Move Delta Academy and the Academy for Technology & Innovation to Middelburg step closer
On Thursday 20 April the Ministry of Economic Affairs has communicated that it has awarded the requested subsidy for the realisation of the Joint Research Centre in Middelburg. Being able to realise this Joint Research Centre is a condition for the further development of beta education on both higher professional and academic level, and of scientific and applied research in Zeeland. This will all come about in close cooperation of the knowledge institutes, trade and industry and governmental bodies. The subsidy award brings HZ a step closer to the move of the study programmes of the Delta Academy and the Academy for Technology and Innovation to Middelburg. The Zeeland parties that collaborate in the Campus Zeeland will now enter talks with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science about a further implementation of the plans. After that, it will be clear whether the move of the technical programmes to Middelburg can go ahead as planned.
Cooperation The move is in line with the goal to bring about a strengthening of technical higher education and research in Zeeland. Moving the technical programmes to Middelburg offers many chances in the fields of, among others, cooperation, internationalisation and the joint use of facilities, both between DA and AvTI, and with other parties. We will be able to set up the ‘Joint Research Centre’ efficiently and effectively together with, among others, the University College Roosevelt. Also, Scalda, secondary education, other institutes and trade and industry can make use of it. The new location offers all the possibilities to create learning environments that match with what is needed in modern technical education.
Centre of Expertise Water & Energy Thanks to this subsidy the Centre of Expertise Water & Energy can take shape. Water & Energy will become HZ’s fourth expertise centre next to the already existing Centres of Expertise in the fields of delta technology, biobased economy and leisure, tourism & hospitality. The Centre of Expertise Water & Energy is a collaboration of HZ and NHL Hogeschool. Also, the ROC Noorderpoort in Groningen and Scalda participate in it. The centre will set up a research programme involving water and energy, in which education, governmental bodies and businesses join forces to generate more knowledge in this field, and to train professionals to strengthen the Dutch economy in this area.
Planning In the next weeks, announcements on the further developments and definitive decision-making process will follow.