Groundbreaking ceremony for construction of new Demcon head office

Next step in realization of Demcon Campus

This morning, construction of Demcon’s new head office at Kennispark Twente in Enschede, the Netherlands, officially began. Dennis Schipper, CEO of Demcon, at the push of a button started up a drill rig that pushed the first pile into the ground. Due to the current corona measures, only Alderman June Nods of the municipality of Enschede and a few directly involved construction team members were present. This was a good moment for Dennis Schipper to observe: “From now on this new development will slowly become visible to everyone. It shows that we are really developing the Demcon Campus and therefore our future as well.”

The new Demcon head office will be constructed at Institutenweg 40-42 in Enschede, between the Demcon Innovation Center and the Demcon Technology Center. The former building at this location was demolished in mid-October 2021, after which Trebbe, the development and construction company, started up its preparatory activities. The opening of the building is expected in early 2023. The head office will provide space for a central Demcon reception desk, several meeting facilities, the holding’s staff and various other facilities.

Sustainable construction
The five-story building will be constructed in accordance with the highest sustainability standards (BREEAM Outstanding). This includes aspects such as the use of materials, waste processing and the building’s energy performance. Sustainability will be taken into consideration in numerous ways, both visible and hidden from view. For example, the roof will be fully covered with solar panels and the immediate surroundings will provide due consideration to green landscaping and nesting facilities.

Hein Trebbe Sr., managing director at Trebbe is happy with the construction of this sustainable building. “This is perfectly consistent with Trebbe’s ambition; making the Netherlands more beautiful by creating sustainable and healthy living and working environments. As the result of a pleasant partnership the preparatory work went smoothly. We are confident that we will be able to continue along this line during the construction phase. We are looking forward to it!”

Demcon Campus
Demcon has substantial growth ambitions for the coming years. By 2025, Demcon expects to have 1,000 employees in Enschede, double the current number. This also implies a considerable increase in floor space. With this new development, the company, which originated in the Twente region in the Province of Overijssel, has chosen to maintain its head office in Enschede and to stay in the Twente region. The new head office together with the Demcon Innovation Center (in the former Ericsson building) and the Demcon Technology Center, forms the core of the Demcon Campus in Enschede. The plans for the Demcon Campus occupy a large area with an attractive, green and, where possible, energy-neutral fit-up. The campus must provide all conceivable facilities for Demcon’s own growth plans, as well as those of starting and developing companies with similar ambitions. It will become a testing ground for high-quality technological innovations. Naturally we will seek out cooperation with existing companies at Kennispark [Knowledge Park].

Dennis Schipper: “We view the campus as a breeding ground for a lively high-tech community surrounding the Demcon group. It’s all about meeting and connecting spontaneously. We are able to show that things happen here. That tomorrow here already starts today. We aim to use our campus to enable technology, innovation and entrepreneurship to flourish.