RDM Rotterdam (Research, Design, Manufacturing) is an innovation campus located in Rotterdam's former shipyard area on the south bank of the Maas river, where education, research, and entrepreneurship converge to develop sustainable solutions for urban and port challenges. The campus occupies the historic premises of the Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij, one of the world's largest shipyards in its heyday, now repurposed as a dynamic environment for innovation and learning.
The campus hosts a diverse ecosystem of organisations including Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, which operates educational programmes in engineering, logistics, and sustainable technology directly on-site; technology startups and scale-ups developing solutions for port logistics, circular economy, sustainable construction, and urban innovation; and research groups working on applied projects with direct relevance to Rotterdam's economic priorities.
RDM Rotterdam's Innovation Dock provides large-scale prototyping and testing facilities where companies can develop and demonstrate new technologies at near-industrial scale, a capability that distinguishes RDM from conventional office-based innovation hubs. These facilities are particularly valuable for the maritime, construction, and manufacturing sectors where physical prototyping and testing are essential steps in the innovation process.
The campus plays a strategic role in Rotterdam's broader urban development and economic diversification strategy, demonstrating how former industrial sites can be transformed into productive innovation environments that generate employment, attract talent, and contribute to the city's knowledge economy. RDM's location in Rotterdam-South, one of the city's historically disadvantaged areas, adds a social dimension to its economic mission.
RDM Rotterdam connects the city's strong port and industrial heritage with its ambitions for smart city innovation, creating a physical space where practical, hands-on innovation addresses real-world urban and port challenges.