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. Companies are pivotal in achieving economic growth. They have a strong need for favourable preconditions, such as accessibility,personnel and education. In addition to Wageningen University, the region has two universities of applied sciences and four regional training centres (in Dutch: ROC’s). As a result, the region can respond to the needs of businesses for qualified personnel. Nevertheless, there are still discrepancies between the demand and supply of personnel for companies in the food, ICT and manufacturing sectors. The region is therefore working continuously on providing a better match between this demand and supply. Ede-Wageningen Partners from education, business and government have joined forces to support a unique project: the World Food Center. This centre offers an experience where visitors can become acquainted with the entire agri-food chain, gain insight into international challenges and try to come up with food innovations of their own. The WFC will be located adjacent to the new Ede-Wageningen train station – currently under development – which will become the main arrival point for the entire FoodValley region. The new station calls for a transformation that will enhance the international profile of the region. The international positioning of the region demands excellent accessibility. For business – and other sectors – high-speed connections with other parts of the country and within the region itself are crucial. Accessibility has a beneficial effect on the business climate, but is also important for attracting tourists. The eight municipalities and the provinces of Gelderland and Utrecht are working together on improving accessibility. To prioritise this issue, the regional municipalities have jointly created a mobility fund, to run for a minimum of 20 years, which will help finance at least five mobility projects in the FoodValley region. This concerns the following projects: 1. Construction of the Tidal Flow on the Rijnbrug near Rhenen 2. Improving traffic flow at the Hoevelaken motorway junction 3. Improving traffic flow at the A1/A30 motorway junction 4. Increasing the frequency of passenger trains on the Valleilijn 5. Preparing an indicative network plan for the region All these projects contribute to improving the accessibility of the region and will directly or indirectly benefit all participating municipalities. WEpods Innovation is inherent to the regional DNA. This is why the region wants to work on testing a new transportation concept: autonomous vehicles. Wageningen UR, ROC A12, the Province of Gelderland and the municipalities of Wageningen and Ede are jointly investing manpower and money to test the WEpods. The first tests will take place on the university campus, but later on the pods will be tested on the route between Ede and Wageningen. The WEpods will contribute to the hospitality for international visitors. With this autonomous vehicle and the infotainment system that is being developed for its interior, they will be offered a unique service. While traveling in the vehicles, passengers can acquire information about the route, the surroundings, the vehicle itself and nearby businesses and institutions. Entrepreneurs from the automotive and engineering sectors are pleased with the initiative. They understand that presenting the region as an innovative experimental setting also benefits sectors besides agri-food. Toyota Material Handling, Noldus, Green Dino and Qing are businesses in the region that can contribute to the success of the WEpods. The regional partners are confident that the new vehicles will not only be tested, but that they will also be used permanently on various routes throughout the region. FoodValley Region, Arnoud Leerling (+31 6 404 640 98) - [email protected] - www.regiofoodvalley.nl.