Foodvalley: Climate for Innovation
FoodValley: climate for innovation A small region with a big ambition, FoodValley is located in the geographic centre of the Netherlands, with Wageningen UR serving as its figurehead. Partners from government, business and education have joined forces with a clear goal: to boost innovation in the agri-food cluster. The region has an advantageous position owing to its high concentration of academic and research institutions. By making connections between various players, the region’s momentum has increased, leading to new projects and thriving businesses. The region consists of eight municipalities: Wageningen, Ede, Barneveld, Nijkerk, Renswoude, Scherpenzeel, Veenendaal and Rhenen, with a population of 330,000 people living in a green area adjacent to the Randstad. Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven are all located within one hour travel time. The direct intercity rail link with Schiphol airport offers high-speed travel for international businesspeople and visitors. Entrepreneurs The region has an excellent climate for entrepreneurs, with a strong work ethic. Many companies located here have an excellent international reputation. The NIZO food research institute in Ede has clients from all over the world. MARIN and MeteoGroup have greatly contributed to Wageningen’s climate of expertise. Located in Veenendaal, the food companies HatchTech, SanoRice, Jan Zandbergen and Docomar have a strong international portfolio. Veenendaal has also been chosen as a location by many ICT firms. Barneveld is the centre of a large industrialised poultry sector. Companies such as Moba, Jansen Poultry, BBS Food and Impex are part of an international network in this sector. Nijkerk distinguishes itself with a number of food production companies such as Struik, Bieze, Arla, Vreugdenhil, Denkavit and Festivaldi.
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