 crisis, the agency has kept up a brisk pace with the renovation and transformation work. It has now become a hotspot for collaboration, cross-fertilization and innovation, which inspired start-ups, scale-ups and others to such an extent that we have rented out about 90% of all available units well before the official completion date in July. The next phase can now be developed much earlier than anticipated.”

“Unmanned Valley has all the potential to develop into an international hotspot for unmanned and sensor-related activities. Innovative companies are looking for a well-developed ecosystem, not just a suitable office location. They want access to the right networks, technologies and talent”, says Rinke Zonneveld, director of the regional economic development agency InnovationQuarter. “The Netherlands and in particular the greater Rotterdam-The Hague area, enjoys an excellent reputation within the global aerospace industry. The aviation, space and drone sectors in our region are closely linked and all relevant players in education, research and commerce are actively working together in this highly developed metropolitan area.”

In addition to the Dutch start-ups and scale-ups that moved to Unmanned Valley, it indeed appears that the location also has international appeal; several foreign companies have relocated their activities to Katwijk, a coastal town located 16 kilometers north of The Hague.

The companies that are the first to establish themselves in Unmanned Valley

  • Aerialtronics DV, since 2017 part of French company Drone Volt, develops drones and intelligent cameras for numerous applications; for surveying and supporting the fire brigade to inspection of wind turbines and high voltage powerlines. Recently Aerialtronics also developed software to check via existing networks of IP cameras whether people are wearing face masks.
  • Atmos, was founded in 2013 and has developed a drone that combines the flexibility of a helicopter with the speed and range of an aircraft. As a result, it requires little space to take off and land vertically, but the drone can also efficiently cover long distances, properties that are essential for mapping larger areas. The company raised funding from Disruptive Technology Ventures in 2018 and 2020.
  • Deck180 has been developing solutions since 2017 to enable multiple drones to operate autonomously in industrial and public environments at the same time.
  • Drone Flight Company is the market leader in the use of drones for the business market and assists organizations in the integration of drones in their business activities. The company’s training branch, Drone Flight Academy, is recognized by the Dutch government as a flight school and develops and provides training, education and workshops aimed at safe and responsible flying with drones.
  • Drone Light Labs, founded in 2017, produces among other things the world-famous performance art installation Franchise Freedom for Studio Drift. The artwork consists of autonomously flying swarm of hundreds of drones, which uses a specially developed algorithm based on the flight behavior of starlings. One of the essential parts of the artwork: ‘swarm intelligence’.
  • Dutch Drone Academy has been developing and providing training and teaching materials around the theme of unmanned aviation since 2013. In addition to the certification of professional drone pilots, the company supports secondary vocational education in training students to become European drone pilots.
  • Elkay International (Europe) exports electronic components and systems from Europe to companies in the Indian telecommunications, defense, space and aviation industry.
  • Mapture.ai is a start-up founded in 2018 that is developing an autonomously operating ‘drone in a box’ system. The system is aimed to be used in a wide range of applications such as monitoring industrial installations, securing business parks and deployment during emergency situations.
  • Marshall Netherlands is part of the Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group (Cambridge, UK) – one of the largest independent technology companies in Europe. The company specializes in, among other things, design, production and maintenance of defence shelter system, and the conversion, modification and maintenance of military and civil aircraft. Marshall has been supporting the Royal Netherlands Air Force for more than 20 years and at the end of 2018 the company won a contract for the supply and maintenance of 1,400 shelter systems for the Dutch armed forces.

Fast growing industry

In many sectors, drone and related technologies already ensure that work can be done faster, better, safer and more efficiently. Due to the further development and integration of robotization, artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning and the Internet of Things, the number of useful applications is growing rapidly.

Market analysts from Drone Industry Insights expect the global drone market to grow to $ 42.8 billion by 2025. This is almost double its current size in 2020 ($ 22.5 billion). The European market is also almost doubling; from $ 5.19 billion now to $ 9.86 billion by 2025.

Unmanned Valley is an initiative of Delft University of Technology and the municipality of Katwijk – made possible by the Dutch central and regional government as well as the EU’s European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – and will develop into a breeding ground for high-tech activities.

Wat kunnen wij voor u betekenen?

Neem gerust contact met ons op.

Niels Krol

Senior Investor Relations Manager / Senior Account Manager Aerospace
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Over 80% of all space activities in the Netherlands take place in the province of Zuid-Holland. For this reason, InnovationQuarter presented the Noordwijk-Leiden-Delft-The Hague region as Space Cluster Holland during the Space Tech Expo in Bremen from 19 to 21 November 2019.

A number of distinct space activities from the region were highlighted in the booth: Space Campus Noordwijk was presented by the new director Esther Peters, Rahul Shirke explained the extremely heat-resistant composite material of Delft-based start-up ARCEON, and the Delft university student team of ‘VSV Leonardo da Vinci‘ promoted their Cubesat project, intended for educational purposes.

The regions of Bremen and Zuid-Holland launched a Joint Action Agenda which strengthens cooperation between the space ecosystems in both areas. It defines common challenges and themes on which the regions shall focus in the coming years. Subsequently, during round table discussions between German and Dutch companies and institutes, topics of mutual interest like lightweight materials & structures  and the use of VR/AR in space engineering, were discussed.

