Delft University of Technology statement of intent: new educational, research and innovation activities in Rotterdam

Over the past year, TU Delft has mapped out the consequences of the university's growth. The influx of students has increased significantly in recent years and is likely to continue. This puts more and more pressure on the campus and the city of Delft, while at the same time there is a growing social need for (Delft) engineers. Delft University of Technology wants to be able to continue to meet this increasing demand while simultaneously reducing the increasing pressure on the city. In the coming years, new initiatives in the fields of education, research and innovation will partly take place in Rotterdam. The Executive Board took an intended decision on this matter on 13 June.

Delft University of Technology contributes to solving urgent societal challenges. This increasingly involves complex, and often interlocking, transitions. Transition matters in areas such as energy, raw materials, the living environment, and care and well-being are closely intertwined. Expanding our contributions to these transitions is central to the growth strategy. In concrete terms, this means that bachelor's and master's education and the related research and innovation activities will be developed around the themes of Future of Health, Climate & Energy Systems Engineering, and Resilient Living Environment.

These new activities will be based in Rotterdam at a location to be determined. In the longer term, it will be examined whether this new location can be expanded to a complete campus for a substantial number of students. Parallel to this, Delft University of Technology aims to reduce the number of students (currently approx. 28,000) at the Delft campus to 25,000 from 2026, in order to keep the pressure on the campus and the city manageable. The activities in The Hague and Amsterdam (AMS Institute) continue to grow.

Further consultations will take place over the coming weeks with the employee representative body, which is already closely involved in the process. The Supervisory Board will give its opinion on the intended decision and there will also be meetings with staff, students and the city. A final decision by the Executive Board will preferably follow before the summer holidays.