Bringing biotech innovations from lab to market is no easy task—especially when it comes to early-stage market validation, a step often overlooked in academic research. The Ideation Lab offers a practical way to bridge this gap, by pairing researchers with entrepreneurial students to explore real-world potential.
In a successful pilot coordinated by Novel-T, four Biotech Booster projects joined the TU Delft-developed Ideation Lab program. Over three months, researchers from University of Twente, Saxion, and Amsterdam UMC teamed up with 11 master’s students (from UT and TU Delft) to assess the market potential of their biotech innovations.
The result? A win-win-win. Researchers gained sharper insight into the commercial viability of their technology. Students gained hands-on entrepreneurial experience. Society moved a step closer to benefiting from innovations that make positive impact.
The pilot supported a diverse set of biotech innovations, from CRISPR-based detection methods to antibiotic nanoparticles and a regenerative implant designed to restore vision in patients with degenerative eye diseases. Each research team was paired with entrepreneurial students and supported by Biotech Booster’s business and impact developers: Annemieke van der Goot (Saxion), Marleen Kristen, Marjo Nieuwenhuijse, and Niels Jansen (University of Twente). TU Delft provided expert workshops and coaching, while Novel-T coordinated logistics and overall program support.
This structured approach helped researchers focus their ideas, understand stakeholder needs, and choose the best clinical application to pursue. For some, it confirmed their technology’s market potential; for others, it helped shift their efforts toward a more urgent problem or promising use.
The pilot showed that Ideation Lab adds real value to Biotech Booster by combining entrepreneurship and science to help turn innovations into meaningful change.
As the program continues to evolve, it opens up new opportunities for researchers and students alike to collaborate, learn, and accelerate the path from lab to market.
