Jeroen Bosch Hospital extends cooperation with Unica
The Jeroen Bosch Hospital will continue to rely on Unica Building Services as its technical maintenance partner, for the next five years. The hospital in Den Bosch has been using the management and maintenance services offered by Unica, since 2015.
Boele Fire Protection introduces first battery-powered sprinkler system for buildings
With a view to achieving the climate goals, and given the more intensive use of the electricity grid and the calls to reduce the number of diesel-powered sprinkler pump sets, the need to switch to emission-free alternatives is growing. To meet this demand, Boele Fire Protection has introduced the Battery Power Supply (BPS). This solution is the first to enable battery-powered sprinkler and water mist systems for use in buildings. Not only is this a sustainable fire safety solution, but with its high reliability it can contribute to major cost savings. Boele Fire Protection are leading specialists in prefab water supplies and sprinkler pump sets and plans to install the first system at the Churchill Tower in Rijswijk, in the coming months.
High Tech Campus Eindhoven and Unica express ambition to be Europe’s most sustainable campus
The High Tech Campus in Eindhoven has chosen Unica to carry out maintenance on its mechanical systems including the measurements and control technology on campus. The order covers the 34 buildings of the High Tech Campus (HTC) that itself occupies an area of around one km2. Since 1 March 2022, Unica has been responsible for condition-based maintenance including energy and asset management. The extensive network of Unica companies was a decisive factor for HTC Eindhoven in selecting its technical service provider, which with more than 3,000 employees is one of the largest parties in the Netherlands.
FourCare completes Radboudumc new build
On Tuesday 5 April, Bertine Lahuis, board chair at the Radboudumc, was officially presented the key to the new main building of the Radboudumc, building A, by Erwin Kersten, representing the building consortium FourCare. In total, the construction project, from tender procedure through to key handover took around five years. Starting now, the building will be fully equipped prior to final commissioning in July. In 2017, the first step in the tender procedure was taken for the new build, that is part of a larger plan for the new campus that will more clearly combine healthcare, education and research.
Unica makes smart security available for mid-level business and government
With its newly established company Unica Smart Security, Unica is specifically targeting the mid-level business segment and government. The company are specialists in smart security solutions for physical environments for this part of the market. By combining the nationwide service organisation with cloud solutions, Unica Smart Security can meet the demand for rapid, smart security solutions, in this segment. In providing its services, the company can also call upon the knowledge available within the Unica Access & Security cluster, in which market leader Nsecure occupies a leading position in the high-end security market.
Unica to acquire security management company EAL
Unica is planning to acquire security management company EAL, based in Apeldoorn. EAL is a market leader in the development and implementation of security management and access control systems. In the fifty years since its foundation, EAL has become one of the most experienced companies in the development of hardware and software in this field. The company has 35 employees, 15 of whom work in R&D. With offices in Apeldoorn and Amsterdam, EAL serves emergency services, hospitals, banks, insurers, the Dutch government and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
Unica to acquire IT secondment specialist Working Spirit
Unica is to acquire IT secondment specialist Working Spirit based in Deventer. Since the company was established in 2003, Working Spirit has become a key player on the national market for ICT secondment services, with more than 150 IT specialists. The company will be integrated in the Unica ICT Solutions cluster, a group of rapidly growing all-round ICT service companies, with 250 employees. The expertise and capacity of Working Spirit represent a major expansion of the knowledge within this cluster, and the secondment of ICT specialists can now be offered to customers, as a new service.
Start of construction work for Dicoon laboratory in Elst
Work started on building the new laboratory in Elst, on 13 June last. At this location, the Rijnstate Hospital, Ziekenhuis Gelderse Vallei (ZGV) and Canisius Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis (CWZ) will be combining their laboratories for medical microbiology and immunology, clinical chemistry and clinical pharmacy. Dicoon, construction consortium Medexs and Unica recently signed the contracts for this project. The new laboratory will provide facilities for integrated diagnostics for the entire Central and Southern Gelderland region.
New production line for Berry Global
Berry Global, formerly PGI Nonwovens, is a market leader and one of the largest manufacturers of non-woven materials and products. Worldwide, the organisation has 3,000 employees, 260 of whom work in Katwijk (Cuijk). Last year, Berry Global decided to install a new production line. Thanks to its knowledge and experience, together with the combination of various technical disciplines and specialisations in-house, Unica was called upon to complete a substantial share of this project.
Sustainable systems for restored ARTIS-Groote Museum
Thanks to the efforts of Unica and others, the ARTIS-Groote Museum in Amsterdam is now equipped with sustainable and futureproof systems, following a major renovation. As part of a construction team, alongside specialist restoration contractor Nico de Bont and Mobilis, Unica completed the order to restore and update the oldest Listed Monument at ARTIS.
