The Honig Complex: A one-off Hot Spot where Creativity meets Entrepreneurship

08 Jan 2016

by SG4A

The study visit during the SG4Adults Train-The-Trainer course that took place in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, between the 13th and 18th of December 2015, revealed a one-of-a-kind place where opportunity met creativity, entrepreneurial minds and artistic spirit, united in the purpose of turning it into the number one entrepreneurial hot spot in an otherwise unlikely bustling, but rather industrial and unattractive city area.

What used to be an old soup and pasta making factory is now the home-like co-sharing business space of 170 entities, private businesses, artists, collectives and individuals, including creative artisans, innovators, game developers, bakers, brewers (crowdfunded beer Oersoep), furniture makers, festival organisers, coffee roasters, and many others doing various types of work, such as indoor beach volleyball for instance, artists in residence, people running a gallery, a restaurant, a crossfit center, a Dutch bicycles center, etc. This unique blend of business and community practices occupying the Honig Complex (honigcomplex.nl) labyrinth like space, was initiated by a group of young and creative people who designed and furnished the spacious factory premises on their own. Today, it looks like a giant playground and attracts a stream of people, workers, artists, customers, collaborators, youngsters and audiences of all ages.

The Honig Complex is a true example of creative entrepreneurship and having no limits to the innovative ways of people's imaginative play with space and adding value to it. With the adequate assistance provided by the local government of Nijmegen and the developer (owner of the factory buildings), the collective of these young people has been running this place for 2, out of 8 years of granted time to use the premises. This entire action, efforts and invested resources resemble a "serious game": how to provide alternative entrepreneurial support by delivering a meaningful development and networking opportunity for multiple startups, on one hand, and advancing the competences of common people to build a healthier entrepreneurial eco-system and a more productive community, on the other. Kudos to the Honig Complex collective and all its creative tenants!