The province of Drenthe says it has not suffered any financial damage due to the bankruptcy of the Northern Innovation Lab Circular Economy (NICE). The company in Meppel collapsed in December 2024 after it failed to overcome a period of “financial challenges”.
The province has invested approximately 1.5 million euros in NICE in recent years. In addition, NICE received more than 2 million subsidy through a partnership between the northern provinces.
Last summer, the province of Drenthe invested more than 100,000 euros while the company was already having financial problems. The province was aware of this, but did not expect bankruptcy. The money was intended as a bridging loan and to be less dependent on subsidies. This is evident from answers from the provincial government to questions from the PvdA.
NICE is an initiative of 21 organizations, including entrepreneurs, governments and education. The lab was involved in the project Drenthe builds circularlywhereby the intention is that housing associations will build by reusing raw materials by 2040. In addition, NICE was behind the Fieldlab and Circle of Food, where experiments are being conducted to combat food waste.
The innovation lab was founded in 2016. In addition to being an innovation workshop, NICE also served as a “breeding ground for young talent who wants to develop in the field”.
The province will look at how NICE’s knowledge and experience can be used, despite the bankruptcy.