Meet the Hubs: CIC Rotterdam

At Rotterdam Square, our hubs are more than just spaces. They are vibrant communities where innovation, collaboration, and growth happen. Strategically located across the city, they offer tailored facilities, flexible workspaces, and direct access to the Life Sciences & Health ecosystem.

In this series, we go behind the scenes with the teams powering Rotterdam’s innovation hubs, explore the communities they are building, and discover what makes the city such a strong base for Life Sciences & Health companies. This time, we focus on the CIC Rotterdam.

Can you introduce CIC Rotterdam?

CIC is a global leader in building innovation communities. Located in the Groot Handelsgebouw, CIC Rotterdam hosts over 250 diverse companies across 12,000 square meters. Leveraging our global hubs (e.g. Cambridge, Boston, Tokyo, Berlin) and a strategic partnership with Rotterdam Square, we’ve developed a high-density cluster for Life Sciences & Health. We offer more than space; we are a central hub where health-tech startups and scale-ups find support and partners.

What makes CIC particularly attractive for Life Sciences & Health companies or startups?

Our proximity to Erasmus MC ensures a seamless flow between the clinical and entrepreneurial worlds. We provide flexible, ‘soft-landing’ infrastructure, handling operational complexity so companies can focus on their science. Being located right next to Rotterdam Central Station is a significant advantage for Life Sciences & Health (LSH) businesses. This provides quick access to train services and Schiphol Airport, which is only a 25-minute journey away. We also act as an international innovation bridge, linking Rotterdam’s health-tech startups to top life sciences clusters through our global network of centers.

How does CIC support collaboration, innovation, and a sense of community?

We believe proximity sparks growth. Our 12,000 m2 office is designed for daily, natural encounters, integrating you into a community of 250+ companies, rather than isolating you in a private space. Our team acts as connectors, hosting regular community events, including monthly meetups and specialized Life Sciences & Health sessions with Rotterdam Square, to link you with partners, investors, or experts. It’s a high-energy environment focused on giving you the connections needed to scale.

CIC Rotterdam, located at Groot Handelsgebouw

How does being part of CIC and Rotterdam’s ecosystem help companies thrive?

By joining us, you’re instantly plugged into the local healthcare network through Rotterdam Square and the city’s ecosystem. More importantly, we provide the flexibility you need to grow as your team expands, your space can scale with you. We handle the office complexity so you can focus entirely on your science and your business.

What’s one success story, achievement, or resource you’re most proud of?

Our collaboration with Rotterdam Square was crucial to the success story of Deep Breath, a company focused on revolutionizing Intensive Care (IC). Their tool has been instrumental in optimizing mechanical ventilation, thereby reducing patient ventilator time and accelerating recovery.

By CIC Rotterdam joining forces with Rotterdam Square, it establishes a vital, seamless pipeline: Rotterdam Square excels at identifying the most promising Life Sciences & Health (LSH) innovators, while CIC provides the essential environment and resources these groundbreaking companies need to flourish and expand their impact.