The Power of the Combination2009 Annual Report

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Contents

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Foreword by Kees Eijkel, CEO of Kennispark TwenteKennispark Twente is on the upEntrepreneurship is second nature at the UTNominations and awards in 2009

Entrepreneurship Talent for entrepreneurship Interview: FAME scheme is a significant step for student enterprise Successful start Successful growth Interview: It is all about long hours in the US TOP places in 2009

Innovation From idea to business Knowledge transfer Facility sharing Interview: TPRC underlines UT’s great expertise

Events and meetings

Area Room for entrepreneurship Events and meetings Guidance in locating business premises Interview: Kennispark - a unique area in Enschede

Results of Kennispark TwentePublication detailsPartners

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Creating an environment in which every ingredient is present for succes-sful high-tech enterprise and innova-tion. Combining the right elements and the right partners. The power of the combination: that is what it is all about. And this is what we have seen once again over the last year.

The combination of different partners, such as the research institutes at the University of Twente, BTC Twente, NIKOS, Innovation Platform Twente and our founding fathers, has ensured that we have been able to make significant progress in 2009. An example of this progress was the approval of the Master Plan for the Development of Kennispark Twente in January 2009. The launch of the open innovation centre with Stork Fokker, Ten Cate, Boeing and the University of Twente is another. These companies were looking for an enterprising area with substantial knowledge, and they found it in Twente. At the end of 2009, Kennispark Twente was also officially recognised as an innovation campus of national importance to the Netherlands, alongside Food Valley, the High Tech Campus and the BioScience-park in Leiden. We and our partners can be proud of this acknowledgement. We have worked hard to achieve it.

Internationally, Kennispark Twente is also working to build its reputation, and its name, despite not being translated, is surprisingly well known among internatio-nal contacts. In Melbourne (Australia), they were so impressed by our system that we have been asked to be a formal consultant to the largest park in Australia, labelling us a ‘benchmark project in the global arena’. This, too, is the result of the right combination of, in this case, Enschede municipal council, the Province of Overijs-sel, the University of Twente and, since recently, Saxion University of Applied Sciences.

In this annual report, we are delighted to take you through the various factors that make Kennispark Twente the place to be for high-tech entrepreneurs: ideas for new businesses, business development support facilities, talent, meetings and an inspiring environment. We will happily share with you the highlights of 2009 and the power of the combination in Twente.

Kees Eijkel CEO Kennispark Twente

Foreword The power of the combination

Kennispark Twente Team

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Things are really on the up for Kennis-park Twente. National recognition as one of the five innovation campuses in the Netherlands, a unique, open innovation centre with internationally operating companies, a growing number of start-ups working with the UT, the growing in-volvement of SMEs, and the space, which, administratively speaking, Twente has given to the physical development of the Kennispark and the economic develop-ment that goes with it, all help contribute to this.

The members of the steering committee – Carry Abbenhues (representative of the province of Overijssel) Ineke van Olde-niel (member of the Board of Governors at Saxion), Eric Helder (councillor in Enschede) and Kees van Ast (vice-chair of the Board of Governors at the University of Twente) – draw this conclusion from developments in 2009 with becoming modesty, but with great inner joy.

Incubator“Kennispark Twente is a complex pro-ject with many social aspects,” says Eric Helder. “In the initial stages, it is always difficult to highlight the use or impact effectively. I have always seen Kennispark Twente as an incubator for economic developments in Twente. The first results are now visible. Take the open innovation centre with Boeing, Stork Fokker, Ten Cate and the UT, for example, which is being acknowledged at national and even international level. That is very important for the trust of our market partners.”

Kennispark Twente is on the up

Close collaborationFor Carry Abbenhues, the involvement of these market partners is critical. Kennispark Twente is a long-term project, for which financial support from the business sector is vital. This also applies to area development and its physical aspects. “Moving forward in collaboration with the business sector is increasingly important in order to continue to syste-matically strengthen the region.” Support from the Twente region, the increasing involvement of Saxion, the collaboration with Boeing, Koninklijke Ten Cate and Fokker Aerostructures. The allocation of €7 million from the Economic Stimulation Fund for the High Tech Factory project by MESA+. “That’s exactly why we’re doing this. I have high expectations for the new business activities and employment op-portunities that will be created.”