Unica companies join forces for RDM Rotterdam
Over the past year, Unica has become closely involved in maintenance work at RDM Rotterdam, an eye-catching location in Rotterdam’s port area, that is increasingly becoming home to the manufacturing industry of the future. The former dockyard of the Rotterdamse Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM) is now home to businesses, educational institutions and research facilities, and comprises a series of different maintenance plots.
Jakoba Mulderhuis: The educational theatre of the future officially opened
The Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA) recently opened its most sustainable and futureproof education building. The Jakoba Mulderhuis on the Rhijnspoorplein square is the final piece of the puzzle at the Amstel campus, located on Amsterdam’s Wibautstraat. The building offers space for around 6,000 students of the Technology faculty, and houses around 25,000 m2 of learning space. In collaboration with Visser & Smit Bouw, throughout the project, Unica was responsible for the structural elements and technical systems in the Jakoba Mulderhuis.
Unica Datacenters steps up for international pharmaceutical supplier
The use of datacenters is no longer exclusively the traditional realm of the IT and media world. Almost every sector is faced with the need to organise its data traffic in a professional manner. The IT environment, for example, has become a crucial element of the production process at an international pharmaceutical supplier, on whose behalf Unica Datacenters is creating two data galleries.
Rijnstate Hospital: complex showcase of sustainability and innovation
The outpatient clinic of the Rijnstate Hospital in Elst is the first hospital in the Netherlands to make the complete switch to renewable energy sources. It is also the first hospital in Europe to store sustainably generated energy in hydrogen, which at a later stage can be converted into electricity and heat. The consortium of Berghege Heerkens Unica has signed up for this ‘hospital of the future’ that will be commissioned in stages, during the course of 2023. ‘Within four years, we plan to build a completely new, sustainable hospital, from scratch.’
Tower Ten: huge project on a postage stamp plot
Tower Ten is the latest expansion to the Amsterdam World Trade Center. Unica Building Projects is responsible for the overall engineering and supply of all systems for this prestigious construction project. ‘In building projects on this scale, it is ideal if everything can be organised by a single party.’ Following renovation and new build, WTC Tower Ten will offer a total of 52,000 square metres of office space. Unica is responsible for all systems in this imposing building. From heat and cold generation, via air treatment, drinking water and sanitary systems through to the electrical engineering systems including lighting, ICT, fire security, sprinkler systems and control technology.
De Harde Leerschool wins Unica Innovation Challenge 2022
Friday 24 November was the big day for the third edition of the Unica Innovation Challenge, this year focused on the shortages on the labour market. From the two selected finalists, De Harde Leerschool eventually took home the Unica Innovation Award. Stichting De Harde Leerschool is a foundation that promotes an inclusive labour market, with space for everyone to participate. Together with Unica, the foundation aims to improve the visibility of technical professions in the programme offered by De Harde Leerschool. The Unica Innovation Challenge is an initiative of the Procurement & Supply Chain department at Unica. Unica will provide an investment budget to further elaborate and put the idea into practice, in collaboration with De Harde Leerschool.
Wensink Automotive uses new flexible ICT platform to respond precisely to market developments
The collaboration between Wensink Automotive and Unica ICT Solutions, which first started more than twenty years ago, is set to be further reinforced over the coming years. Both partners have once again opted for a cooperation agreement to update the office automation systems at this mobility provider. Wensink, that has been in business for 35 years, will be using a flexible ICT platform based on Microsoft Azure, to perfectly meet its targets and to keep up with developments on the market. The contract for this cooperation was recently concluded, by both parties.
First in the Netherlands: remote management for sprinkler systems
Boele Fire Protection, part of one of the Netherlands’ largest specialists in the field of fire protection, is the first company in the country to offer remote management services for sprinkler systems. According to the maintenance regulations, the many tens of thousands of sprinkler systems in our country must be compulsorily tested every (two) weeks. In the past these test were always carried out on location, but thanks to an innovative combination of services, test management can now be conducted remotely. This service reduces the number of travel movements and results in less disruptions to the business processes of the building owners. Boele Fire Protection has been part of Unica since 2019, and made use of the knowledge of the other companies in the cluster in developing this new service.
Expansion of Prinses Máxima Centre in Utrecht
The Prinses Máxima Centre for paediatric oncology is expanding. On top of the existing research building at this specialist research hospital, two new floors are to be built, with a total surface area of 3,400 m2. Gita Gallé, member of the board of directors at the Prinses Máxima Centre explained, “This expansion will help to further integrate healthcare and research at the Máxima, and we will be able to improve the prospects of better treatment for children with cancer.” Construction work was started in May 2022, following a careful decision making and tender procedure. Unica will be responsible for the expansion project, together with Van Wijnen.