Our expertise

In our opinion, an innovation area is a collective name for science and technology parks, industrial innovation areas and innovation districts. These may be located in a so-called innovative region that is usually characterised by one or more innovation areas.

Managing and (re)developing these kinds of real estate, and areas is much more complicated than developing standard work environments, like industrial estates or office districts. This has to do with the fact that, although real estate is a key facilitator, socio-economic aspects and solid, durable management are crucial in the daily functioning of the area. Indeed, innovation depends heavily on the relationships between companies and institutions, and between the people who work in innovation areas on a daily basis. The management of innovation areas has a central role to play in creating the right conditions for innovation networks in the area itself and with companies and institutions in the wider environment. The management plays also a key role in a well-functioning community of employees.

Above all, working on innovation and creating new products and services requires an attractive and inspiring environment in and outside buildings. The landscape of the area and design of the buildings, as well as their urban configuration, play an important role in creating the right conditions for companies, institutions and their staff to work optimal on solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow.

To successfully design, develop, finance and manage creativity, and stimulate work environments, attention has to be paid to four dimensions, demonstrated in the scheme below. A comprehensive approach and solid management are essential preconditions. Partners of IADP exchange valuable information on these topics and initiate studies to relevant research topics. By doing this in an interdisciplinary way, we shed light on the various facets and relate them to each other. This results in mutual generated knowledge that is used in our daily consulting practice and the management of innovation areas.

The expertise of our partners is also available to external parties: the broader real estate sector, companies, knowledge institutions and governments. Our partners have already carried out numerous projects for these clients, alone or in cooperation with other partners (see projects). A choice for IADP and our mutual expertise means cooperating with world-class experts in this field. We have done it before, know what we are talking about and look forward to contribute to your unique challenge. With our decades of experience, we have learned that a thorough, balanced and successful approach asks for a non-linear, iterative way of working by rearranging and fusing the diverse expertise of our partners.

The Innovation Area Development Partnership is an initiative of two founding partners em. prof. dr. Jacques van Dinteren and Paul Jansen MSc.