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Lightware UCX delivers campus-wide connectivity to Leiden University

Leiden University’s new Campus Spui, located in the heart of The Hague, Netherlands, opened in February 2026 following the transformation of a former department store into an academic hub. The campus brings together around 4,000 students from partner institutions such as TU Delft, the Open Universiteit, LUMC and Universiteiten van Nederland.

To support teaching, collaboration and flexible room use across the new site, Leiden University required a standardized AV infrastructure that could be used by staff and students in every space. The primary goal was to create a consistent AV experience across campus, supporting spaces ranging from large lecture halls and classrooms to self-study areas, offices, and meeting hubs.

Thijs van Veen, AV Project Leader at Leiden University, led the design, specifying a range of Taurus UCX devices from Lightware to facilitate teaching and collaboration experiences. The Dante-enabled Taurus UCX-4x2-HC30D universal matrix switchers feature in larger lecture halls and hybrid classrooms, while Taurus UCX-4x2-HC30 units are installed in standard classrooms, offices and smaller spaces. “We’ve also implemented a custom welcome screen to guide users in selecting their input, making the system even more intuitive”, says van Veen. Installation was carried out by systems integrator Adaptable.

The UCX allows lecturers and students to connect laptops to the AV equipment in each space. With 4K video, audio, control signals and power delivered over a single cable, users can begin teaching or sharing content with minimal setup time required. The system also supports switching between devices, allowing multiple teaching resources to be used at the same time. “The USB 3.1 Gen 1 connectivity is a key part of the system, offering power and data delivery at speeds up to 5 Gbps and video capabilities up to 4K @ 60Hz at 4:4:4”, explains van Veen.

The UCX forms the core of every educational room across the campus. Large lecture halls and hybrid classrooms, which require additional hardware to meet their specific audio and AV needs, use Taurus UCX-4x2-HC30D switchers with Dante/AES67 support, while standard classrooms, offices, and smaller study spaces use the UCX-4x2-HC30. Lightware’s Taurus TPX-4x3-TX20-RX107-bundles are used selectively where cabling constraints exist, while UCX remains the primary platform.

The UCX units integrate seamlessly with the university’s Q-Sys audio system, managing DSP, sound distribution, and reinforcement. This ensures consistent audio and video across different room types, while allowing hybrid participants to see and hear content as effectively as those in the room. BYOD integration also allows students and lecturers to share content in real time.

“Teachers have been very positive about UCX’s USB-C charging capabilities, because it means they can leave their heavy chargers at home or at their desk”, says Colin Staphorst, AV Technician at Leiden University. “That’s the part of the system they really notice; everything else works so seamlessly in the background they don’t even need to think about it.”

The Lightware system is quickly becoming the university-wide standard, with over sixty percent of the institution now using the standardized setup. “We plan to expand further in the future”, notifies van Veen. “Eventually, the UCX and TPX will be the only signal management devices used in 376 educational spaces.”

(Photos: Lightware)

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