Contract research company NIZO has announced that its site in Ede, the Netherlands, is set to be transformed into a food innovation park. The site will enable collaborations between startups, scale-ups, corporates, and knowledge institutions who are working towards the food transition and the development of sustainable proteins.
The innovation park will feature facilities such as a food-grade pilot plant and the recently established Biotechnology Fermentation Factory (BFF). These resources will enable the research, testing, and development of new sustainable protein sources, such as plants, algae, and fermentation.
The project has been initiated by NIZO, the Province of Gelderland, the Municipality of Ede, the FoodValley Region, and Oost NL.
“We are building a place where ideas can flourish faster, where entrepreneurship thrives, and where innovations contribute to a future-proof food system,” said Bert Fintelman, who is politically responsible for the Protein Transition theme in the FoodValley Region.
“Leading ecosystem for scaling alternative proteins”
The innovation park will be located in a similar region to Wageningen University & Research — which often conducts research into alternative proteins — and Wageningen Campus, which provides R&D space for companies of all sizes. The park will focus on the next steps — testing, scaling up, and preparing innovations for market, in collaboration with industry.
These sites, along with the Food Innovation District near Ede railway station, are said to complement each other. According to NIZO, they could help to put the FoodValley Region on the international map.
An independent exploratory study has reportedly shown broad support for this food innovation ecosystem. The initiators of the project will now focus on property development and the further expansion of the ecosystem; they will also consider spinning off the pilot plant as an independent entity, ensuring it remains widely accessible to companies and knowledge institutions.
“Our goal is clear: to become Europe’s leading ecosystem for scaling alternative proteins and driving the food transition,” said Nikolaas Vles, CEO of NIZO. “By combining world-class facilities with collaboration across startups, scale-ups, companies, and research institutions, we can accelerate innovations to market and shape the future of food.”
