VITO first tenant Community Building on Arenberg Science Park
All Flemish Strategic Research Centres now present on the science park
The new multifunctional building that will provide space for researchers and entrepreneurs on Arenberg Science Park has secured its first tenant. European research centre VITO will lease one of the ten available office floors in the new building, which will include not only office space but also event, catering and meeting facilities. The new building is being developed through a partnership between KU Leuven Research & Development, the Flemish investment company PMV, Flanders Make (the research centre for industrial innovation) and the City of Leuven. Construction started in spring 2025. By leasing space, VITO is expanding and strengthening its presence in Leuven. With VITO’s arrival, all Flemish Strategic Research Centres are now represented on the science park.
With the 14-storey ‘Community Building Arenberg’, not only will one of the last remaining sites on the campus be taken, but a gap will also be filled. Today, there are hardly any facilities on Arenberg Science Park for users of the various buildings. The new building – covering approximately 16,000 m² – will therefore offer a range of support services such as a restaurant, commercial services, co-working spaces and meeting rooms, as well as office space. In this way, it responds to the growing demand for infrastructure while creating a forum with meeting places that encourage strong interaction between researchers and entrepreneurs, potentially leading to greater innovation. The building is set to play an important role in building the community on the park.
A unique place for growth and collaboration
With VITO, the first tenant has been secured for one of the ten available floors. “As a European research centre with 1,400 employees, VITO translates scientific insights into technological innovations, AI solutions and policy advice. With VITO moving to Arenberg Science Park, the four Flemish Strategic Research Centres (SRCs) will, for the first time in Flanders, be physically united on one campus and linked to one of the most innovative universities in the world. Together, these research centres form the backbone of innovation and knowledge development in Flanders. This makes the park a unique and highly stimulating place for growth and collaboration. We are convinced that our presence at Arenberg Science Park will add value in many ways because our expertise is unique, but also complementary. In the current scientific, economic and geopolitical context, collaboration with other knowledge institutions is a crucial opportunity. VITO is already a partner in many strong projects and we work intensively together through an MoU within SIM2 KU Leuven. By being physically present on the science park, we not only have the opportunity to collaborate quickly and efficiently, enabling each partner to contribute its expertise, but it also allows us to attract interesting profiles and new talent,” says VITO CEO Inge Neven.
City of Leuven as an enthusiastic partner
“This is excellent news for Leuven,” says Lalynn Wadera, Alderman for Economy for the City of Leuven. “With VITO, all Flemish Strategic Research Centres are now present on one site—a first. Leuven was named European Capital of Innovation in 2020, and we continue to live up to that title with ambition by creating strong conditions for cross-fertilisation between researchers and entrepreneurs as a driver of innovation. The Community Building, with VITO as a tenant, will become the beating heart of the park. In this way, Leuven remains an attractive base for everyone who wants to build innovative answers to the challenges of tomorrow.”
Works under way
The new building is being developed through a partnership between KU Leuven Research & Development (LRD), the Flemish investment company PMV, Flanders Make (the research centre for industrial innovation) and the City of Leuven. Construction work started in spring 2025. If everything goes according to plan, the building will open its doors at the end of 2027. Site manager Jim Vranken is pleased with the first tenant. “VITO’s choice for Arenberg underlines the potential of the community building and is the perfect starting signal for what we want to achieve with the building. We are convinced that VITO’s presence will create an inspiring dynamic and will encourage other companies to become part of our stimulating environment. We are already in contact with several prospective tenants.”
Strong high-tech zone
Arenberg Science Park, together with the imec campus and KU Leuven’s Faculty of Engineering—and also with the nearby Gasthuisberg campus (the university hospital), the campus for biomedical sciences and VIB—forms a strong high-tech zone with international appeal. The park is unique in its kind due to the diversity of scientific expertise, which is a major asset for technology companies. They can further develop ideas and research results into concrete business projects there. The park has expanded significantly in recent years. This includes, among other things, five bio-incubators with offices and labs for companies developing medicines (a sixth is planned), an innovation centre for the manufacturing industry and a new research centre of the biopharmaceutical group UCB. The new Innovation Cradle is expected to be ready in the course of 2026: a building with 7,500 m² of office space for growing companies. In addition, a further business building and a new car park will also be developed on the park.
About VITO
As a science-to-technology partner, VITO supports companies, governments and society in their sustainability transition. VITO develops tangible technological innovations that help pave the way towards a regenerative economy, reinforce planetary boundaries (with electrification and circularity as key priorities), offer smart climate solutions for resilient and safe ecosystems, and work towards a healthy living environment for people. VITO has unique laboratory and data infrastructure and an extensive stakeholder network. Through positive transition thinking and in-depth techno-economic analyses, VITO delivers systemic solutions that not only work on paper but also in the complex reality of everyday life. VITO mobilises the power of science, technology, digitalisation and collaboration to valorise sustainable solutions worldwide, enabling us to combine wellbeing and prosperity.
About PMV
The Flemish investment company PMV helps shape the future of the Flemish economy. PMV finances promising companies from the earliest stages through to growth and international expansion. PMV offers tailor-made financial solutions to all entrepreneurs with a sound business plan and a strong management team, through equity, loans and guarantees. In addition, together with and for the government and other partners, it realises projects that are important for the prosperity and wellbeing of Flanders. PMV manages a portfolio of €1.8 billion. It also brings standardised financing instruments to the market, which include a support component.
About KU Leuven Research & Development
KU Leuven Research & Development (LRD) supports scientists who want to translate their research into impactful innovations. As the technology transfer office of the KU Leuven Association, LRD guides them in making their research results available to society, the economy and the living environment—among other things by stimulating knowledge-driven entrepreneurship and innovation, and by providing the necessary space: both figuratively, by setting up multidisciplinary structures in and around the university, and literally through the development of incubators and science parks in the Leuven region and beyond.
About the City of Leuven
Leuven and the Leuven Innovation Region form an internationally leading region for innovation in the fields of health, life sciences, hardware & production engineering, deep tech, digitalisation and creativity. We owe this to the presence of top-ranked knowledge and research institutions, surrounded by a growing ecosystem of start-ups and scale-ups. In this region, we innovate with a keen eye on long-term impact on people, society and the planet. It is no coincidence that Leuven received the prestigious title of ‘European Capital of Innovation’ in 2020.
About Flanders Make
Flanders Make is the research centre for industrial innovation. We bring together the knowledge and expertise of more than 1,000 researchers, active from the five Flemish universities—KU Leuven, University of Antwerp, Ghent University, Hasselt University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel—and our applied research division. We connect companies with our top researchers and other companies facing similar challenges, helping them innovate faster and more efficiently. We also provide advice and support to seamlessly integrate advanced technologies into their operations. In this way, we help build a resilient economy, sustainable growth and a strong position for Flanders as the heart of innovation in Europe.
The European Commission supports the Community Building Arenberg via the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Flemish subsidies were also obtained (FIO).
