The research centre for professionals of the future

Right next door to the HZ location in Middelburg, construction workers are working hard on the Joint Research Centre Zeeland (JRCZ). As a student of engineering, chemistry or one of the other technical studies at the HZ, you will start working here in November 2022.

The JRCZ is a new, ultramodern research laboratory. The building is largely made of glass. As a result, you can almost see what is happening inside. And that is exactly the intention, because in the JRCZ you work together with teachers, researchers and the outside world on important social issues. The themes of water, energy, food and the biobased economy are central. These are topics that are in the DNA of a delta region like Zeeland.

The right place 

If you want to work on solving problems within these themes, the JRCZ is the right place for you. The building will house a number of different laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment. In the JRCZ, you always work together. On each of the four floors, there are makerspaces where you can work on projects with teachers and researchers. These makerspaces are bursting with energy. There is always something to see or do that will inspire you.

In addition, there are laboratories on every floor. On the ground floor, for example, you will find the Engineering Lab, where you can work with modern 3D scanners, laser cutters, digital milling machines and other equipment. On the same floor, the Geohydrol Lab explores the connections between technology and climate. On the second and third floors, you will find labs for analytical and organic chemistry and life sciences. Here, analysis and in-depth research take centre stage. Here too, there will be brand new equipment.

Presenting

In the data lab, you work in a Google-like environment on data-driven solutions to problems. A data lab like this is new in the Netherlands. Everything revolves around big data, data models and data science. As a student, you will learn how to present research results in a creative and attractive manner. You will be using state-of-the-art equipment.

The last lab in the JRCZ is the ecology lab. If you are studying water or aquaculture, you will work in this lab on assignments from companies and organisations from these sectors. They knock on your door with questions about food production, climate adaptation, rising sea levels, salinisation and nature-based solutions.

The roof completes the research laboratory. The large stairs on the outside of the building lead to a green roof terrace. Here you can study, do research with the available equipment and of course relax and enjoy the view.

Want to know more about the JRCZ? Go to www.jrcz.nl.