OFFICIAL OPENING INNOVATION CENTER CHEMISTRY AND ENGINEERING

Last week, the 24th of March, the Innovation Center Chemistry and Engineering (ICE) was officially opened. The Innovation Center contributes to growth and development in the areas of Chemistry and Engineering and facilitates cross-pollination and knowledge-sharing among companies housed in the building. Companies like Cliq Swiss Tech, DEMCON, MOOHA and Symeres moved in late 2021 together with the open innovation labs Innolab Chemistry and Innolab Engineering. The ICE now also houses multiple chemistry- and engineering-related startups like SG Papertronics and Deep Atlas. The top floor of the ICE is dedicated to the Space Werkcafé, a hospitality hub offering not only fresh meals and refreshments, but also flex work spaces and meeting rooms. 

Official Opening

After construction was completed late 2021, the Innovation Center Chemistry and Engineering hasn’t exactly been sitting still: with the last finishing touches having been added to the building, the ICE was officially opened last month. A symbolic ‘innovation key’ was handed over to the residents of the building by provincial executive member IJzebrand Rijzebol and councilor of the municipality of Groningen Berndt Benjamins.

The Building

In total, the 5-story, 21 meter high Innovation Center covers over 5.000 m2. The building has been designed gas-free and sustainable, partly due to the use of heat pumps, PV-panels and a sophisticated climate-hull. The design and construction of the building has been made possible by a collaboration between CODEX Architecture studio, contractor Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma, installer ITBB, engineering firm abtWassenaar and Draaijer + Partners. 

The Innovation Center has been made possible by Triade Real Estate, Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma, Investeringsfonds Groningen (NVNOM), Rabobank, SNN, the province of Groningen and RUG Ventures. 

Read more about SG Papertronics in our recent article

Read more about the ICE