Pilot ‘Olifantenpaadje’: faster route to Utrecht Science Park
During rush hour the cycle paths in the city centre heading towards Utrecht Science Park are very busy. From September, Utrecht municipality is testing a quieter route between Utrecht Central Station and Utrecht Science Park with the ‘Olifantenpaadje’ (desire line). The aim is to improve the distribution of cyclists and reduce crowds around popular routes.
The project is an initiative of two lecturers from the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, Floor Bouwmeister and Friso van Booij, who won the bicycle spreading challenge of platform U-Forward with their idea ‘Utrechtse Olifantenpaadjes’. Together with Utrecht municipality, they designed signs equipped with a real-time pressure meter and advise on a quieter route, designated as ‘elephant path’. This alternative path bypasses busy points such as Tivoli and directs cyclists via the Ledig Erf, for example, a route that is just as fast and more comfortable despite the extra kilometre during rush hour. Congestion is indicated by colours: green (quiet), orange (normal) and red (busy).
With the pilot, which runs until the end of November 2024, the municipality wants to investigate whether cyclists find the signs useful and are willing to choose an alternative route. The alternative routes offer fewer intersections and traffic lights and pass through greener parts of the city. In this way, the municipality hopes to better regulate bicycle flows in Utrecht.
24 organisations join forces for sustainable mobility in Utrecht East
Utrecht East took a step into a new phase of sustainable mobility. On 19 January 2026, 24 major organisations from the Utrecht Science Park and Kantorenpark Rijnsweerd signed a joint commitment to make travel more sustainable, encourage walking and cycling, increase the use of public transport, and structurally reduce peak-hour congestion.
Reflecting, looking ahead, and pub quizzing: well-attended New Year’s Café a great success
On Monday evening, January 19th, the Utrecht Science Park New Year’s Café was held. It was wonderful to see so many different partners represented. An interactive pub quiz with questions from various partners thoroughly tested the guests’ knowledge of Utrecht Science Park.
First human receives 3D-printed implant developed in veterinary medicine
Vijf jaar geleden werd een 3D-geprint titanium implantaat aangebracht bij de elleboog van een hond. Dankzij een samenwerking tussen de faculteit Diergeneeskunde van de Universiteit Utrecht en het 3D Lab van het UMC Utrecht kon toen een amputatie worden voorkomen. Afgelopen vrijdag is de eerste stap richting de humane geneeskunde gezet: in het Anna Ziekenhuis in Geldrop werd voor het eerst een 3D-geprinte titanium heupkom aangebracht bij een 36-jarige man met heupdysplasie.
Wennink plan: Life Sciences and biotechnology are important growth drivers for the earning capacity of the Netherlands
The Dutch Life Sciences and biotechnology sector can make a much larger contribution to the Netherlands’ economic strength. This is shown in a new growth strategy presented today as part of Peter Wennink’s advisory report. The report also highlights Utrecht Science Park as one of the key innovation locations and sources of progress and growth.