One of Europe's most competitive regions
According to the European Commission, Utrecht Region is once again one of the most competitive regions in Europe. The Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI) ranks Utrecht in a joint second place, together with London. Stockholm is ranked in first place. Issued every three years, the index rates the competitiveness of 268 European regions on the basis of more than 70 indicators. These indicators relate to factors such as innovation, accessibility, digital infrastructure, education, health and the job market.
Why Utrecht Region
Utrecht Region inspires and connects people. It gives its residents and businesses space to grow. We are defined by a rare mix of accessible scale and global capacity, of history and innovation. Ample green space brings the region to life. And it’s always easy to collaborate with talented and creative minds.
Utrecht Region: hotspot for healthy urban living
Discover our innovative projects
Mapping air quality while cycling
The Sniffer Bike is a portable sensor for measuring cycling routes, air quality and road surface quality. With the sensors you get access to an extensive dashboard that shows a detailed overview of the logged bicycle routes. The data from the sensors can be used for extensive analyses to determine fast cycling route, air pollution and urban heat island effect policies.
Green roofs on bus stops
The city of Utrecht has completed the wide-scale installation of green roofs on its bus stops. Green roofs capture particulates, store rainwater, provide cooling when it's hot and promote urban biodiversity. All of these are beneficial for insects like bees, bumblebees and butterflies.
SCOREwater
By joining project SCOREwater Amersfoort aims to increase insight in the effectiveness of climate-adaptive measures by deploying a sensor-network, developed in co-creation with citizens. This input will be complemented by digital models, used to assess whether the city is and remains to be climate-resilient. SCOREwater is one of the projects in the program ‘Amersfoort Smart City’, in which we assess whether the use of data and technology can help us to do our work more effectively and efficiently.
Durable energy and mobility ecosystem
We Drive Solar developed a system that deploys shared electric Renault ZOE cars and charging stations, enabling the Renault ZOE to both charge and discharge. This innovation makes the shared car a battery on wheels which can store solar energy and later return it to the electricity grid. This enables a more efficient use of sustainable solar and wind energy. The city of Utrecht is the first Dutch municipality to choose to implement the new energy and mobility system on a large scale. At least 145 bidirectional charging points will be installed in the city.
News
Office of NEP in Hilversum, the Netherlands
© NFIA / NEPNEP Group’s location at Hilversum Media Park is the company’s new Innovation Hub
US-based NEP Group has designated its Media Park location in Hilversum, the Netherlands as one of its three innovation hubs worldwide.
NanoCell Therapeutics Has Found its Base for Gene Therapy Research in Utrecht, the Netherlands
Biotech company NanoCell Therapeutics has officially established Dutch operations in Utrecht, the heart of the Netherlands, to further develop its biological entity-based gene therapy platform.
Ginkgo Bioworks acquires Utrecht-based Dutch DNA Biotech
With this acquisition, Ginkgo will integrate Dutch DNA’s team, assets, and operations into the broader Ginkgo platform for cell programming, and will, for the first time, expand Ginkgo operations internationally.