Bart-Jan Korteling is COO at Innocore Pharmaceuticals, a company based at the Healthy Ageing Campus in Groningen that develops long-acting medical injections. “Our mission is to make patients less dependent on daily pills and to guarantee stable medication delivery,” he explains. But his work goes beyond medication alone: it also revolves around collaboration with knowledge institutions and other companies.
The choice for the Healthy Ageing Campus was obvious. “We started out as a spin-off from a technology platform with knowledge about biodegradable polymers,” Bart-Jan explains. “With knowledge institutions and the UMCG nearby, we can quickly switch gears and collaborate with companies such as Polyvation and Symeres.” The proximity of expertise and young talent also plays a role in this: interns and graduates often take their first career steps at Innocore.
According to Bart-Jan, the campus functions as an innovative ecosystem. “It's a flywheel effect: companies, knowledge institutions, and students set each other in motion. Once there is movement, the wheel just keeps turning faster.” Bart-Jan considers the LIFE Cooperative, the northern partnership for companies in the life sciences, to be an important pillar in this regard. “This allows us to really learn from each other, for example about talent development and training or about regulations and quality.”
Bart-Jan also sees challenges on campus. “We strengthen each other, but we have to be careful not to get in each other's way. Retaining talent in the north is also difficult: many people eventually leave for other regions for their careers.” With around 35 employees and ambitious growth plans, Innocore sees the Healthy Ageing Campus as a place where innovation, knowledge, and talent come together. “There is a lot of potential in the north, but it doesn't happen by itself. You have to keep coordinating, pooling resources, and paying attention to where strengths reinforce or block each other.”
Who is developing the most impactful innovation in Life Sciences & Health in the Northern Netherlands? Five companies are in the running for the LIFE Science Innovation Award 2026: Flux Robotics, Limosa Immunodiagnostics, SPCTR, MimeCure and GlycanScan International. The nominees will present their innovations on Tuesday 22 September during the fifth edition of the LIFE Science Conference in Groningen. An independent jury will select the winner, who will receive a €10,000 cash prize.
A much-loved tradition The Campus Trail has become a much-loved tradition on campus. Students, employees and professionals from companies and organisations across the campus ecosystem lace up their running shoes for a sporty 6.4-kilometre route through buildings and past some of the campus’s unique labs. The rapid growth in registrations shows just how much the Campus Trail has become part of the campus community. The combination of sport, meeting others and the unique campus setting makes the run a great opportunity to connect with people outside the usual work and study environment. And there’s no need to head home as soon as you cross the finish line. During the after-party, hosted by Contini Catering, participants can relax together, enjoy a drink and celebrate the afternoon. There’s still time to join: those who want to take part can register online until 3 September, or sign up on the day itself using the PIN Campus Trail 2026 | Campus Groningen.
ZonMw is expected to open the final call for proposals within the PharmaNL Shared Development Infrastructure (SDI) program line. This program line focuses on strengthening the infrastructure for the development, upscaling, and production of innovative medicines in the Netherlands.