CoalescingIneke van Oldeniel sees the coalescence of the UT and Saxion as a significant advantage. “Saxion has added value for the Kennispark. Technological innovation begins at the UT, but spin-offs often end up with people at higher professional education level. We develop innovation programmes too. For some of these pro-grammes, it is better for us to collaborate from the very start. In 2010, Saxion will be a valuable associate of Kennispark Twente.”

Saxion has 22,000 students, of whom 14,000 study in Enschede. The impor-tance of Twente as an economic and residential base for Saxion is evident. Ineke van Oldeniel sees that the Kennispark is developing itself as an engine for economic development in the region. “The Kennispark is for everyone in Twente, not just in Enschede. Fortunately, that idea is increasingly get-ting through to people.”

StrengthIt is key that the development of the Kennispark occupies a prominent place on the political Agenda of Twente along with the two other economical develop-ments at the airport and the ‘Heart of the South’ (incl. World Trade Center Twente). That is a condition for sustained deve-lopment in the long term. Kees van Ast: “Partners throughout society are beco-ming ever more involved in Kennispark Twente. The power of the combination is the key term. We keep everything com-pact and aim for visibility. The Corridor is the building in which everything involving innovation and entrepreneurship is con-centrated. This will also occur later in the Langezijds building. And not to forget, of course, the successes of the innovation institutes, or the Medical Imaging pro-gramme. We must allow knowledge from the UT to pervade the business sector. That is what leads to employment. That is Kennispark Twente for you.”

The members of the steering committee –

Carry Abbenhues (representative of the province of

Overijssel) Ineke van Oldeniel (member of the Board

of Governors at Saxion), Eric Helder (councillor in

Enschede) and Kees van Ast (vice-chair of the Board

of Governors at the University of Twente) – draw this

conclusion from developments in 2009 with becoming

modesty, but with great inner joy.

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“Entrepreneurship is in the UT’s blood. But I have the feeling that the innovative potential of the UT can be used even more,” says Martijn Kuit, managing director of MIRA, the institute for biomedical technology, since 2009. “The Board provides encouragement where possible. Kennispark Twente is the catalyst in the valorisation process. If we can tap every source within the UT, we can experience many exciting things in the future.”

EmploymentIn 2009, MIRA took a major step forward with the Centre for Medical Imaging, a joint venture with Siemens and the UMC Groningen. Martijn Kuit: “I expect an enormous amount of technological innovation from this major alliance. Top Technology for the Patient. In 2011, this CMI will also be physically located in Kennispark Twente, leading to an immediate creation of jobs.

Attracting big companiesJan Emmerzaal of IMPACT, who also

began as managing director in 2009, is dedicated to “unlocking the expertise that is often hidden within the UT”. “At IMPACT, we don’t come up with anything ourselves,” he says. “We translate expertise into business activities. How can we make the enormous expertise of the UT more accessible to the business sector? The challenge for 2010 is to learn even more than we do now about what the UT has to offer. The development of spin-off companies is continuing unaba-ted at high levels and has done so for more than 10 years. For every euro from the UT, we double it in the market. We are focused more on attracting big compa-nies such as Philips Drachten, BP and Shell, without, of course, losing sight of the smaller spin-offs.”

Kennispark Twente as a stepping stone to a more prominent position in EuropeFor Iddo Bante, managing director of CTIT, there was one undisputed highlight in 2009: the European Institute of Technology (EIT) made the UT the

coordination point for the first seven years of the EIT ICT Labs. NOKIA, Ericsson, Alcatel, SAP, Philips and the three Dutch universities of technology in Eindhoven, Delft and Enschede will develop strategies in a very extensive programme with an annual subsidy of €30 million to help “get technologically innovative products into the business sector” more rapidly. Iddo Bante: “This is European innovation par excellence. There will be numerous opportunities for truly enterprising ICT students. The foundation is the knowledge and exper-tise within the UT. Kennispark Twente will be a stepping stone to a more prominent position for the UT within Europe, with SMEs occupying a very important place. The directors of all our biggest companies unanimously acknow-ledge that without SMEs, these plans could not be achieved.”

High-Tech FactoryFor MESA+, the most important activity is the High-Tech Factory. This production facility for companies in micro and nanotechnology receives subsidies totalling more than €11 million from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Province of Overijssel and the Twente region. Managing director Miriam Luizink: “We will focus on the development of produc-tion processes, the establishment of an equipment fund, to support companies within and outside the UT. We will primarily try to help smaller SMEs that find it difficult to attract funding. Where possible, we will try to facilitate compa-nies based in Twente that work with

nanotechnology with our scientific knowledge and equipment. Strengthening the nano-industry in Twente is one of our key objectives.”

