- The expansion marks a significant milestone in the long standing partnership between CIC and Jamestown, and their efforts to build additional innovation hubs in multiple cities worldwide
- Construction of the new space will begin in November with a planned opening in spring 2025
- Expansion seeks to support the startup community, including those focused on climate tech, AI, logistics, life sciences and other growing industries
CIC, a global leader in building and operating innovation campuses, is expanding its workspace in the historic Groot Handelsgebouw in Rotterdam. CIC has signed a long-term agreement for an additional 1,136 SqM from Jamestown, a global real estate investment and management firm, which will see its Rotterdam innovation campus expand to 11,710 SqM.
CIC and Jamestown, the owner of Groot Handelsgebouw, have partnered since 2019, offering a platform for start-ups and fostering a network of international collaboration from Rotterdam. With the additional space in Groot Handelsgebouw, CIC will be able to expand its shared workspace to meet demand from Rotterdam’s rapidly growing start-up community. Examples of current members of CIC Rotterdam include green tech engineering firm TransitionHero, green hydrogen producers SwitcH2, and green energy transition company ROCC.
“Rotterdam plays a key role in the global innovation landscape, from cleantech to logistics and life sciences, positioning it as a gateway to the rest of Europe,” said Joyce Kornet-Vreugdenhil, General Manager, CIC Rotterdam. “The city’s vibrant start-up community, talented workforce and international outlook make it an exciting place to work. We look forward to expanding our local community with the city of Rotterdam, and growing our global network together with Jamestown.”
CIC Rotterdam opened its doors in 2016 as the first international location of the US-based innovation-focused shared workspace provider together with the city of Rotterdam. Today, it offers a fully serviced work environment to more than 250 tech, life science and cleantech entrepreneurs at its Groot Handelsgebouw campus. As part of its commitment to creating an environment that enables innovation, CIC Rotterdam provides bespoke programming and events for the community, including a startup visa program, international soft landing program for companies looking to expand internationally, and much more. These efforts have already led CIC Rotterdam to be named one of the “Leading European Startup Hubs” by the Financial Times in 2024.
Since it was established in 1999, CIC has created startup hubs in the United States, The Netherlands, Poland and Japan, and has been home to more than 11.000 clients around the world across its innovation campuses. Earlier this year, CIC announced the creation of its third European location in Berlin, in collaboration with Jamestown.
“CIC and Jamestown have a mutual ambition to create places that foster growth, collaboration, and innovation,” said Michael Phillips, President of Jamestown. “We are specifically looking to support the growth of the climate tech industry at Groot Handelsgebouw and Rotterdam more broadly. By co-locating startups focused on climate tech and clean energy – and linking to a global network through CIC, we can foster collaboration and accelerate innovation. Groot Handelsgebouw has long been an international hub for trade and businesses. Together with CIC, we will continue the legacy of this historic property for the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Groot Handelsgebouw houses 450 businesses, flexible co-working spaces and publicly accessible Maaskant Park in the buildings’ courtyard. Building owner Jamestown invests heavily in making the building more sustainable. In 2023, it became one of the first listed buildings to obtain a four-star designation from BREEAM-NL. With over 40 years of experience in the international market, Jamestown has a long-term ownership and management perspective and is well known for revitalizing historic buildings into mixed-use innovation hubs and community centers.
About CIC
CIC builds and operates a global network of innovation campuses where startups, scale-ups, corporations and public entities connect, work, and grow. Founded in 1999, CIC manages more than 125.000 square meters of innovation-focused workspace, laboratories, and event space across North America, Europe and Asia. Additionally, CIC develops bespoke programming, builds and enables industry clusters, and provides world-class district consulting—all focused on advancing innovation.
Learn more about CIC’s innovation campuses featuring workspace & labs, programming, and events at CIC.com. Follow along on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
About Jamestown
Jamestown is a design-focused, vertically integrated real estate investment manager and service provider with over 40 years of experience and a mission to create places that inspire. Since its founding in 1983, Jamestown has executed transactions exceeding $40 billion. As of June 30, 2024, Jamestown has assets under management of $11.7 billion and a portfolio spanning key markets throughout the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. Jamestown employs approximately 500 people worldwide with 12 global offices, including headquarters in Atlanta and Cologne. Current and previous projects include One Times Square and Chelsea Market in New York, Industry City in Brooklyn, Ponce City Market in Atlanta, Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, the Innovation and Design Buildings in Boston and Lisbon, and Groot Handelsgebouw in Rotterdam. For more information, visit www.jamestownlp.com.
