a new company in the region

Rahu Catalytics opens at Leiden Bioscience Park

Using chemical catalyst based technologies, RahuCat helps companies across the world to reduce their energy, water and waste costs and to comply with current and future environmental legislation.

Although based in Nottingham in the UK, the company recently chose to site its new technical unit in the Netherlands, at Leiden’s BioPartner Centre. The centre is part of the Leiden Bioscience Park – one of the most successful science parks in Europe.
There were a number of reasons behind the decision, as RahuCat’s Finance and Operations Director, Glenn Fletcher explains:

“One is that we have historical connections with the Netherlands, having previously been located at the Unilever site in Vlaardingen. More importantly, the Netherlands is a really good location for technology companies. The Dutch Government recognises the importance of the sector and there is a strong focus on providing good facilities and support.”

A science hotspot
Leiden not only boasts excellent facilities but also “a multi-lingual talent pool in the surrounding universities, labs and businesses that makes for a heady mix,” says Glenn.  “And, although the business environment is not vastly different to other parts of Europe, government support in the form of subsidies, grants and network facilitation is a big help for SMEs.”
Glenn describes the relocation process as fairly smooth: “The NFIA and WFIA provided a good service, particularly when it came to looking at sites, setting up appointments and finding business advisers and suppliers.  Once a preferred site was identified and secured our Dutch based team worked very effectively to plan the relocation and settle us into the new facility.”
RahuCat believes that its business benefits from the international mix of people attracted to working in the Netherlands – it’s technical team at Leiden boasts several nationalities, effectively blending different technical skills and styles. Furthermore, the technical centre is just 15 minutes from Schiphol, so the company can easily bring customers and suppliers to the facility, as well as using it as a base for travelling further afield.
As Glenn concludes: “In Leiden, we are close to the European hub at Schiphol. That really helps us, as does the Dutch government’s strong support for the technology sector and the close-knit science community. The BioPartner Centre in Leiden provides an entrepreneurial environment that is good for innovative businesses like RahuCat.”

For more information about RahuCat visit  www.rahucat.com or contact Glenn Fletcher on +44 1623 722114 (glenn.fletcher@rahucat.com).