New food innovation park Ede in the heart of FoodValley positions the Netherlands as the European hotspot for protein innovation

Ede – The Netherlands, 18 September 2025 – Over the coming years, the NIZO site in Ede will be transformed into the food innovation park: a place where start-ups, scale-ups, corporates and knowledge institutions will work closely together on the future of sustainable proteins and the broader food transition. With high-quality, freely accessible facilities – including the unique food-grade pilot plant and the recently established Biotechnology Fermentation Factory (BFF) – the park is developing into the European hub for protein innovation and the upscaling of new, sustainable food ingredients.

From left to right: Fons de Zeeuw, Bert Fintelman, Helga Witjes, René Floris, Arnold Versteeg & Maud Hulshof.

These facilities are essential not only for researching new protein sources in the laboratory, but also for testing and developing them into safe and edible products. Proteins are indispensable in our diet; they are the building blocks for muscles, recovery and energy. Until now, proteins have mainly been sourced from meat and dairy, but this requires significant amounts of farmland, water and energy. That is why there is a growing need for new, more sustainable sources of protein, such as plants, algae and fermentation.

The food innovation park aligns well with other innovative agrifood locations in the region. Wageningen, with Wageningen University & Research, focuses on research and education. In addition, Wageningen Campus provides space for start-ups, scale-ups and innovation centres of SMEs, multinationals and NGOs. The park in Ede focuses on the next steps: testing, scaling up and preparing innovations for the market, in collaboration with industry. In this way, the two locations complement each other: Wageningen as a research and innovation hub, and Ede as the link to business and production. Together with the Food Innovation District near Ede railway station, these locations form a strong triangle where knowledge, research, entrepreneurship and market introduction reinforce each other, further positioning the FoodValley Region on the international map.

The initiators – NIZO, the Province of Gelderland, the Municipality of Ede, the FoodValley Region and Oost NL – are joining forces to create a leading and dynamic ecosystem. The food innovation park offers a unique combination of facilities, knowledge and collaboration that are essential for accelerating research, scaling up and production. In doing so, the park becomes an important link in the chain from knowledge to market introduction.

“We are building a place where ideas can flourish faster, where entrepreneurship thrives, and where innovations contribute to a future-proof food system,” said Bert Fintelman, politically responsible for the Protein Transition theme in the FoodValley Region.

An exploratory study has shown broad support for this ecosystem. The report of this independent study is presented on 17 September to Ms Helga Witjes, Provincial Executive member for Economy and Innovation in the Province of Gelderland, as well as to Arnold Versteeg (Alderman for Economy, Municipality of Ede), Maud Hulshof (Chair of the Economic Portfolio Holders’ Consultation, FoodValley Region), Bert Fintelman (politically responsible for the Protein Transition theme in FoodValley Region) and Fons de Zeeuw (International Director, Oost NL).

The next steps will focus on property development and the further expansion of the ecosystem with its own facility organisation. Consideration will also be given to spinning off the pilot plant as an independent entity, to ensure it remains widely accessible to companies and knowledge institutions.

“Our goal is clear: to become Europe’s leading ecosystem for scaling alternative proteins and driving the food transition,” said Nikolaas Vles, CEO of NIZO. “By combining world-class facilities with collaboration across start-ups, scale-ups, companies and research institutions, we can accelerate innovations to market and shape the future of food.”

Together, partners in Ede and the FoodValley Region are building a future in which sustainable proteins and innovative food solutions put not only the region, but also the Netherlands and Europe, firmly on the international stage. The food innovation park will thus become the center where ideas grow into impactful innovations that contribute to a healthy and sustainable food system.