Meet the Hubs: Rotterdam Science Tower

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 new series, we go behind the scenes with the teams powering Rotterdam’s innovation hubs, explore the communities they’re building, and discover what makes the city such a strong base for Life Sciences & Health companies. We kick off with Rotterdam Science Tower by Kadans Science Partner.

Can you introduce yourself, Kadans Science Partner, and the Rotterdam Science Tower?

We are Teun Lebbink, Maxime Lems, and Saskia van Rijn, part of the team at the Rotterdam Science Tower and working for Kadans Science Partner. We are responsible for the commercial activities and for building a strong, collaborative community within the tower.

The Rotterdam Science Tower is a vibrant innovation hub where companies, researchers, and entrepreneurs come together to work on solutions in life sciences, health, technology, and more. It offers state-of-the-art facilities, flexible lab and office spaces, and an ecosystem designed to stimulate collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Kadans Science Partner specializes in developing and managing spaces for knowledge-intensive organizations. Kadans focuses on creating ecosystems around universities and research institutions, supporting innovation by connecting people, providing high-quality facilities, and fostering meaningful collaborations. What drives us is creating an environment where innovation can truly accelerate, by not only offering offices and lab spaces, but by actively connecting people and ideas.

What makes the Rotterdam Science Tower particularly attractive for Life Sciences & Health companies or startups?

The Rotterdam Science Tower is particularly attractive because of the combination of high-quality infrastructure and a strong, curated community. Companies have access to ready-to-use lab and office spaces that can scale with their growth, allowing startups and more established organizations to operate efficiently from day one.

In addition, being part of the Kadans network means access to a broader European ecosystem of science clusters, partners, and expertise. This opens doors to collaborations, talent, and potential investors.

Equally important is the active community within the tower. We focus on connecting tenants through events, shared facilities, and informal interactions, creating an environment where knowledge exchange and partnerships happen naturally. Combined with its strategic location in Rotterdam and proximity to leading academic and medical institutions, this makes it an ideal place for Life Sciences & Health companies to innovate and grow.

How does Rotterdam Science Tower support collaboration, innovation, and a sense of community?

At the Rotterdam Science Tower, we actively foster collaboration and community building on multiple levels. Internally, we organize monthly events that bring together tenants, from informal networking drinks to knowledge sessions, encouraging interaction and cross-pollination between companies.

We also collaborate closely with external partners to co-host and facilitate events within the tower. This allows us to bring in fresh perspectives, expand networks, and create valuable opportunities for our tenants to connect with industry experts, investors, and other stakeholders.

Beyond the building itself, we maintain strong ties with the surrounding innovation ecosystem, particularly within the Makers District Rotterdam (RDM/M4H area). By actively engaging with organizations and initiatives in this area, we ensure that our community is embedded in a broader, dynamic network of makers, researchers, and entrepreneurs.

By combining high-quality facilities, an engaged on-site community, and strong external connections, we create an environment where collaboration, innovation, and a true sense of community can thrive.

From left to right: Teun Lebbink, Saskia van Rijn and Maxime Lems.

How does being part of Kadans Science Tower and Rotterdam’s ecosystem help companies thrive?

Being part of the Rotterdam Science Tower means more than just having a physical workspace; it places companies within a dynamic and fast-growing innovation ecosystem.

Within the tower, companies benefit from direct access to a diverse community of startups, scale-ups, and established organizations in Life Sciences & Health. This proximity accelerates collaboration, shortens innovation cycles, and creates opportunities for partnerships that might not emerge elsewhere.

At the same time, Rotterdam offers a unique environment for growth. The city is known for its entrepreneurial mindset, strong links between industry and academia, and its focus on solving real-world challenges. A city of getting things done. Through our connections with local institutions, hospitals, and initiatives in areas such as the Makers District Rotterdam (RDM/M4H area), companies can tap into talent, research, and applied innovation.

As part of Kadans Science Partner, tenants are also connected to a broader European network of science clusters. This provides access to international partnerships, knowledge exchange, and soft-landing opportunities in other innovation hubs.

Together, this combination of a strong in-house community, a collaborative city ecosystem, and an international network enables companies to scale faster, innovate more effectively, and truly thrive.

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

One achievement we’re particularly proud of is our role in the city-wide Health&Tech collaboration initiated by Rotterdam Square, in which the Rotterdam Science Tower is one of four key hubs. Together with partners such as the Erasmus MC Incubator, CIC Rotterdam, and Little C, we are helping to build a connected network of innovation hubs across the city. This collaboration makes it significantly easier for Life Sciences & Health companies to establish themselves in Rotterdam and directly connect with research, industry, education, and talent.

What makes this especially impactful is that it goes beyond a single building; it creates a city-wide ecosystem where startups, scale-ups, and established companies can access flexible lab and office space across multiple locations, while benefiting from one integrated network.

For us, being part of this initiative reflects exactly what we aim to achieve with Kadans Science Partner: not just providing space, but actively contributing to an ecosystem that accelerates innovation and growth. It’s a great example of how collaboration at both the building and city level can truly strengthen the Life Sciences & Health sector.