In October, something remarkable stood gleaming in front of the iconic Soestdijk Palace: our SpaceBuzz rocket. It became a place where history, innovation and the future quite literally came together.
For three days, we took more than 500 pupils from Baarn and Soest on an unforgettable journey. On board the SpaceBuzz, they experienced, under the virtual guidance of astronaut André Kuipers, the Overview Effect: the overwhelming sensation astronauts describe when they see the Earth from space. A moment in which borders fade away and the true beauty, fragility and interconnectedness of our planet becomes strikingly clear.
For many children, it was the very first time they had seen the Earth “from above”. For us, it remains deeply moving to witness how wonder transforms into awareness, and awareness into motivation to care for our planet.
It was not only pupils who made the journey. During BOOST 2025, the inspiring event organised by ROM Utrecht Region, entrepreneurs, administrators and policymakers from the Amersfoort region also stepped on board the SpaceBuzz.
BOOST stands for Business Development, Meeting, Collaboration and Transition, which is exactly the foundation we believe in as well. The programme brought together themes such as circular construction, digitalisation, innovation vouchers and investing in a future proof region.
Participants discovered how technology, collaboration and imagination can work together. They took part in matchmaking sessions, listened to the inspiring keynote by Astrid Posthouwer (CEO of Meander Medical Centre) and experienced the impact of the Overview Effect for themselves.
Among the attendees were, among others, Hugo Prakke (Councillor for Education, Municipality of Baarn), Karin Scholten (Councillor for Economic Affairs, Municipality of Soest), Maya Meijer (owner of Soestdijk Palace) and Arjan van den Born (director of ROM Utrecht Region). A special word of thanks goes to councillor Mark Veldhuizen of the municipality of Baarn for his support, and of course to ROM Utrecht Region for the excellent organisation of BOOST 2025.
What made these days so special?
That pupils, entrepreneurs and administrators, three worlds that do not often meet, all shared the same sense of wonder. Taking a moment to zoom out, to step back, and to see that we have one single planet, one that deserves our care.
At SpaceBuzz, we believe that everything starts with perspective.
Whether you are a child, an entrepreneur or a policymaker, the moment you see the Earth as an astronaut does, something shifts. You feel the urgency, but also the hope. The power of working together.
Soestdijk Palace proved to be the perfect place to strengthen that message: an historic location where new generations can learn, think and dream about the future.
Together, we continue to build a world in which children learn to think like astronauts and to care like true citizens of Earth.