THIS IS WHAT THE NEW KADANS OWNER WANTS TO DO WITH THE ROTTERDAM SCIENCE TOWER
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‘We’re happy to contribute to an even more impactful life sciences & health ecosystem in Rotterdam’
Kadans Science Partner has become the new owner of the Rotterdam Science Tower, which also houses the LSH010 Hub, with effect from 1st June 2021. The new owner will be providing a great deal more than running water and light. Much more. ‘We want to assist with the further development of the life sciences & health ecosystem in Rotterdam, partly thanks to our European network,’ according to Tom Straeter, Senior Ecosystem Manager at Kadans.
Kadans Science Partner develops and operates properties for individual tenants, but also invests in the development and operation of collective science buildings. The company finds accommodation for companies from start-ups to large corporates and everything in between. Kadans has 45 buildings for knowledge-intensive organisations on 23 university campuses and science parks in four European countries at its disposal. The Rotterdam Science Tower is one of the latest buildings to have been added to the network.
WHY DID YOU ADD THE ROTTERDAM SCIENCE TOWER TO YOUR PORTFOLIO?
Tom Straeter: ‘It’s a beautiful building, located in an area which is constantly going through changes. We’ve been following the Rotterdam ecosystem with great interest for quite some time and were therefore already familiar with the most important players in the field of life sciences & health. We are now a permanent, active partner in that network, as owners of the Rotterdam Science Tower. That’s incredibly valuable to us.’
BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT A TRADITIONAL ESTATE AGENT
‘Correct. Our main mission is to support existing innovative ecosystems and create new ecosystems where possible. We contribute to the success of our tenants by offering them access to our extensive network of knowledge-intensive organisations. We facilitate what our tenants need to be successful within this network: high-end offices and laboratories, as well as access to universities, innovative companies, new talent, financing and shared laboratory equipment. We use these extra services to strengthen the ecosystems in which we operate, including the LSH ecosystem in Rotterdam. We believe in the power of communities.’
IS THAT WHY YOU ARE NUMBER ONE IN THE NETHERLANDS WHERE ACCOMMODATION FOR INNOVATIVE SECTORS IS CONCERNED?
‘That’s certainly one element which distinguishes us from traditional estate agents. We started on the Wageningen Campus at the start of this century. Back then it was risky for market parties to invest in properties on campuses and in science parks. Many investors prefer to connect with one major party for a longer period of time. We consciously accommodate large corporates and knowledge institutes as well as start-ups and scale-ups. We create a valuable and close-knit community. Organisations want to remain part of our network because we provide them with more than just accommodation. Companies subsequently become more successful and may need more space. It’s a win-win situation.’
WHAT MAKES A BUILDING FOR THE LIFE SCIENCES & HEALTH SECTOR SO SPECIAL?
Our buildings often consist of a combination of flexible offices with laboratories, tech halls, clean rooms, R&D areas, conditioned areas and pilot plants. One thing which now increasingly characterises knowledge-intensive organisations is the desire for collaboration. Research and development often took place behind closed doors in the past. Collaboration is now being sought, also with competitors. That’s why we create many physical meeting facilities in our buildings. Knowledge exchange and collaborations are created when you facilitate meetings. That’s why many companies want to be close to knowledge institutes like universities or academic hospitals.’
WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY DO FOR YOUR TENANTS?
‘We can divide our tenants’ core needs into three categories: access to the market, access to talent and access to facilities. We can provide that access in several different ways. First of all, by organising events and connecting tenants. But also by bringing tenants into contact with other parties from our network. We have properties in 23 science parks and campuses throughout Europe. This enables us to offer our entrepreneurs a large European network. We’re also working on an online platform and we produce podcasts, which allow our tenants to both gain knowledge and profile themselves. But we can also help tenants with the sometimes difficult search for staff.’
WHAT ARE YOU PLANS FOR THE ROTTERDAM SCIENCE TOWER?
‘The building will be partly renovated in the near future to prepare it for the future and to attract and bind new tenants to us. There’s certainly room for that. At the same time, we want to actively collaborate with the organisations we accommodate in the tower, including the Erasmus MC Incubator and the Erasmus Centre of Entrepreneurship (ECE). We discuss the challenges in the ecosystem with all stakeholders. First and foremost: the LSH ecosystem in Rotterdam is rock solid. There are many parties which facilitate and stimulate the system. The question is how we can effectively maintain that active community. And whether new insights have emerged as a result of the pandemic. We like the fact that there’s already so much activity; this will allow us to work together and strengthen each other. We’re happy to contribute to an even more impactful life sciences & health ecosystem in Rotterdam as the new owners.’
Would you like to know more about Kadans Science Partner’s vision, locations and network? Take a look at www.kadans.com.
Senior Ecosystem Manager Tom Straeter was a guest during the LSH010 breakfast in September 2021. A report and the recording of that edition can be found here.
Date: 15 March 2022