Newsletter February 2026

Dutch
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
Betweter Festival during Utrecht Science Week 2026: your idea for an experiment is welcome!

The Utrecht Science Week kicks off this year on Friday, 25 September. The Betweter Festival at Tivoli Vredenburg is the ever-popular highlight of the opening night. This year marks the tenth edition of the Betweter Festival. The art and science festival, where visitors immerse themselves in a unique mix of talks, music, film, interactive installations and live research, is inviting submissions of ideas for experiments to be presented during the festival.

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Register for the Running Symposium on March 19th

On Sunday, May 31st, Utrecht Science Park will once again be the setting for the Utrecht Marathon. Thousands of runners will line up at the starting line to achieve a fantastic feat: running a quarter, half, or full marathon! To help you prepare optimally, the Utrecht Science Park Foundation, in collaboration with partners Utrecht University, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, and Olympos Sports Centre, is organizing a running symposium where you’ll be informed and inspired to get the most out of your running performance.

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February 4 was World Cancer Day: how Utrecht Cancer’s approach leads to more efficient control

February 4th was World Cancer Day. Every year, the world reflects on the impact of cancer on patients and their loved ones. Utrecht Science Park is home to the largest and most multidisciplinary cancer research community in the Netherlands, the Utrecht Cancer collaborative platform. Collaboration to combat this disease is the key to success. Learn more about how we’re doing this at Utrecht Science Park in the article and video below.

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Prinses Máxima Centrum can expand with an innovation wing thanks to a partnership between the Foundation and Rabobank.

Prinses Máxima Centrum voor kinderoncologie will be able to begin work on expanding the centre later this year with the addition of a 5,000 m² innovation wing. This development is made possible by a multi-year strategic partnership between the Prinses Máxima Centrum Foundation and Rabobank. The new innovation wing will provide space for pioneering research, healthcare innovation and collaborative programmes. In doing so, the expansion will support the development of better and more effective treatments for children with cancer.

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Hogeschool Utrecht and the municipality will once again offer free eye examinations and children’s glasses in 2026.

Hogeschool Utrecht and the municipality of Utrecht are extending their collaboration, under which children from families with a U-pas receive a free eye examination and, if necessary, glasses. In the Netherlands, one in five children under the age of 18 needs glasses, amounting to around 634,000 children. Unfortunately, children’s glasses are usually not reimbursed and are unaffordable for many families. At the same time, practical experience and research show that providing free glasses for children not only promotes equal opportunities, but also generates social and financial returns in the long term.

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New Year’s promotion: Get discounted sports access at Sportcentrum Olympos.

Do you work at Universiteit Utrecht, Hogeschool Utrecht, UMC Utrecht or one of the other partner organisations? Take advantage in January and February of a 20% discount on the OlymPas at Sportcentrum Olympos, giving you unlimited access to a wide range of sports. Employees of UMC Utrecht will also receive a free one-month pass.

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Karin Gerritsen receives grant funding for kidney-on-a-chip research.

Nephrologist Karin Gerritsen from UMC Utrecht has been awarded a €1.8 million grant for the NanoKid project from NWO. In this research, she is developing an innovative kidney-on-a-chip: a miniature model that replicates the kidney’s key functions. The ultimate goal is to use this kidney-on-a-chip as a fundamental building block for a bioartificial kidney and to improve kidney replacement therapies.

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Relocating a Rainforest: Behind the Scenes at the Botanic Gardens
 

The Tropical greenhouses at the Utrecht University Botanic Gardens are among its most beloved attractions. But after decades of service, they are ready for retirement and the decision has been made to replace them. Replacing the Greenhouses is far more complex than tearing down glass and steel. It means temporarily relocating, and later returning, thousands of living plants. How do you even begin to move a rainforest?

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The 12th Ureka Mega Challenge kicks off on 2 February, with the finale taking place during Utrecht Science Week 2026.

How can UMC Utrecht continue delivering high-quality care in the future? This is only possible when valuable inventions, promising ideas, and innovative research actually make their way to patients and the workplace. The Ureka team supports colleagues in this through the Ureka Mega Challenge during Utrecht Science Week 2026.

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Registration is now open for the validation programs at UtrechtInc.

Have you ever wondered what it takes to turn research or an idea into a startup? UtrechtInc’s validation programs offer the first step, and registration is now open. UtrechtInc provides tailored programs that help bridge the gap between a promising idea and a scalable business. The programs offer structured support for validating the business model, hands-on experience, and guidance from industry experts.

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AI Lab voor de Publieke Diensten has been granted ICAI status.

The AI Lab for Public Services has joined the national ICAI network. This makes it even easier to collaborate with other AI labs working with government organisations.

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Nutrition to boost brain development in prematurely born children.

Prematurely born children are at higher risk of developmental delays. Can providing the right nutrition reduce this risk? Els Janson, a PhD candidate at the Wilhelmina Kinderziekenhuis, is researching how nutrients from breast milk can support brain development after preterm birth.

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More news

Improve your running skills and join the running training sessions at Olympos!

Researchers at the Hubrecht Instituut develop new technique that reveals key factors behind the influenza virus’ success

            
Agenda 

Continuous

WorkWalk

6 march

VS & PA Conference at the Wilhelmina Kinderziekenhuis and the Prinses Máxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie.

11 march

Join the second UU Iftar

11 march

Gala of health (HU)

19 march

Running Symposium 19 March 2026

24 march

Utrecht AI Event

25 - 26 mrch.

Innovation for Health & Global Investor Forum

26 march

Hubrecht Symposium 2026

2 may

Stichting Diergeneeskunde Outdoor Event (DOE)

10 may

Giro d’Utrecht

21 may

BCF Career Event NL

31 may

Utrecht Marathon

4 may

Utrecht Life Sciences Technology Event

19 -20 jun.

Camping Botanische Tuinen

27 - 28 june

HomeSport Events 2026

1 - 3 july

Education Research Days 2026 HU Utrecht University of Applied Sciences

6 - 24 jul.

UMCU/PMC Global & Planetary Health summer schools 2026

5 september

Plant lovers’ Market Botanic Gardens

25 sep - 4 oct.

Utrecht Science Week 2026

All events
                        
Utrecht Science Park Foundation
Heidelberglaan 11
3584 CS Utrecht
030 - 800 4499

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