New resident in the Health & Innovation District: GGD Amsterdam

A department of the Public Health Service of Amsterdam (GGD) regional laboratory is the newest Health & Innovation District (Hid) partner. A team of around six health service staff have settled into an inspiring new workplace taking advantage of the facilities offered on our campus.

The GGD team will be using innovative techniques in their lab at the Hid to search for different variants of viruses and bacteria. They will also be keeping their finger on the pulse during the pandemic. Different variants of COVID-19 will be examined, as well as other cold and flu viruses. This will allow them to quickly determine if Covid is on the rise again or if there are other types of outbreaks.

Rogier van den Braak, managing director of Sanquin Health Solutions and driving force behind the Hid, is happy to welcome the GGD as a new resident: “The GGD is the first occupant of our CDT building, which will be equipped with more high-quality laboratories in the coming months for even more future partners. We are delighted that, in this way, we can help a partner in the regional Amsterdam ecosystem in our joint fight against Covid.”

Mariken van der Lubben, head of the GGD Amsterdam Regional Laboratory, explains why they chose the space and facilities at the Hid: “After exploring the region, we ended up at Sanquin’s Health and Innovation District. The discussions immediately went smoothly and we were pleased with the speed with which steps were taken. We also see more opportunities for further cooperation in the future. We share the drive to provide better, flexible and goal-oriented healthcare through innovation.”

The GGD is the first occupant of the CDT building. In the meantime, building work is underway on other new, state-of-the-art laboratories and office space to house new Hid residents from October 2022. If you’re curious about how the fully transformed building will look, this video will give you an impression! Interested in the space? Please contact Rogier van den Braak at r.vandenbraak@sanquin.nl.