Arup and Royal HaskoningDHV join Innovation Area Development Partnership
Innovation is becoming the lifeblood of a wide range of organisations, as new challenges, technologies and ways of working rise up, leaving in their wake an increasingly uncertain future. To provide a more holistic approach to the development of multifunctional innovation estates, whose development requirements can be complex, a consortium of firms, including Arup and Royal HaskoningDHV, have joined the newly established Innovation Area Development Partnership.
In a period of considerable uncertainty in the business arena, with rapidly developing technological potential, changing consumer sentiments and new, disruptive business models, being sufficiently innovative to keep up with the competition is increasingly important.
One model that has been developed to support companies in their innovation journeys is industrial, business and multifunctional estates: such as science parks, innovation districts and industrial campuses. These areas may include a range of different skills, academic engagement, workshops, laboratories and collaboration spaces, which provide a holistic background in which companies and organisations more broadly are induced towards the next, big, idea.
Developing multifunctional estates that are broadly functional and efficient at supporting the needs of companies is itself a relatively complex task. In a bid to provide a holistic approach to the development of the multifunctional estates of the future, the Innovation Area Development Partnership (IADP) was formed by founding partners Jacques van Dinteren (Zjak Consult) and Paul Jansen (Caudata) – both small consultancies based in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands-based IADP is backed by a consortium of organisations, including, outside of the founders, Arup, Kadans Real Estate, KCAP Architects&Planners, PT Finance, Royal HaskoningDHV and UNStudio. The organisations work together in a team with local development partners to create complete and fitting solutions. The firms will work together on issues from solid market research, original (real estate) concepts, appealing urbanism, strong park and campus management and financial solutions.
Commenting on Arup's motivation to join the IADP, Sander den Blanken, the firm's Group Leader in the Netherlands, says, "Developing innovation districts in agreement with the identity of a city isn't an easy job to many cities. Together with our partners we help aldermen, city councils and urban communities to tackle the multidisciplinary challenges with our unique holistic approach. Innovation is necessary in order to develop this type of demanding environments, as traditional solutions are not sufficient anymore. Our partnership offers an exquisite platform for innovation and co-creation."
