Successful Science with Impact event for UG and UMCG researchers at DOT Groningen

On 19 March, Business Generator Groningen and the UMCG Innovation Center jointly organized Science with Impact; Collaborate with Industry to Advance and Valorize your Research at DOT Groningen. The afternoon was organized for UG and UMCG researchers who want to learn more about how they can turn their research into an innovative product together with the industry.

Marcel Levi, Professor of Medicine at Amsterdam UMC/University of Amsterdam and Chair of the Dutch Research Council (NWO), talked about what researchers can gain from collaborating with the industry and why impact matters to the NWO. Hedderik van Rijn, Professor of Experimental Psychology and Founder of MemoryLab BV, talked about his successful road to the market and the satisfaction that combining science and entrepreneurship still brings him on a daily basis.

Groningen number 1 valorization city of Europe

Additionally, a panel, highlighted various perspectives on valorization, and discussed what we can do to make Groningen the number one valorization city of Europe. The panel members were Nettie Buitelaar (CEO of Biotech Booster), Peter Ketelaar (Managing Director of Life Cooperative), Wouter Nagengast (Professor of Experimental Endoscopy and Molecular Diagnostics and principal investigator of the Optical Molecular Imaging Group, UMCG), and Wiro Niessen (Professor of AI in Medical Imaging & Health, Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, and board member of the UMCG).

What entrepreneurial researchers need to succeed

A small survey showed that researchers need the following for successful valorization:

• A valorization-embracing culture
• Examples of successful entrepreneurial researchers
• Training on valorization
• Matchmaking with industry
• 1-to-1 counseling/ mentorship

Valorization as valuable core task of a university/ UMCG

Overall, it was a successful afternoon in which we managed to position valorization as valuable core task within the university/a UMC and were able to inspire many researchers to make an impact with their research.

Want to make a societal impact with your research?

Researchers who have ideas on how to take their research results to market and society, can contact Business Generator Groningen or the UMCG Innovation Center.

Retrospective

Impressions of the afternoon