On February 10, 2025, Saxion University of Applied Sciences hosted a meeting in Enschede bringing together all Impact Developers from the 10 Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) that are participating in Biotech Booster. The event, organized by Biotech Booster impact developer Annemieke van der Goot, served as a platform to exchange experiences, best practices, and insights into the role of Impact Developers in supporting the valorization of applied research. With contributions from experts across academia, investment, and entrepreneurship, we explored how UAS can strengthen their position in knowledge transfer and spin-off creation.
Valorization at Saxion
The day kicked off with introductions by André Roos (Director, Saxion Centre for Entrepreneurship) and Mariëlle Dirks (Impact Developer, Saxion). André outlined the structure of valorization at Saxion and its alignment with the broader national agenda for Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS). UAS hold a unique position in the valorization landscape, excelling in the creation of solutions that generate real societal impact by developing them in close collaboration with the industry, public-sector organizations, and other stakeholders ensuring practical application and broad accessibility.
Mariëlle highlighted key achievements of Saxion’s impact team and the team’s role in supporting researchers. Collaboration with partners like the KTO of University of Twente’s and OostNL has been instrumental in overcoming challenges and driving successful valorization initiatives. Mariëlle also emphasized on the challenges experienced and the differences between research at Universities and research at UAS. Rather than mirroring the approach of knowledge transfer offices (KTOs) from Universities, UAS should build on their own strengths. At Saxion, the goal is to develop a research community where knowledge is co-created with businesses, resulting in valuable, innovative solutions for current and future societal challenges.
Collaboration and Financing: An Investor’s Perspective
Hester Tak (Senior Investment Manager Health, OostNL) brought insights from her dual perspective as a former KTO professional and current investment manager. She emphasized the differences in focus between universities and UAS in spin-off development. Whereas universities often prioritize licensing agreements based on patents, UAS focus on transferring applied knowledge, requiring different funding and commercialization strategies, and investor approaches. The discussion also touched upon how the regional investment agency (ROMs) and UAS can strengthen their collaboration to enhance spin-off success.
Case Study: Textile Fiber Boost – A Saxion Spin-Off
We concluded the day with an interactive discussion, led by Jurgen Kruiper (Impact Developer, Saxion), on Saxion’s most recent spin-off, Textile Fiber Boost. This innovative company, co-founded by Jens Oelerich, professor of the Sustainable & Functional Textiles Group at Saxion, is based on cutting-edge research and develops technology aimed at advancing the sustainability of the textile industry. We touched upon practical topics such as intellectual property management, funding strategies, and (timing of) spin-off establishment. Highlight of the session was Jens sharing about making the leap towards entrepreneurship, the challenges he encountered, the valuable lessons learned throughout the journey, and his perspective on the crucial role of impact developers in supporting this process.
Conclusion
The event provided a great platform for sharing and exchanging valuable insights as we continue to learn more about the evolving role of Impact Developers. By improving how Universities of Applied Sciences contribute to bringing (biotechnological) innovations to the market, we are fostering stronger collaborations and advancing the impact of applied research.
