Europe’s largest impact campus one step closer with opening Titaan

On September 7, Titaan was officially opened by Rinke Zonneveld (CEO of Invest NL), Elisabeth Minnemann (Chairman of the Board of Governors of The Hague University of Applied Sciences), and Edward de Jager (Chairman of Unknown Group) in the presence of 1,000 invited guests from the Netherlands and abroad. Titaan, the former tobacco warehouse of The Hague’s Caballero factory, has been transformed into a 13,000 m2 innovation hub by the Municipality of The Hague and Unknown Group. This brings the ambition to make the Binckhaven the largest impact campus in Europe one step closer.

Titaan is a physical meeting place and clubhouse for impact-driven entrepreneurs whose innovative solutions make the world a little better. Titaan offers over 60 office spaces for fast-growing companies with 8 to 150 employees who currently cannot find space for their growth in the region. More than half of the building has already been filled with impact companies at the opening date. One example is Hygro, one of the first tenants in Titaan. Hygro is an energy company specialising in hydrogen systems. The company first started with two employees and grew from startup hub Apollo 14 in the Binckhaven to 17 employees. The move to Titaan allows them to grow further. Besides offices, Titaan also provides space for over 200 companies to test their innovative solutions. For example, Hygro will test the possibilities for a self-sufficient energy system in Titaan by producing hydrogen with the energy from 1,000 solar panels on Titaan’s roof.

Titaan’s basement provides space for manufacturing companies. One example is Skelex. This company makes lightweight mechanical exoskeletons for people who work a lot above their capacity, such as painters and plasterers. By locating in Titaan, Skelex combines its office and a place for its assembly in one location. Another example is the company KiCo, which will develop a 1,000-square-meter shared kitchen in Titaan to allow entrepreneurs with food innovations to develop, test, and demonstrate their new products.

Titaan is an incubator for talent development in the region. Unknown Group is opening its second location of the Unknown University of Applied Sciences in Titaan. This university houses over 150 students who start a company during their studies as well as obtaining a bachelor’s degree. Amsterdam-based Equals will also open its second location in The Hague. Equals Academy retrains women for technical jobs at renowned companies, thus promoting the influx of women into technical professions. The Hague University of Applied Sciences will run an innovative educational concept in Titaan. This form of education is practice-oriented and in collaboration with Titaan’s business community. The innovation hub thus provides an environment where talent and business come together.

Unknown Group started on Binckhorstlaan in 2008, less than 500 meters from their new location Titaan. It is a company with roots in The Hague, a love for the city, and a focus on impact. As a proud partner of ImpactCity and, since 2018, co-organiser of ImpactFest, Unknown Group is a sustainable partner for the municipality in developing The Hague’s innovation ecosystem. With the opening of Titaan, Unknown Group is taking a step towards its dream of working with partners to transform the Binckhaven into Europe’s largest impact campus. A place with appeal at home and abroad where solutions to the challenges of our time are being worked on on a large scale.