Knowledge base

Central government and the regions have set up extensive collaborations for regional innovation, and much has been achieved already. According to the AWTI report, the parties concerned must now jointly ensure that innovation in the regions really takes off.

The Faculty of Impact offers young scientists support and coaching in their ambition to increase the impact of their research, e.g. by starting their own company. The call for the first round - themed energy transition and sustainability - is now open.

The finalists of the Academic Startup Competition have been announced. Young companies that are busy translating science into impactful innovations.

Since 2005, valorisation is the relatively young, third core task of Dutch universities in addition to education and research. The aim is to make all talent, knowledge, networks and facilities in these knowledge institutions of value to society.

How can our society benefit more from the knowledge developed at Dutch knowledge institutions? How do you convert knowledge into innovations? We posed these questions to researchers who are actively engaged in introducing new discoveries to the market.

In ten lessons, eight experienced professors of social sciences and humanities give tools to fellow scientists wishing to make impact with their research.

In recent years, the Dutch House of Representatives has put forward several motions requesting the government to present a vision about bringing innovation in the Netherlands to maturity. The government has pledged to inform the Dutch House of Representatives about this before the summer of 2022.

Opportunities abound to make better use of knowledge and innovation for major societal challenges, such as climate change, the future of healthcare or a fair data economy. That is apparent from research carried out by the Rathenau Instituut.

Can science and entrepreneurship be combined? In recent weeks, various articles about this have appeared in the Dutch media, for example, from Reineke Timmermans (VNO-NCW), Ineke Sluiter (KNAW) and entrepreneurial scientist Hans Clevers.

Entrepreneurial researchers can be found in the social sciences as well. And Levi van Dam is one of them. How does Van Dam create impact with science, and what is his opinion about the steps that need to be taken for a better valorisation practice?

The (AWTI) advises several targeted measures, which will bring researchers and entrepreneurs together more often and enable them to collaborate more easily. The different needs of entrepreneurs should be taken into account more, especially the needs of SMEs.

This is the ambition of the Dutch universities, university medical centers and TNO. Together, the knowledge institutes are launching a plan to strengthen the national innovation ecosystem with the aim of being among the best in the world by 2030.