During the Campus Dinner on Monday, 8 December, the Campus Community Fund (CCF) celebrated its five-year anniversary, a period in which investments across the Campus Groningen ecosystem have exceeded expectations. With a total of €550 million invested in companies, facilities, and infrastructure, a solid foundation has been laid for further growth. Looking ahead, the CCF is entering a new phase over the next five years: one that broadens its focus to campuses across the region and strengthens a robust, accessible financing landscape, with an ambitious target of €750 million.
The CCF was established in 2020 by Campus Groningen, the Northern Netherlands Development Company (NV NOM), University of Groningen (RUG), Hanze University of Applied Sciences, UMCG, and Rabobank, with the aim of enabling around €500 million in investments by the end of 2025.
“That ambition has been more than achieved,” says Hans Biemans, Chair of the CCF and Vice-Chair of the Executive Board at RUG. “Ideas only become reality when the right financing is available. And our collaboration has delivered. Over five years, €550 million has been invested in Northern Netherlands: €140 million in real estate and infrastructure, €150 million in R&D facilities and services, and €260 million in companies and entrepreneurship. Examples include BioBTX, QDI Systems, and SusPhos.”
Biemans continues: “Take Future Tech Ventures, our joint early-stage fund. In 2025 alone, multiple companies received funding, six of which immediately established themselves on Campus Groningen. This speaks volumes about the strength and accessibility of the campus ecosystem.”
Through these investments, campuses are increasingly contributing to innovation, entrepreneurship, and societal solutions. The CCF plays a key role as a financing engine, connecting initiatives with suitable financiers—from early ideas to scaling up.
In the next five years, the CCF will focus on expansion and acceleration. While its efforts have so far concentrated on the growth of Campus Groningen, the scope will now extend to other campuses in the region.
Ludo Mennes, Director of Cooperative Banking at Rabobank and CCF board member, explains: “The region plays a key role in developing solutions for the major challenges of the future, from health and energy to digitalization and the green economy. A strong, well-organized financing landscape is essential. Through the CCF, we aim to support even more projects and companies in finding the right mix of financing, ranging from venture capital and bank loans to European, national, and regional public funding.”
To realize its ambitions for the coming years, the Campus Community Fund is actively seeking partnerships with new stakeholders, such as SNN, InvestNL, and venture capital firms. This will help more promising initiatives access appropriate financing and further strengthen the economic position of Northern Netherlands.
The Campus Community Fund is a joint initiative of Campus Groningen, NV NOM, University of Groningen, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, UMCG, and Rabobank. As a financing engine, it supports the growth of campuses in Northern Netherlands by bringing together initiatives, projects, and financiers. Its mission: to accelerate innovation, stimulate entrepreneurship, and contribute to a strong, future-proof regional economy. In its first five years (2021–2025), over €550 million in investments has been made. For the next period (2026–2030), the goal is to invest €750 million in the Northern Netherlands economy across all regional campuses.
Pitches during the Campus Dinner
Photo's: Casper Maas
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