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A healthy and sustainable living environment is essential, but it is a challenge for the Utrecht region to achieve the associated sustainability goals. To meet this challenge, the GeLUK consortium (Healthy and Sustainable Living Environment Utrecht Knowledge Consortium) will focus on accelerating the sustainability transition over the next four years. The Nationaal Groeifonds  of the Dutch government has has honored this consortium's subsidy application and this project will take place in a number of "living labs" in the coming years. These are physical locations where innovations are tested and demonstrated in practice. One of the living labs is Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park, where activities are carried out in collaboration with the Utrechtse Heuvelrug Research and Education Hub.

Accelerating the sustainability transition in the Utrecht region is currently a major challenge, because of a major shortage of professionals and a mismatch between the knowledge chain and market demand. The GeLUK consortium therefore aims to bring SMEs and education closer together. Six public-private partnerships from the Utrecht region have joined forces in a consortium for this purpose.

The so-called 'living labs' are an important part of the scaling up of public-private partnerships. These are learning and experimental environments in which companies, research and education work together on sustainability transitions. Activities are partly subsidized by the GeLUK consortium, with the aim of scaling up successful sustainable initiatives to the rest of the region. The Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park is one of the Living Labs, in addition to the Utrecht Science Park, Utrecht Overvecht and Amersfoort Hoefkwartier. In the National Park this includes research and education on:

• The effect of nature in the city, for example through the
• Sustainable mobility in and to the Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park
• The role of entrepreneurs in a climate-proof landscape and robust water system, via the
• The role of residents in climate adaptation and water, for example via
• Agroforestry on or around the Utrechtse Heuvelrug

The above research in the National Park is facilitated by the Utrechtse Heuvelrug Research and Education Hub. Within this hub, scientists, students and stakeholders work on relevant issues from the of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park, in order to contribute to the protection, conservation and development of nature, landscape and heritage.