More than 700 participants laced up their running shoes on Friday 11 September for the seventh edition of the Campus Trail. This set a new participation record for the annual fun run across Zernike Campus Groningen. Employees of companies and knowledge institutions, students and other members of the campus community completed the approximately 6.4-kilometre course together. The official opening remarks were given by Hans van der Aa, Chief Technology & Operations Officer at PolyVation, who is once again taking part in the Trail this year together with many of his colleagues.
The Campus Trail is about more than just a sporting challenge. Participants experienced the campus from a completely different perspective than during a regular working or study day. The route took them through and past buildings and locations including those of Hanze and the University of Groningen, ACLO, Van OlstBorg and Van DoorenVeste, as well as Start-up City and Royal Avebe’s Innovation Center, before finishing at Plus Ultra. Music and activities along the route added to the atmosphere.
“Plus Ultra is the centre of the campus today,” says Jasper Schipper, Commercial Manager at Kadans Science Partner and landlord of Plus Ultra Groningen. “As the start and finish venue, we are happy to provide space for an event that brings so many people together. The energy you can feel here today is exactly what makes this campus so special.”
From sporting challenge to campus tradition
In seven years, the Campus Trail has become a regular feature on the campus calendar. This year, no fewer than 30 company teams took part, alongside individual participants. Colleagues from organisations including ACLO, Royal Avebe, the University of Groningen, DNV, Hanze, Lode Holding, MemoryLab, PolyVation, UMCG and Enablemi ran the course together and discovered places where people normally work, study and innovate.
“We work with smart polymers every day at PolyVation, but today it is all about smart kilometres,” says Hans van der Aa. “We are happy to take part in the Campus Trail every year, and of course we joined again this year with several teams, in our 30th anniversary year. It is great to see that on this campus, people not only innovate together, but also get active together.”
After crossing the finish line, participants could unwind at Plus Ultra with drinks and an Italian sharing platter from Contini Zernike, rounding off the afternoon together.
The Campus Trail is an initiative of Campus Groningen in collaboration with Hanze, the University of Groningen, Bedrijvenvereniging WEST, ACLO, Lode Holding, the Sports Centre, Entrance and the Municipality of Groningen. The event is organised by Paul van Put Events.
The large-scale Lifelines population study is inviting new participants for the first time in twenty years. The study is seeking around 16,000 relatives of existing participants. This expansion has been made possible by a grant from the National Programma Groningen (NPG).
The 2026 Kavli Prize was awarded last week. Alongside the Nobel Prize, the Kavli Prize is regarded as one of the highest honours in science and is awarded every two years by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
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.
