Biotech Booster connects Business Developers and Impact Developers to the broader ecosystem. While both roles focus on transforming knowledge into impact, they operate in different contexts. In this series, we introduce you to the different Impact Developers in our program.
Who are you, and what does your role look like in practice?
I’m Maureen de Haan, and I’ve been an Impact Developer since September 2025.
I represent CoE Groen (Centre of Expertise Groen), a partnership between the four Dutch green Universities of Applied Sciences: Aeres University of Applied Sciences, HAS green academy, Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, and Inholland University of Applied Sciences. We bring together applied research, education and industry to accelerate innovation and translate knowledge into practical applications and societal impact across the green domain.
In my role, I help find, develop, and support early-stage biotech project ideas. A big part of that is figuring out how research can be turned into something that creates value for society. My main focus is on the Agri & Food sector, where there are plenty of interesting challenges to work on: from growing crops with fewer inputs and less reliance on chemicals, to finding alternative ingredients for the food products we consume. FavaFerment is a nice example: by using fermentation to improve the taste of fava bean protein, the project is exploring how we can make plant-based ingredients more appealing.
What inspires or drives you most about working at a University of Applied Sciences?
What I really like is the strong connection with practice. Research is often driven by concrete needs from the market or from society, and working with industry partners is an important part of that.
There’s a lot of focus on asking: what does this research mean and how can we make it useful? I find that combination of research, collaboration, and application very motivating.
Can you share a project or moment that really stayed with you?
The HAS Food Experience 2026 is a great example of student entrepreneurship.
I like seeing how students take an idea and start figuring out what they can do with it. They turn ideas into products and concepts, test them, and think about how they can contribute to change in the food sector. It’s a nice illustration of how much can happen when you give people the space to experiment.
What is something people often misunderstand about your work?
I think valorization is sometimes still seen as mainly about creating a spin-off or starting a new company. But there are many more ways to bring an innovation into society.
For example, an existing company or institution can take an innovation further. That can sometimes mean less risk and a faster route towards implementation and adoption.
In Agri & Food, we also see researchers working closely with end users, such as farmers and food producers. That close connection is really valuable. You can develop the technology and the business case alongside each other, step by step, while continuously checking whether it fits the needs of the people who will use it.
Where do you see the biggest opportunity for UAS in the coming years?
Universities of Applied Sciences can play a really interesting role as the bridge between fundamental research and industry. We have the infrastructure, the labs, and the environments to take an innovation out of the research setting and start testing what it can actually do in practice, together with industry partners.
That also creates a great opportunity to work more closely with research universities. They bring new scientific insights, we can help develop and test those insights in an applied setting, and industry can bring in the questions and challenges they are dealing with. Bringing those perspectives together can make the journey from research to application much more concrete.
Biotech Booster is a good example of how we can support that journey. With funding, access to the right network, and mentorship, researchers can get the support they need to take an early-stage idea out of the lab and explore where it could go next.
What would you say to someone considering working with a UAS?
Just give it a try!
Learning by doing is really part of our DNA. We test ideas in practice, learn from the experience, adjust, and try again. You don’t have to have everything figured out from the start. Sometimes you learn the most by simply taking the first step.
