Twente Technology Week, scheduled from May 19 to May 23, might supply many answers. Organizers have planned activities, such as, workshops, readings, company tours and dinners with local businesses for all University of Twente master's students, PhD candidates and students from the Saxion Hogeschool in Enschede. `Around 15 to 20 local businesses will be participating in the event,' says Janinka Feenstra, communications coordinator for the Kennispark Twente.
Since December of 2007, plans for Twente Technology Week have been directed under Kennispark Twente, namely its policy director Patrick Welman. Kennispark Twente is supporting business development at the UT through a wide spectrum of business programs, which will be featured during the week. In essence, Kennispark Twente is `designed to put science to work.'
A new generation of graduates is no longer seeking the traditional career path of being employed long-term by a single large corporation. In fact, graduates are interested in starting and running their own small businesses. Feenstra explains, `We want this event to be an eye-opener since most students only come across the large multinational companies and aim for a career with those companies—only because they are not aware about their other options and we want to show them the other option.'
As an external consultant for IMPACT Business Accelerator, guest speaker Biba Potic, will discuss the possibilities to translate knowledge generated by PhD research to a business. She believes, `The path to innovation in Twente is not just from technology push created by the university knowledge platform, but also technology pull from the industrial networks, such as, Mechatronics Valley Twente, a partner of the program.'
Apart from information, according to Potic, IMPACT Business Accelerator, is helping young professionals to structure a business from concept to a solid business case by providing them with professional help from different areas, such as, marketing, patent positioning and business development. `We link ourselves also to the professional business development programs within the Innovatieplatform Twente. The recent support from the chairman of the Supervisory Board of the IMPACT institute, Tjerk Gorter, helps us to build the bridge between industry and academia to renew the business climate in the region of Twente and on a national scale through his company Qanbridge.'
On Wednesday morning the director of Kennispark, Kees Eijkel, will open the PhD session with an introduction of the valorization centre. On that day, there will also be an entire program in English that is devoted to PhD students to overcome the difficulties of starting to think in a business sense. Guest speakers will cover a range of key topics, including issues related to intellectual property rights, TOP program (initial financing and coaching for start-up businesses), Business Accelerators (IMPACT, Mesa + and CTIT) and closing with an open discussion during lunch with invited speakers.
Twente Technology Week allows students to learn step by step how to be established as modern entrepreneurs, contributing to a wider audience, and securing sustainability in today's many changing and emerging markets. Potic thinks, `Twente Technology Week will be the route from knowledge resources in academia to the creation of innovative businesses.'
For more information about the event in (Dutch and English) and to register, visit the Powered by Twente website, www.poweredbytwente.nl
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| The Kennispark Twente held its organizational team meeting on April 21 in final preparation for the upcoming Twente Technology Week with KIVI NIRIA Students Twente, the Student Union Association and IMPACT Business Accelerator. (Foto: Arjan Reef) |