Venturelab TwenteFor Sjoerd van Tongeren of the IGS, the establishment of the VentureLab Twente in 2009 signified the birth of a new instrument that offers starting UT entrepreneurs the possibility of becoming more successful as an entrepreneur in society. “Technologists are not always the best business people. They’re too orien-ted towards technology. Starting a business is actually a social activity. VentureLab Twente is looking for entre-preneurs who want to use technology to make their company bigger. While the fundamental research carried out at the UT is vital, it has to be translated into practice in a business situation. You need tools for this, tools which have been developed on the basis of knowledge of social sciences.”

Product developmentSociety is not made up of technology but of people who apply technology. Oscar Peters of the IBR knows this better than anyone. Launching a particular product is all about an acceptance process. “We do not have products as such that we launch ourselves. We supply the market. I have noticed that the realisation is growing that products should ultimately be intended to increase the well-being of people and society. The IBR are increasin-gly involved, also at the beginning of a product development process.”

Innovative successes are piling up. Internationally, the six research institutes at the University of Twen-te have achieved key successes. The number of spin-off companies is increasing steadily. The directors of each institute are doing their utmost to optimise the valorisation together with Kennispark Twente. And there you have the key word: valorisation. Described by one director as: “how our knowledge rea-ches society.”

Entrepreneurship is second nature at the UT

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Nominations and awards in 2009Blue4Green Erik Staijen

Smart Signs Solutions, Xiophotonics, Twee R Recycling, Mobihealth and Steray.

Nominated

Young Technology Award 2009

Professor Detlef Lohse University of Twente

Simon Stevin Meesterschap

Sigmax

UT van den Kroonenberg Prijs

Capzo International Ootmarsum

StatiqCooling Rijssen

Eastern Netherlands in the Innovation Top 100

Nr. 6 MESA+

Nr. 8 ITC

Nr. 9 CTIT

Nr. 12 IMPACT

Nr. 23 Telematica Institute

Top 30 knowledge and research institutes in Technisch Weekblad magazine

Nominations for Deloitte Fast 50 for fast-growing engineering companies

This is the fourth consecutive year in which 10%

of candidates listed consisted of companies

from Twente.

Bizz Design Academy Enschede

ODS2 Enschede

TSI Solutions Enschede, spin-off University of Twente

Webprint Oldenzaal, winnaar Rising Start Twente, 2007

Xsens Technologies Enschede, spin-off University of Twente

Sqills Enschede, established by two former

students from the UT ODS2 Enschede

NWO Spinozapremie

Prof. dr. ir. A. (Albert) van den BergUniversity of Twente

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Entrepreneurship

The entrepreneurial University of Twente (UT) is a breeding ground for

new ideas, innovation and new technology. The perfect seed bed for

entrepreneurship. For the last 25 years, the UT has actively encouraged

its scientists, students and doctoral students to be enterprising.

Innovative entrepreneurs are the foundations on which economic

progress is built.

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Spin-off Blue4Green wins an award

The enterprising regionIn the Netherlands, the University of Twente leads the way in creating spin-off companies. Up until now, the UT has spawned more than 700 companies, with the total still growing. Since 2006, the UT has worked with Enschede municipal council (on behalf of Network City) and the Province of Overijssel to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation in the Twente region. This joint venture is called Kennispark Twente.

Kennispark Twente revolves around the creation of an environment in which knowledge- intensive entrepreneurship and innovation can be optimally utilised; an environment in which new business activities can start and develop. The aim is to create 10,000 new, high-quality jobs for the Twente region.

Talent for entrepreneurship

Everything begins with talent for entre-preneurship and the awareness of entrepreneurship as a career option - the seeds of which are sown during the period of study at the University of Twente.

Entrepreneurship as a career option As part of the strategic vision at the University of Twente (Route ’14),

a compulsory subject focusing on entrepreneurship was developed in 2009, which students in all faculties will follow during their Bachelor’s phase.

In addition, the Career Center Twente organises monthly get-togethers at which students can get to know companies based in Twente. On behalf of Kennispark Twente, a young company explains about entrepreneurship as a career option and about working for an SME after gradua-tion.

