A single strong brand for innovation and collaboration in the Arnhem-Nijmegen region
On Wednesday 4 June, the official launch took place for Lifeport Regio Arnhem Nijmegen – the brand for the region where innovation, talent and collaboration take centre stage. Under this name, entrepreneurs, public authorities, and educational and research institutions are joining forces to work together on groundbreaking solutions to the major challenges of today and tomorrow.
Lifeport Arnhem Nijmegen Region: one face, one powerful story
Lifeport is the name under which 800,000 residents, 50,000 businesses, 17 local authorities and more than 60,000 students are working together to shape the future. Lifeport Arnhem Nijmegen Region highlights what has characterised the region for years: leading-edge innovation in the fields of Energy, Health and High Tech. The energy transition, an ageing population, climate issues and pressure on the healthcare system are just a few of the challenges we face today. These are too big to be tackled individually and in isolation (by government, businesses, research institutes or educational institutions). Together, we are stronger. Only together can we lead the way.
Lifeport presents the region with a single, recognisable face to The Hague, Brussels and Europe.
It highlights what sets us apart: leading-edge innovation, a strong international position and a unique focus on the people behind the technology. Because Lifeport’s strength lies not only in technology or infrastructure, but in people who connect, innovate and collaborate – for broad prosperity and well-being. And through Lifeport, we show the Netherlands, Europe and the world why the Arnhem-Nijmegen region is the place where history and the future reinforce one another.
“Lifeport Arnhem-Nijmegen Region is the joint brand that gives the region a single, recognisable face towards The Hague and Brussels. Only if we are united and visible will we be heard, seen and taken seriously at the decision-making tables where it really counts.” said Ahmed Marcouch, chair of The Economic Board Arnhem-Nijmegen Region.
Cooperation and talent central at festive launch Lifeport
The launch took place at HAN University of Applied Sciences in Arnhem, in the presence of students, entrepreneurs, researchers and policymakers. The programme highlighted the power of collaboration and innovation through two interactive panel discussions and inspiring student pitches:
- Student projects from the HAN, ROC Nijmegen and Van Hall Larenstein, among others, showed the innovative spirit of young talent, including a social care robot and a smart bicycle rack for urban mobility.
- Panel discussions with representatives from Alliander, Connectr, NXP, ROC-Nijmegen, Green Metropolitan Region and Nyenrode Business University, among others, highlighted the importance of branding, cooperation and talent retention for the region's innovative strength.
“Trust is the foundation of any sustainable success. Only if the education sector, government and entrepreneurs work together can we build a strong regional brand that drives innovation, attracts talent and showcases the unique strength of our region – including on the international stage,” said Emiel Kuijpers, brand builder at Brainport Eindhoven and a speaker at the launch.
A special moment came when students, together with leaders from educational and research institutions, entrepreneurs and Ahmed Marcouch, Mayor of Arnhem and Chair of The Economic Board, symbolically pressed the button to launch the new Lifeport website. Lifeport Regio Arnhem Nijmegen is now also the leading digital platform for collaboration, knowledge-sharing and innovation in the region.
Lifeport learning & innovation
A key pillar of Lifeport is the collaboration between eight leading knowledge and educational institutions under the name Lifeport Arnhem-Nijmegen Region. By joining forces in the fields of education and knowledge development, they actively contribute to positioning the region as a leading centre for vitality, health and sustainability – as well as attracting, training and retaining talent. When education, business and government work together, a powerful ecosystem is created. Education is better aligned with the region’s needs, knowledge is shared more quickly and innovations are realised faster. The collaboration strengthens ties, attracts talent and makes the region more attractive to investors. In this way, Lifeport becomes the driving force behind innovation and talent development, promoting broad prosperity in the region.
