LIFE Capital

Samen met LIFE Cooperative, BIO Cooperative en SBE organiseert het Instituut voor Life Science & Technology van de Hanze op 3 februari 2026 de Meet & Greet Life Sciences.

With the launch of LIFE Capital, the Northern Netherlands gains a powerful collaboration platform that brings together companies, talent, and knowledge institutions in the fast-growing Life Sciences & Health sector. During a special launch dinner on Tuesday, November 25 at LIFE Cooperative member Polyvation on the Groningen Campus, not only was the new brand unveiled, but an ambitious vision for the future was also presented. LIFE Capital, formerly LIFE Academy, marks the next phase of the LIFE Cooperative: shifting from a focus on training alone to a broadly supported collaboration platform for human capital. “With LIFE Capital we are taking the next step in strengthening our sector,” says Melloney Dröge, board member of the LIFE Cooperative. “We are bringing companies, talent, and knowledge together into one ecosystem where growth, learning, and innovation go hand in hand. We are aiming for a joint approach to the human capital challenges of our sector. In this way, we are building a region where you can truly move forward for a lifetime, literally and figuratively.”From LIFE Academy to LIFE Capital The transition from LIFE Academy to LIFE Capital is more than a name change. The new brand reflects the organization’s growth and its ambition to look beyond training alone. LIFE Capital will become the linchpin of human capital in the Life Sciences & Health sector: it connects talent, companies, and knowledge, accelerates collaboration, and strengthens the position of the Northern Netherlands as a breeding ground for innovation and talent. A long and healthy life: that is ultimately what Life Sciences & Health is all about. Thanks to innovations from companies in this sector, diseases are detected sooner, treated more effectively, and sometimes even prevented. From breakthrough therapies to keeping healthcare affordable and accessible, the business community acts as the engine behind life-changing progress. LIFE Capital aims to strengthen that foundation by investing in people, knowledge, and collaboration. “LIFE Capital helps companies move forward, but also strengthens the image and visibility of our sector,” says Sven Stielstra, Manager of LIFE Capital. “In this way, we show what Life Sciences & Health truly stands for and make the sector attractive to new talent and innovative companies. Over the next ten years, we will attract €50 million for human capital. In this first year alone, we have already realized €6.6 million through regional and national funds.”Looking ahead: recruitment campaign and pilots in 2026 Today, the day after the launch dinner, LIFE Capital’s recruitment campaign begins. This campaign focuses on attracting participants for the first pilot modules, which will start in spring 2026. These modules were developed thanks to an intensive and unique collaboration between Hanze, UMCG, and various companies within the sector. By combining knowledge and practical experience, top-notch programmes have been created that will be tested in the coming period. After the pilot phase, the modules will be further developed and made more widely available later in 2026 to everyone in the Northern Netherlands who wishes to contribute to a strong Life Sciences & Health ecosystem.About LIFE Capital LIFE Capital is the collaboration platform of the LIFE Cooperative, a network of more than 60 companies in the Life Sciences & Health sector. The platform connects organisations around shared human capital challenges and develops solutions that attract, develop, and retain talent. What started ten years ago as separate initiatives within the cooperative has grown into a strategic programme in which companies, knowledge institutions, and governments work together on a structural basis. With activities ranging from joint training and HR networks to new educational programmes and labour market research, LIFE Capital works towards one goal: a strong, agile region in which talent in life sciences & health can continue to grow with the right skills. Move people forward.About LIFE Cooperative The LIFE Cooperative stimulates innovation in the life sciences by facilitating collaboration between entrepreneurs, researchers, and investors. Through various programmes and events, LIFE promotes the development of technologies that improve health and well-being. The cooperative represents more than 60 companies in the Northern Netherlands, ranging from ambitious startups and innovative SMEs to international players. Together, they represent approximately 5,000 FTEs and a turnover of €500 million.

Recently, the LIFE Cooperative, together with the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), has been working hard on submitting projects to PharmaNL.