Three innovative Limburg-based MedTech companies—Aliform, Ansana, and MLA Diagnostics—have been selected for the first TMC Netherlands BioBridge Program. Thanks to this international program, they will gain access to the Texas Medical Center (TMC) in Houston, the world’s largest medical ecosystem. Over the coming months, they will work there to accelerate their entry into the U.S. market.

Silicozyme, a promising biotech startup based at Brightlands Chemelot Campus, is taking an important step towards commercialization. Thanks to an investment from Brightlands Venture Partners (BVP) and the Limburg Startup Capital Fund (LSCF), managed by LIOF, the company can accelerate the market introduction of its innovative technology for more efficient protein manufacturing. In doing so, Silicozyme is not only advancing its own growth ambitions but also strengthening Limburg's position as a leading region for industrial biotechnology.

Leolux Furniture Group has entered into an agreement with the development company LIOF as an investor and strategic partner. The Venlo-based brand aims to further professionalize its operations and strengthen its position. With LIOF’s involvement and new investments from existing shareholders Particon and Cabane, Leolux can tap into the expertise and resources needed to future-proof the company.

Thanks to new growth financing, the Limburg-based company is taking the next step toward further scale-up and market introduction.

AgroExact, which has built the most extensive network of weather stations in the Netherlands since 2020, has successfully completed a €2 million funding round. By translating insights from local weather and soil data into concrete actions, farmers can work more efficiently, conserve water, and improve crop quality. With the addition of the Limburg development agency LIOF and renewed support from the Bossche Investerings Fonds (BIF), the company is focusing on international expansion and the further development of weather data solutions for farmers and sectors outside of agriculture.

On International Women's Day on March 8, LIOF, Joanna Invests, and Earthstar announced their joint investment in Smobya, a Hungarian biotech startup that develops nanocellulose materials as a sustainable alternative to plastic and animal leather. The entire team is relocating from Budapest to Brightlands Greenport Campus in Venlo. The timing is both symbolic and strategic: three female investors are supporting female founder Lídia Kuti, who wants to transform one of the most polluting sectors in the world.

CEL4LIFE is an ambitious partnership with the goal of achieving a fully circular economy in Limburg by 2050. Twelve parties are working intensively together to achieve this goal, including the Province of Limburg, LIOF, Parkstad Limburg City Region, Chemelot, Maastricht University, Gilde Opleidingen, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, CHILL, Ebert HERA, Building Balance Limburg, Afvalsamenwerking Limburg and Wonen Limburg. Various other (EU) regional and national organisations are also involved as stakeholders.

A new partnership has been formed in Limburg between the government, businesses and knowledge institutions. The joint ambition is clear: to accelerate the development, application and upscaling of innovative technologies that contribute to national security, as well as to regional earning capacity and a strong, autonomous industry. The new MINDbase desk at Brightlands Chemelot campus provides an accessible point of entry for entrepreneurs and researchers developing innovative ideas or technologies. In the coming period, more and more 'calls and instruments' will become available to them, offering opportunities to get involved, such as OP Zuid and SDIR.

As part of the ROMs' Smart Energy Hubs programme (ROM-Netherlands), the ROMs will be organising a three-day training course on energy hub development in 2026. We will be offering a total of four three-day training courses in 2026. The first two training courses will take place in the spring of 2026. The training course is intended for professionals who are working on the development of energy hubs and want to move more quickly from idea to realisation.