KPN Pension Fund expands investment in Dutch science parks

The KPN Pension Fund has decided to invest an additional €30 mln into the ASR Dutch Science Park Fund, bringing its total commitment to €45 mln. 

Biotech Campus Delft

The fund, in which KPN Pension Fund has participated since September 2021 with advice from Aegon Asset Management, focuses on investing in office and laboratory spaces within Dutch science parks. 
These investments aim to boost the Netherlands' knowledge economy by providing facilities for research and development companies, particularly those contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Caspar Vlaar, chair of the Investment Committee at KPN Pension Fund, stated: “Investing with a positive and measurable social and/or environmental impact, alongside a market-rate financial return, is a key component of our investment policy. We aim to allocate 5% of our portfolio to impact investments by the end of 2026. Our long-term investment strategy is focused on providing a good pension for our participants while also making a positive impact on themes such as climate and biodiversity, sustainable technology, and sustainable consumption & production. The ASR Dutch Science Park Fund offers companies office space and R&D facilities to work on these themes.”
Martin Kraaij, fund director of the ASR Dutch Science Park Fund, added: “We are pleased with the continued trust of Aegon Asset Management and KPN Pension Fund in our fund. Over the past year, we have acquired several buildings at the Leiden Bio Science Park and the Biotech Campus Delft, doubling our assets under management to € 260 million. We recently acquired an office and laboratory building from dsm-firmenich at the Biotech Campus Delft. In this building, scale-ups can work on developing innovative food applications, such as reducing sugar and salt in food products and creating dairy alternatives.”
The ASR Dutch Science Park Fund invests in sustainable real estate that meets the housing needs of various companies and institutions located on science parks.