Discussing the innovation campus of the future at PROVADA

During PROVADA, MICS hosted a session centred around a key question: how do you develop an innovation campus for the high-tech manufacturing industry?

The session was opened by Jan Iedema, Alderman for Urban Development at the Municipality of Zoetermeer. Doekle Terpstra, Joost van der Veen and Niels Langenhuizen then shared their insights into the development of the Mechatronics Innovation Campus Schiedam (MICS), part of the wider SchieDistrict development.

From vision to implementation

The session focused on the development of MICS, from regional collaboration to the combination of real estate, programming and talent development. It is precisely this integrated approach that makes an innovation campus successful and future-proof.

Doekle Terpstra, governance lead for MICS on behalf of the Metropolitan Region Rotterdam The Hague (MRDH), highlighted the importance of this shared approach: “As a governance lead, I see MICS as a key opportunity to strengthen our region economically. We choose to make the needs of industry leading, and connect education, government and municipalities to that — so together we can build real impact.”

Building a strong ecosystem together

One clear takeaway from the session was the urgency for regional collaboration around themes such as mechatronics, robotics and lifelong learning. Not as isolated initiatives, but as a coherent ecosystem in which businesses, education and government reinforce one another.

The strong level of interest and engagement from the audience underlines how relevant and timely this topic is — both in South Holland and beyond.

The conversation continues

The conversation around MICS and regional innovation campuses does not stop at PROVADA. In the coming period, partners will continue working together on the development of a strong ecosystem for the high-tech manufacturing industry.