An important milestone for one of the largest foreign investments in the Netherlands in years. Total investment of €2.6 billion, 80,000 m² of laboratories, offices and production, and part of the Leiden Bio Science Park
Rotterdam, 3 April 2026 — RED Company today submitted the permit application to the municipality of Katwijk for the construction of Lilly’s new European high-tech production and research facility. Only five months after the official announcement of the project, on 3 November 2025 in The Hague, a fully substantiated application is on the table, including all supporting studies. Submitting the application marks a crucial milestone in the realisation of one of the largest foreign investments in the Netherlands in years. It came about through intensive collaboration between RED Company, Eli Lilly and Company, the municipality of Katwijk and the various government bodies.
The facility represents an investment of €2.6 billion, comprises more than 80,000 m² of laboratory, office and production buildings and will become part of the Leiden Bio Science Park. Construction is expected to start later this year, with the aim of having the facility operational around 2030. The architectural design is in the hands of Powerhouse Company; LAP Landscape & Urban Design is responsible for the landscape integration.
“We are proud that we have succeeded in submitting a well-substantiated permit application. In the recent period we have been able to meet many stakeholders in Katwijk and the surrounding area to explain our plans. Lilly wants to be a good neighbour to the people of Katwijk.”
RED Company is the area owner and developer in the Zijlhoek-De Woerd area on the Valkenburgse Meer in Katwijk. Its land position in the area has grown over the past five years to more than thirty hectares. Lilly’s facility will be realised on twenty hectares of this; the remaining ten hectares offer room for another 75,000 m² of life science facilities and a substantial residential programme, in line with the area development vision of the municipality of Katwijk.
RED Company’s site in Katwijk was selected by Lilly in November 2025 after an extensive selection procedure involving 66 possible locations in Northern and Western Europe. Decisive were the development potential of the site, the proximity of the Leiden Bio Science Park, the local labour supply and the business climate, brought about by intensive collaboration between RED Company, the municipality of Katwijk, the province of Zuid-Holland, the national government, the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency and the Leiden Bio Science Park.
“Over the past months we have worked extremely hard on this permit application with the teams of Lilly, the municipality of Katwijk, the province of Zuid-Holland and the national government. With a wonderful result that we can all be proud of. We are also grateful for the constructive and pleasant collaboration with the local residents. It shows that a high pace is possible with good collaboration. We therefore look forward to this facility, which is important for the Netherlands and for Europe, being realised quickly.”
The facility creates 500 direct production jobs, for engineers, scientists, operational staff and laboratory technicians, and 1,500 jobs in construction. In Katwijk, Lilly will produce medicines for patients worldwide in the fields of cardiometabolic health (including diabetes and obesity), neuroscience, oncology and immunology. The facility will make use of advanced production technologies, including dock-to-dock automation and paperless manufacturing.
For RED Company the project is a logical next step in the life science sector, after an earlier collaboration with Johnson & Johnson, for which it realised an office and laboratory building of 13,500 m² at the Leiden Bio Science Park.
About RED Company
RED Company is a Rotterdam-based developer and end investor, specialised in integrated area development in which cultural, social and industrial programmes come together with housing. RED Company is developing, among others, LEAD Leiden, Brutus Rotterdam and Think District in Amsterdam.
Partners and advisers
- Partners
- RED Company, Eli Lilly and Company, CBRE (adviser to Eli Lilly), ING, RED Bouw, Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, Province of Zuid-Holland, Municipality of Katwijk, Leiden Bio Science Park, InnovationQuarter
- Advisers
- Powerhouse Company, &CREW, DLA Piper, EY, DGMR, Van Rossum, Adviesbureau DWA, Jacobs Engineering Group Incorporation, Mees Ruimte & Milieu, TAUW, LAP Landscape & Urban Design, Van den Herik-Sliedrecht, Antea Group Nederland, CRUX Engineering BV, Goudappel, 4cast, DTV, BonoTraffics, Knijnenburg-Zwirs, Sweco, Bats & Birds, Vollebregt-Barten Onroerende Zaken Glastuinbouw, Crevasse advies, BarentsKrans
English translation of the Dutch press release of 3 April 2026.
