Heritage — Electricity Campus at Arnhems Buiten

About

A place where innovation and creativity find space within a historic setting. The energy of nearly a century of development and innovation can still be felt across the site. Today, the campus continues to evolve, with the philosophy of KEMA embedded in its vision: the human need to work and live in a green environment remains central. Meeting, innovating, learning, and experimenting, Electricity Campus provides the space for it all.

In 1392, a monastery of the Canons Regular was founded on the Mariëndaal estate, near a spring. A wealthy citizen of Arnhem, Wijnand van Arnhem, made land available for this purpose. The monastery was given the name Domus Fontis Beatae Mariae (“The House at the Spring of the Blessed Mary”). In everyday use, this long name was shortened to Mariëndaal.
The monastery's inhabitants were engaged in both agriculture and scholarship. The monastery’s scriptorium and library were particularly renowned. In 1578, during the Reformation, the monastery complex was demolished. Its lands and outlying properties were confiscated and sold.

A map from 1640 shows the farmstead Op den Brinck located on the site. In the nineteenth century, this farm was transformed into a country estate and rural retreat. It was likely used as a summer residence during that period, which explains the term buitenplaats (country retreat).
Around 1820, a wooded park was laid out around the residence in the landscape style that was fashionable at the time. Agricultural land was converted into woodland and parkland, and the farm evolved into a country estate.

Around 1843, Arnhem was connected to the western part of the Netherlands by the Rhine Railway (Rhijnspoorweg), which ran north of the estate. In 1879, the Arnhem–Nijmegen railway line was added to the west. Together, these railways changed the character of the area and effectively separated the estate from the surrounding landscape.
KEMA was founded in 1927, evolving from the Central Bureau of the Association of Directors of Electricity Companies in the Netherlands (VDEN). Originally based in Maastricht, the bureau tested electrical equipment at various locations across the country. As demand for testing grew, a permanent site was needed. The director of PGEM proposed Arnhem as the new location, citing its strategic position and accessibility. This marked the start of the site's long association with innovation in the electricity sector.

In 1930, KEMA decided to build a short-circuit testing laboratory at the Den Brink estate. Its location near the railway made it possible to transport heavy transformers, generators and high-voltage equipment directly to the site.

Construction began in 1932. The complex, now a protected national monument, was designed for the safe and independent testing of electrical equipment under extreme conditions.

The Den Brink site officially opened in 1938 and soon gained international recognition. KEMA’s laboratory became unique worldwide for offering independent testing and certification services to manufacturers and clients.

During the Second World War, KEMA was able to continue operating more or less normally. However, during Operation Market Garden, the site was turned into a fortified position by the German forces, with trenches dug between the buildings. As a result of the fighting and shelling, the buildings sustained considerable damage, and much of the equipment and furnishings were looted by the Germans as they retreated.

The KEMA site was much more than an industrial complex. Educational programmes and public information sessions were organised for school classes and households, with visitors travelling from across the region to attend demonstrations by specially trained instructors.
It was also a period of growth. Existing buildings were expanded and new facilities added. What made KEMA distinctive was its strong focus on employee well-being and the quality of the working environment. Tennis courts, a nursery and housing were created within the green landscape, alongside space for art and culture.
Behind this was a forward-thinking philosophy: people thrive in a green and inspiring environment and it is in such surroundings that the best ideas are born.

KEMA played a crucial role in the technical and economic development of the Netherlands’ electricity sector. The company expanded its operations to more than twenty countries, providing research and consultancy services related to the generation, transmission and use of energy.

In Arnhem, the site continued to grow through the acquisition of neighbouring properties, including the HES site, the Mariëndaal complex and the Rosande complex. Existing buildings were expanded or replaced with new facilities.

For the first time, other energy companies also established themselves on the site. This marked the beginning of a broader energy ecosystem, bringing new organisations, expertise and innovation to the KEMA campus.

KEMA was acquired by DNV in 2011 (now DNV GL) and merged with the Italian company CESI in 2019. As KEMA’s activities moved away from Arnhem, many buildings at Arnhems Buiten were left vacant. The site went through a period of decline, and the strong energy-focused identity that had defined it for decades gradually faded.
Over time, the campus found a new purpose. A variety of companies and organizations established themselves at Arnhems Buiten. While energy remained an important theme, the site broadened its focus to include mobility, ICT, the creative industries, and life sciences & health, marking a new chapter in its history of innovation.

At the beginning of 2025, the site was rebranded as Electricity Campus. Building on its historic roots in the energy sector, the campus sharpened its focus on companies developing innovations for the electricity grid, particularly those related to high-voltage transmission networks.
A strong ecosystem had already been present, anchored by major industry players such as TenneT, DNV, and KEMA. Since the transition to Electricity Campus, additional companies including Hyosung and NRG also established themselves on the campus, alongside numerous start-ups and scale-ups. This further strengthened the site's position as a leading center for innovation in electricity infrastructure and grid technology.