Representatives from the Province of Zuid-Holland, Space Campus Noordwijk, ATG Europe, ARCEON and InnovationQuarter at the Space Cluster Holland booth

The presence of many regional exhibitors, such as Airbus, Airborne, ISISpace, Celestia STS, Hyperion, MetaSensing, TNO and the student rocket team DARE (Delft Aerospace Rocket Engineering) shows that the space cluster in Zuid-Holland plays a prominent role in the international space industry. Many of them were also speakers during various workshops, including other representatives from the region like GTM, SkyGeo and Dawn Aerospace.

At the Space Cluster Holland booth visitors were welcomed to take a photo of themselves on the moon. In front of a green screen and by using the self-service camera of Rotterdam-based start-up BLNDR, over 500 visitors flew to the moon to take their picture. Some of them even managed to plant the Dutch flag!

Bert Klarus (Business Development) en Niels Krol (Foreign Investments) van InnovationQuarter

Due to this year’s great success, the exhibition organization has decided to organize Space Tech Expo in Bremen annually, instead of every two years. In addition, a NL Space pavilion will be organized in 2020, in which the Dutch, and mostly Zuid-Holland-based, space industry can promote themselves jointly to the international space community. Brochure 10 Reasons Space.

Interested in collaborating with or joining the space cluster in our region?

Get in touch to discuss opportunities in the greater Rotterdam - The Hague region.

Niels Krol

Senior Investor Relations Manager / Senior Account Manager Aerospace
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Contact /Bert Klarus Datum /

To strengthen cooperation between the space sector in the regions of Bremen and Zuid-Holland, SpaceNed, Province of Zuid-Holland, Aviaspace Bremen and the state of Bremen launched an action agenda at the Space Tech Expo Europe in Bremen. They were supported in the preparation of the action agenda by InnovationQuarter and Bremen Invest. The action agenda stems from agreements made during the space mission to Bremen in March 2019, in the presence of the King and Queen.

Enhanced international cooperation

The Zuid-Holland and Bremen regions both have a strong space sector. Better cooperation between the regions is favourable for the innovation climate and the economic strength of space companies. The action agenda contains agreements on cooperation actions until 2023, aimed at the described mutual challenges for the space sector. Agreements include a trade mission from Bremen to Zuid-Holland in 2020, joint Research & Development projects and strengthening of business and research relationships. Thematically, the cooperation focuses on, among other things, earth observation, lightweight materials and VR / AR in space applications.

The action agenda was presented by Hans-Georg Tschupke (Director of the Department of Innovation and Industry at the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Bremen) and Wiebe Brandsma (Director of Economy and Society at the Province of Zuid-Holland) together with Jeroen Rotteveel and Holger Oelze (the chairmen of SpaceNed and Aviaspace, respectively).

Jeroen Rotteveel: “A good neighbour is better than a distant friend; [Dutch proverb] that is why it is so logical to strengthen the ties with Bremen”. Hans-Georg Schupke adds: “This Action Agenda was not established because the governments are so keen; there are common interests and there is enthusiasm among companies and knowledge institutions for cooperation. ”

Companies and knowledge institutions from Zuid-Holland and Bremen immediately got to work at the Space Tech Expo in two round table discussions to further explore and work out collaborative activities. Then there was room for mutual acquaintance between companies themselves or with knowledge institutions during the matchmaking Meet the Dutch. And while enjoying ‘stroopwafels’ from Zuid-Holland and drinks, there was plenty of room for networking.

In the pavilion that was organized by InnovationQuarter, there was a lot of visitors and good contacts with international businesses. In addition, there was plenty of room for relaxed conversations around the “green screen” photo device that was set up on the stand. InnovationQuarter supports the province of Zuid-Holland in the compilation and implementation of the action agenda.

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WestHolland launched as composites hotspot during JEC World in Paris

Dutch composites industry

The unique ecosystem for composites & new materials in West Holland was presented in the Holland Pavilion of industry association CompositesNL. Besides the academic knowledge & research, application development and original equipment manufacturers present in our region, special attention was given to SAM XL.

Fieldlab SAM XL

The Smart Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) XL fieldlab will open in 2019 and serves as a research and testing facility for automated composite technology solutions; like the automated manufacturing of thin-walled aerospace structures or thick-walled structures for wind turbine blades and bridge decks. Partners in this fieldlab, like TU Delft, GTM Advanced Structures, Fokker/GKN Aerospace and KVE Composites were also present at the fair. And with showcases from Inholland and Airborne Composites, the West Holland ecosystem was strongly represented.

Infographic

Here are 10 reasons Why West Holland is the hotspot for composites. Download the infographic via this link or request a hardcopy via communicatie@innovationquarter.nl.

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Contact /Niels Krol Datum /

InnovationQuarter participated in the ‘Holland Pavilion’ during the Paris Air Show.

Holland Pavilion at Paris Air Show

Organizer of the Dutch stand was the Netherlands Aerospace Group (NAG), a trade association that supports the Dutch Aerospace and Airport Development sector. Suppliers to the aerospace sector, like Airborne Composites from The Hague, were present in the pavilion as well as some dominant aerospace regions in The Netherlands. These regions focus predominantly on Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) of aircraft, whereas the West Holland region has a strong emphasis on Research & Development, Design & Engineering and Manufacturing.

InnovationQuarter participated in the ‘Holland Pavilion’ during the Paris Air Show.

Dutch aerospace sector

Therefore, the West Holland region offers added value to the Dutch aerospace sector and is now part of the five most dominant aerospace regions in The Netherlands. More information is available in the brochure that was developed for the Paris Air Show, in which the 5 regions present their own distinctive strengths. If you would like to know more about the Aerospace sector in West Holland please have a look at this infographic with our 10 reasons to invest in this region.