Interview Hans Biemans

The UG is a so-called broad-based university that excels in the humanities, technical sciences, medical sciences, as well as the social sciences. Hans Biemans, Vice President of the Board of the University of Groningen, is proud of that. According to him, it is even a requisite for universities to offer solutions for the many-faceted societal issues of this day and age. A story about the role of the University throughout the years, the current prominent role of valorization, and the opportunities that researchers today have to make a difference. ‘You can have a career in teaching or research, but you can also put the emphasis on valorization and that’s something I would like researchers to know.’

Biemans joined the Board of the University of Groningen back in 2019 and he has seen valorization become increasingly important throughout the years. Valorization entails the development of innovative products and services based on academic knowledge.

‘Society is facing a number of major transitions and that obviously requires knowledge. Knowledge to understand what’s going on in our society but also the application of knowledge. That is a task for us as University but also for the other educational and knowledge institutions of our region. When you look at the knowledge infrastructure of the Northern Netherlands, it is clear that we are already collaborating very well. We have an orderly playing field with three provinces, a couple of big cities, and a collective regional agenda that is also reflected in the strategic plans of the educational and knowledge institutions. All this facilitates the mutual collaboration.

’‘When you zoom in on the University, you could say that we are strongly represented in the humanities, technical sciences, medical sciences, as well as the social sciences. I’m convinced that the broad character of our University is a requisite for setting transitions in motion.’

Although the broad character of the University may appeal to Biemans on a personal level, it also means that Groningen has no clear profile. And that is sometimes tricky. ‘We have no leading industry here. We do have chains here and these companies are well-suited for experiments in terms of their scale, but we don’t have the large-scale chains that you see in other regions. Cities such as Rotterdam, Eindhoven, and Amsterdam have a clear profile thanks to their history. That provides direction.’

And yet, Biemans mainly sees the advantages of a broad university. He sees potential in AI, for example. ‘AI has many application areas and suits the broad character of our University and region perfectly. The UG, as well as the UMCG, are therefore advocating for the AI Factory to come to the Northern Netherlands. The AI Factory settling in the Northern Netherlands would mean a lot for the valorization in our region and will make our activities grow and accelerate.’ It means a front-row seat with a lot of potential for healthcare and many other domains.’

To further utilize the valorization potential within the UG/UMCG, Biemans sees an important task in inspiring researchers and connecting the valorization activities that the UG and UMCG are already doing.

‘Researchers have a natural fascination for academia. which is wonderful. However, we also need to challenge them to consider what their knowledge could mean for society. By inspiring researchers using examples, more ideas will emerge. This is reflected in the patent applications. That we are on the right track is also evident from the fact that no less than three Groningen spin-offs landed in the top 10 of the national Academic Startup Competition.’

‘In addition, we should forge better connections between the valorization activities that the UG and UMCG are already carrying out. Valorization is another game entirely. Most researchers could use some help with it. We have to make it as easy and attractive as possible.’

Recognition and rewarding plays an important role in this, something Biemans has observed as well. ‘We still have a long way to go in that respect. When you go back to the foundation of the University in 1614, the discussions were about educating bright minds to become what society needed at the time; legal professionals, priests, doctors. They weren’t talking about research, nor about impact/valorization yet. Today’s society needs people who can help solve societal issues. Help to make sure the agriculture in the Northern Netherlands doesn’t grind to a halt, health differences don’t increase any further, and to make the transition from fossil to sustainable possible.’

‘Belgium is definitely a few steps ahead of us as far as this is concerned. They are creating wonderful connections between universities, research institutions, and the industry. The Flemish government has said: we believe valorization is important and we will allocate structural funding for this. This annual funding comprises €60 million that is distributed among the five Belgian universities and UMCs based on KPIs. The beauty is: the support processes are funded by this.’

In answer to the question what Biemans would like researchers to know, he immediately has an answer. ‘That they have a choice. Look at the wide range of teaching, research, valorization and think about what suits you and your field. Bear in mind that we live in a time that demands solutions to societal issues. Think about the opportunities you have to contribute to this.’