The multi-tenant, multi-function Matrix ONE building recently opened its doors. A new jewel in Amsterdam Science Park’s crown. This architectural masterpiece is home to SustainaLab and to researchers and businesses with a focus on sustainability and AI technology. Matrix ONE will accelerate the search for solutions by facilitating knowledge-sharing and collaboration.
Encouraging interaction at every opportunity is a key element of Matrix ONE, and why the new building is so valuable to science-based organisations. Helping researchers and businesses find each other is key. Experts across the park are working on a huge range of sustainability issues. Because entrepreneurs and those developing new technologies are in close proximity, products and services emerge with real commercial value, as well as the ability to transform society.
Cristina Plat , FUL® “Matrix ONE offers the right combination of location, facilities and ecosystem. The collaboration is very, very interesting and so far has proven quite useful. ”
Ivo Sweep, managing director of the Matrix Innovation Centers at Amsterdam Science Park explains that its offer to the business community is one of a kind. “We are an innovation facilitator. So we are creating all the circumstances for our tenants to carry out their business activities and have as much interaction as possible.”
Collaboration is built in. Companies can network with other firms working towards similar goals, as tenants are selected based on their suitability. The Matrix ONE building has plenty of meeting spaces for hosting knowledge sessions, and flex workspaces are also available. For informal opportunities to start conversations that could lead to business breakthroughs, there are the ‘social stairs’, a sweeping, rambling staircase at the front of the building that encourages new ways of connecting and working together – as do Amsterdam Science Park’s green and leafy grounds.
Matrix ONE’s focus is sustainability and at its heart is SustainaLab. This joint project of the University of Amsterdam, Matrix and the Science and Business organisation is a scientific co-creation hub for research, entrepreneurship and education in the field of sustainability. SustainaLab works towards globally recognised sustainable development goals to give our planet a cleaner and healthier future. It facilitates knowledge-sharing between innovative researchers, talented students and progressive industries by connecting the right people with the right opportunities. SustainaLab also plans to introduce an incubator facility that will nurture green and sustainable startups. R&D companies, government departments, NGOs and startups will be able to access talent and get involved in hackathons and other innovation assignments.
Matrix ONE is proving to be an attractive home to companies and organisations from a wide range of sectors. One of them is food tech startup FUL®, which manufactures products based on the Spirulina algae. Cristina Plat, one of FUL’s three founders, says that Matrix ONE offered the right combination of location, facilities and ecosystem. “As a foodtech company, we need access to lab equipment and lab facilities. We also need an office, and there are not many places that can offer both things in the same space, in the heart of Amsterdam. This was also key because we receive a lot of international visitors and being located close to the airport and to the capital was important.”
Amsterdam Science Park is also a good midpoint location for current and future employees, who are mostly graduates of either TU Delft or Wageningen University, Plat says. But Matrix ONE offers even more than just convenience when it comes to facilities and location: “The most important thing for us was the sustainability. Being in a space that is as green as it can be in terms of construction materials and energy efficiency. We are not only a foodtech company, but we also consider ourselves a climate tech company. So this was of ultimate importance.”
The chance to tap into the powerful Amsterdam Science Park ecosystem is also an attractive prospect for a startup looking to expand and thrive says Plat. “There are companies, not only in food tech, but all types of biotech, clean energy, you name it. Having the synergies and the different points of view from different companies is very interesting for us.”
Encouraging knowledge sharing and collaboration is a key goal for Matrix ONE and, according to Plat, that ambition is being met: “Even in our first month we saw that we are well supported. Other companies are willing to share material, to share knowledge. There are companies that have been at Amsterdam Science Park for several years and have now moved into the new building, and they know exactly how things work. The collaboration is very, very interesting and so far has proven quite useful.”
Interested in renting a location in the dynamic environment of Matrix ONE? A limited number of spaces are still available for organisations working towards a sustainable future. Contact the park’s science and business team to find out how to become part of this hub of innovation.
Looking for partners to collaborate. Or looking for a certain expertise? Or would you like to locate your business in the Amsterdam Science Park? Drop us a line and we help you to find a perfect match.
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