Life Sciences & Health is a very important sector for the Leiden regional economy. With a view to strengthening the economic structure, it is desirable that a new, additional sector is chosen. Vitality is therefore being considered for the economic agenda. Whether and how this should take shape is currently being investigated.
Project leadership: Hogeschool Leiden | Partners involved: Gemeente Voorschoten en Leiderdorp | External partners: InnovationQuarter, TNO, Leyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing, Zorg en Zekerheid, Health Holland
Expansion of Life, Science & Health
The park’s success is attributed to the consistent choices made for the theme bio sciences and the strict criteria which must be met by the businesses to be able to establish themselves in the park. The park has now grown so large that it is partly located within the Oegstgeest district. Further expansion towards Katwijk is also expected.
Life Sciences & Health is a very important sector for the Leiden region economy. With a view to strengthening the economic structure, selection of a new additional sector is desirable. Therefore as part of the economic agenda, vitality is being considered for the opportunities it can offer; for example, there is a collaboration with the Leyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing where research, education and development in vitality and aging is carried out. A vitality boulevard is already being created in Leiderdorp.
Economie071 is considering whether and how vitality should be given shape. This involves creating new business, attracting investors and allowing the creation of new jobs.
Discussions are being conducted with numerous stakeholders and interested parties, experts are being interviewed. In addition, developments made by partners are also being used, such as the creation of a centre for Big Data at the University of Leiden, the research focussed on vitality at the LUMC and the new forms of collaboration such as Generade at the Hogeschool Leiden. A number of insurance companies are also showing interest. Whether analysing large amounts of data such as that of human behaviour can be used for improving vitality and reducing the costs of healthcare and in time lowering the premiums is being investigated.
The expectation is that vitality can become an excellent addition to the Life Sciences & Health cluster and can put the Leiden region on the map just as Bio Science has done.
Project manager: Erik Baars, Hogeschool Leiden.