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European Innovation Council visits Wageningen Campus

Published on: September 12, 2024

On Tuesday, September 10th, Wageningen Campus proudly hosted the European Innovation Council (EIC) board. An inspiring campus trip concluded their working day at WUR. The delegation visited the Biobased Products Innovation Plant, a cutting-edge R&D facility focused on developing innovative processes to convert green raw materials (biomass) into biobased products. They also toured StartHub Wageningen and StartLife, the Wageningen-based accelerators that empower students, PhDs, recent graduates, startups, and spin-offs to scale their innovative ideas and ventures, ultimately driving social impact.

Additionally, One Planet opened its doors to the EIC delegation, offering inspiration through the latest developments in chip and digital technologies. The delegation met with successful Wageningen startups and EIC grant recipients, including NoPalm Ingredients, Scope BioSciences, and Plant-e.

Wageningen startups excel in food, agri-tech, and health sectors, achieving remarkable success in securing the prestigious EIC grants. Michiel Scheffer, Chair of the European Innovation Council, highlighted key factors contributing to this success: "As a former Provincial Executive of Gelderland, I’ve seen firsthand the strong connection with development agency Oost NL. Startups and spin-offs can receive up to half a million euros from Oost NL, helping them on their way to securing an EIC grant worth €2.5 million."

Scheffer also emphasized Wageningen’s niche in Agrifood as a strategic advantage. “Roughly half of all EIC grants have a medical focus, where competition is fierce. However, the main driver of Wageningen’s success is the ecosystem surrounding WUR. It extends far beyond Wageningen itself, with the WUR network spanning across the Netherlands. This positions Wageningen well to continue excelling in EIC grants for years to come.”