a.s.r. real estate buys TNO’s new lab for building innovation on the TU Delft Campus
UTRECHT, 2020 – a.s.r. real estate, on behalf of the ASR Dutch Science Park Fund, has purchased a new building innovation laboratory for TNO on the TU Delft Campus. Developed by STONE22, this building will enable TNO to conduct innovative research using unique research setups focused on innovations in the construction industry. Locating this new laboratory on the TU Delft Campus will further optimize the cooperation and knowledge exchange between TNO and its partners.
The laboratory will be used for application-oriented and innovative research that focuses on energy, construction, and extending the lifespan of buildings. This research is conducted for clients in the residential and non-residential building and infrastructure sectors in both the Dutch and international markets. The new building, which replaces the current MEC building laboratory on Bakemastraat, will be located on the TU Delft Campus, allowing TNO to collaborate efficiently, creatively, and in a multidisciplinary fashion with all of its partners. This will enable an optimal use of available testing facilities and allow for the creation of unique research setups. Construction of the building, designed by GroupA of Rotterdam, is scheduled to begin in April 2020.
Luc Joosten, foundation director of the ASR Dutch Science Fund: ‘We are very enthusiastic about the cooperation among the parties involved in the development and realization of this laboratory which focuses on building innovation. Because we were involved from the very first initiative from TNO, we were able to recruit our own partners and shape the development according to the wishes of the user, TNO, and the Dutch Science Fund. The ASR Dutch Science Park Fund focuses on long-term investments, and we are therefore happy to include in our portfolio this unique building with TNO as a tenant’.
‘With the new facility, we want to be, together with TU Delft, a prominent and vibrant center where top-notch research takes place, and where the impact of our innovations are both felt and seen. We do research on innovative building concepts and positive energy buildings, which will be demonstrated in the construction of our new facility,” says Patrick Punte, Director of Operations at the Construction, Infra and Maritime Unit of TNO.
Nicoly Vermeulen, Vice President of Operations at TU Delft said, “The realization of this new laboratory is a direct result of the partnership we entered into with the ASR Dutch Science Park Fund in 2019. TNO and TU Delft have been working closely together for many years and the new lab will further strengthen the innovative ecosystem on the TU Delft Campus. In addition, the presence of TNO and the new research and testing facilities will contribute to the desirability of the TU Delft Campus as a business location.”
Paul Nijhout, partner at STONE22: “STONE22 is involved in development projects at Leiden BioScience Park, Amsterdam Science Park and Science Park Utrecht, among others. We are proud to add the development of this beautiful research building for TNO on the TU Delft Campus to this list. Our commitment is to create a sustainable, inspiring, healthy, and innovative work environment in conjunction with the users and other stakeholders.”
More about the ASR Dutch Science Park Fund
On March 1, 2019, a.s.r. real estate established the ASR Dutch Science Park Fund. The fund invests in commercially viable real estate in science parks, with a focus on the most prominent science parks in the Netherlands. In doing so, a.s.r. real estate actively contributes to the development of the Dutch knowledge sector. Investing in commercial real estate in the local ecosystem of science parks presents companies with the opportunity for closer proximity to new technology and knowledge. This fosters the production and application of knowledge for products and services that benefit society. The ASR Dutch Science Park Fund is a fourth sector fund of the real estate asset manager a.s.r., and focuses on institutional investors. As with retail, residential and office funds, ASR Nederland N.V. acts as the cornerstone investor.
More about TNO
The Netherlands Organization for applied acientific research, TNO (De Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek), is an independent research organization. We connect people and knowledge to create innovations that sustainably enhance the competitiveness of companies as well as the welfare of society.
That is our mission and that is what we, the more than 3,500 professionals of TNO, work for every day. We work, together with partners, on transitions in nine societal domains that we and our stakeholders have identified. For more information, visit www.tno.nl.
More about TU Delft Campus
TU Delft Campus is one of the leading locations for R&D in Europe. It is a next-generation innovation campus, a vibrant ecosystem, and above all an open community where radical and complex innovations are developed. Home to TU Delft, more than 250 national and international companies, as well as startups, research institutes and field labs, all driven by the same goal: impact for a better society.
More about STONE22
STONE22 develops, realizes, and manages sustainable, creative, and thoughtfully designed real-estate solutions with the emphasis on ‘solutions’. The result: an inspiring and efficient working and living environment with a timeless atmosphere.
