The Hague gives your idea space

Facilitate experiment

Innovation and creativity thrive in an open environment where experimentation is encouraged and taking risks is the norm. To make the city attractive to startups and new talent, The Hague is investing in programs, events, and physical spaces that foster experimentation and collaboration among organisations, academic institutions, businesses, and creative professionals.

Various test environments in The Hague

Living Lab Scheveningen

Theme: Smart Technology

Living Lab Scheveningen is a testing and learning environment located along the Scheveningen boulevard, stretching from Zwarte Pad to Noordelijk Havenhoofd. Here, digital innovations are tested and studied through small-scale research projects, known as use cases. The focus is on practical applications that contribute to a smart and livable city.

In the Living Lab Scheveningen, various themes—such as waste, energy, (social) safety, and (noise) pollution—have been identified in collaboration with residents, government agencies, and businesses to address current urban issues. This collaboration forms the basis for testing new ideas and technologies.

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Living Lab Binckhaven

Theme: Climate-resilient environment

In an increasingly densely populated city, where the effects of climate change are already being felt, a green, smart, and climate-resilient design of outdoor spaces is essential.

Living Lab Binckhaven is the place where innovative solutions and technologies for these challenges are tested in real-world conditions. Vocational and higher vocational students—the talent of tomorrow—actively participate in designing, testing, and improving innovative concepts. If these experiments succeed, they will be scaled up to the city and region through a broad network of the municipality, educational institutions, and the business community. In this way, we contribute together to a future-proof, sustainable, and climate-adaptive The Hague.

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Maritime Testing Ground (Proeftuin op de Noordzee)

Theme: Innovation in realistic offshore circumstances

Off the coast of The Hague lies a unique testing area where innovation is directly exposed to the power of the North Sea. The Maritime Testing Ground is a dynamic testing ground measuring 10 by 10 nautical miles, designed for short-term experiments that require real offshore conditions.

Here, entrepreneurs, researchers, and maritime specialists test new applications for energy, ecology, food, safety, and sports. The proximity to the Port of Scheveningen enables quick switching between design, implementation, and evaluation. The testing ground thus plays a crucial role in strengthening The Hague’s position within the growing blue economy.

Thanks to the realistic conditions, the accessible testing area, and the strong connection to the innovation ecosystem in the port, the Maritime Testing Ground serves as a springboard for companies seeking to validate their technologies before scaling up at sea. In this way, we are working together to build a safe, sustainable, and future-proof North Sea.

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Offshore Test Site

Theme: Sustainable demonstration and scaling up of offshore innovations

The Offshore Test Site (OTS) is located, as the name suggests, at sea, approximately 12 kilometres off the coast of Scheveningen. The area covers no less than six square kilometres, making it one of the largest test sites in Europe. The OTS provides space for long-term demonstrations of innovations that are ready to move from prototype to large-scale application.

The OTS is managed by the European Seaweed Association (formerly North Sea Farmers), which oversees daily operations, safety, and compliance with existing permits. Innovations in the fields of food (such as seaweed cultivation), ecology (such as artificial reefs), energy (such as floating solar and wave energy), and monitoring techniques are tested here under realistic conditions.

Thanks to the existing permit structure, the proximity to the Port of Scheveningen, and the expertise of the managing organisation, innovations can be rolled out quickly and validated efficiently. As such, the OTS represents an essential step in scaling up technologies that contribute to a sustainable and robust blue economy.

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Fieldlab Campus@Sea

Theme: Learning, working, and innovating together for a sustainable, multi-purpose use of the North Sea

Located in the heart of Scheveningen Harbour is the innovative field lab Campus@Sea, where entrepreneurs, researchers, educational institutions, and government agencies collaborate on smart and sustainable solutions for in and on the North Sea.

Campus@Sea fosters innovation across five domains: renewable energy, seafood, nature conservation, safety and security at sea, and water sports. The field lab provides space for experiments both on land and at sea, organises challenge weeks, facilitates test projects at the Maritime Testing Ground, and supports companies looking to scale up to the Offshore Test Site.

Students, startups, and established companies come together here to develop, demonstrate, and validate new technologies. Campus@Sea thus serves as the beating heart of The Hague’s offshore innovation ecosystem and accelerates the development of solutions that contribute to a safe, sustainable, and future-proof North Sea.

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