ASR Dutch Science Park Fund adds new Van Marken Food Innovation Center of dsm-firmenich to its portfolio

Today, the new Van Marken Food Innovation Center of dsm-firmenich was officially opened. The center will house the headquarters of dsm-firmenich’s Taste, Texture & Health business unit, as well as an ultra-modern co-creation kitchen, multiple tasting facilities, and cutting-edge application labs for the dairy, bakery, and brewery industries. Located on the Biotech Campus Delft, the building will meet the highest sustainability standards of BREEAM and WELL, and will be certified with BREEAM Outstanding and WELL Platinum. The addition of the building to the ASR Dutch Science Park Fund portfolio marks an important step in the collaboration with dsm-firmenich to further develop the Biotech Campus Delft.

dsm-firmenich is the leading innovator in nutrition, health and beauty, and long-term tenant of the building, which has been named the Van Marken Food Innovation Center. The new sustainable building, approximately 10,000 m² in size, features modern open office spaces and advanced facilities, including a fully equipped cooking studio, tasting room, cheese-making area, bakery, and brewery, all designed to support the development of innovative, healthy and sustainable food applications.

Martin Kraaij, Fund Director of ASR Dutch Science Park Fund: “The fund invests in real estate that meets the housing needs of companies located on science parks. In doing so, the fund facilitates technological development and innovation and has a positive impact on the Dutch knowledge sector. The Van Marken Food Innovation Center is a great example of this. Here, work is being done on innovative food applications, such as reducing sugar and salt in products and developing sustainable, plantbased alternatives for meat, fish and dairy.’

Highest sustainability standards
The Van Marken Food Innovation Center is a workplace where dsm-firmenich employees can meet and collaborate in a healthy office environment, featuring team and creative spaces as well as flexible workstations. The building’s positive impact on the health and well-being of its occupants will be confirmed by its WELL Platinum certification. In addition, the building is energy-efficient, featuring solar panels not only on the roof but also integrated into the façades, and will meet the highest sustainability standard of BREEAM with an Outstanding certification.

Europe’s leading open innovation campus
The activities of dsm-firmenich are a key component of the rapidly growing biosciences ecosystem at the Biotech Campus Delft. The campus is the leading open innovation campus in Europe focused on food and biotechnology. It supports the entire innovation cycle – from research to pilot to production – and hosts a diverse range of companies: start-ups, scale-ups, established businesses, and knowledge institutions. As such, the campus is a vibrant hotspot for biotech products and services aimed at a circular, bio-based economy.

The acquisition of the Van Marken Food Innovation Center is part of the previously agreed collaboration between the ASR Dutch Science Park Fund and dsm-firmenich to further develop the Biotech Campus Delft.

ASR Dutch Science Park Fund
The ASR Dutch Science Park Fund focuses on commercially operated real estate on science parks in the Netherlands. This enables companies to be physically closer to new technologies and knowledge, fostering collaboration between businesses, universities, and research institutions. This results in the development of new knowledge, products, and services that benefit society as a whole. The fund is aimed at institutional investors, with ASR Nederland N.V. as its anchor investor.