On 10 September, Pivot Park welcomed municipal councillors from the Municipality of Oss for a working visit. The programme offered an introduction to the campus, its future development and the experiences of companies building their businesses within the Pivot Park ecosystem.
The visit was organised in preparation for the municipal council’s consideration of a proposed investment in Pivot Park. The Municipality of Oss is looking to invest approximately €30 million, while the Province of North Brabant intends to contribute around €70 million. Together, the proposed investment of approximately €100 million would enable the further development and expansion of the campus. Read more about this proposed investment here.
Experiencing the campus
The working visit began with a guided tour of the campus, giving the councillors an opportunity to explore Pivot Park and gain a closer look at the environment in which life sciences companies work, innovate and grow.
The group then gathered in the Panoramazaal, where Brigitte Drees, CEO of Pivot Park, presented Pivot Park’s development and the campus vision through to 2036. She shared how the campus aims to strengthen its position as a leading biopharmaceutical hub and how the proposed plans would create the facilities, connections and environment that companies need at every stage of their development.
Entrepreneurship at Pivot Park
Three entrepreneurs subsequently shared their experiences of working at Pivot Park. Guido van der Aar introduced Social Medicines, a start-up based in the Pivot Park Incubator. He was followed by Joost Kreijtz of Trained Therapeutics Discovery and Sander van Asbeck of RiboPro.
Although the three companies are at different stages of development, their stories highlighted a shared experience. They particularly value the access Pivot Park provides to other companies, knowledge institutions and relevant organisations. They also emphasised the added value of being part of an active community in which expertise, experience and opportunities can be shared.
The programme continued with a technical explanation of the proposal that will be presented to the municipal council, including the related financial details. This gave the councillors the opportunity to ask questions and gain further insight into the plans underpinning Pivot Park’s future development.
The visit concluded with a light meal and time to continue the conversations in an informal setting.
The proposed investment brings the next phase of Pivot Park closer, but the process has not yet been finalised. The Oss Municipal Council still needs to decide on the proposal, while the Provincial Council of North Brabant will also have an opportunity to share its views.