NIKOS Education in entrepreneurship is provided by the Dutch Institute for Knowledge-Intensive Entrepreneurship (NIKOS), which is part of the School of Management and Governance. This institute covers areas such as educa-tion, research, business development support and the interface between them. NIKOS facilitates the TOP scheme and VentureLab Twente for Kennispark Twente, both of which form part of the basis of research into methods and techniques to support entrepreneur-ship.

Entrepreneurship

Education in entrepreneurshipUT students also look for knowledge concerning entrepreneurship within the curriculum of the education programmes at the university. In 2009-2010, 35 students participated in the minor in Entrepreneurship and 27 students enrolled for the master track in Innova-tion & Entrepreneurship.

Student entrepreneurship In collaboration with the Student Union, Kennispark Twente provides support to enterprising students at the University of Twente through the platform Studentondernemer.nl. This platform has 76 student entrepreneurs currently registered, with an estimated number of some 150 active within the university.

In the past year, more than 100 requests for assistance have been submitted to the coordinator for student entrepreneurship. These requests vary from help in looking for office space to legal support. In 2009, seven student entrepreneurs transferred to the TOP scheme after graduation. In doing so, they took the first step towards launching their careers as entrepreneurs.

In addition to providing substantial support, Studentondernemer.nl also organises events for student entrepre-neurs, such as the student entrepreneur day held in May in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and Saxion Young Business Professionals. During this day, student entrepreneurs learned about support possibilities and developed their

skills during workshops. Some 100 enterprising students took part in this annual event.

During a speed-dating dinner in May, student entrepreneurs were given the opportunity to meet other such students as well as entrepreneurs from Twente who have recently set up businesses. Some 30 entrepreneurs exchanged experiences and got acquainted with one another.

UT News, 17 September 2009

On the evening of 5 November, UT alumnus Erik Staijen from the spin-off Blue4Green took home the Young Technology Award. In the Prismare Theatre in the Roombeek district of Enschede, the jury chose his lab-on-a-chip invention from six nominations as ‘the most convincing product’. The award, a cheque for five thousand euros and a glass trophy, is in-tended for young companies from the province of Overijssel that have their own in-house technology.

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Wessel Draijer estimates that there are between 100 and 150 students involved in a small company in one form or another. “Most begin in their third year, and while I couldn’t say what the actual numbers are, I would say that they are definitely growing.” The difficulty of combining study with running a business is most apparent during the graduation period. Wessel Draijer: “The students have to choose between graduating or continuing with their companies. Combining the two is virtually impossible. But FAME provides a solution to that problem.”

MentorStudent entrepreneurs who are admitted to the scheme get assigned a mentor and, if required, advice in various fields from Kennispark Twente. They can also secure a €10,000 interest-free loan.

Applicants must go through a rigorous selection procedure, however. They must be able to show that they excel at both their studies and their business, that they have a sound business plan and they must guarantee to show progress in their study programmes.

Employment“And not unimportantly,” says Wessel Draijer, “they must declare a willingness to remain in the region with their com-pany after they graduate. This is key to Kennispark Twente, one of the reasons being that they want to stimulate employ-ment opportunities in Twente.” WAME and Goal Gorilla were the first two companies to make use of the FAME scheme in 2009, with another two expected to join in the coming academic year.

For Wessel Draijer of the Student Union, the creation of the FAME scheme is by far the most important achievement of 2009. “It is a wonderful instrument with which to combine studying and student enterprise. The UT is the first university in the Netherlands to offer students this kind of systematic support in combining study and entrepreneurship.”

UT News, 3 September 2009

During the opening of the academic year, the first place on the FAME scheme was awarded to Menno van der Werff from the company Wame. The FAME scheme for enterprising students was officially launched on Monday. In doing so, the UT is the first university to offer students systematic support in combining their studies and their businesses.

FAME-regeling is krachtig instrumentFAME scheme up and running FAME scheme is a significant step for student enterprise

During ten Route Suc66 sessions, established and successful entrepreneurs shared their experiences on the road to success with 50 or so student entrepre-neurs and students with entrepreneurial ambitions.

FAME schemeThe FAME scheme was officially launched at the opening of the UT’s academic year on 1 September 2009. While compara-ble to a study scheme for professional sportsmen and women, FAME revolves around the offer of guidance in running a business and following a study pro-gramme. FAME offers student entrepre-neurs systematic support and guidance regarding study progress and the pos-sibility of arranging an interest-free loan. Two student enterprises are currently using the scheme, which is established in cooperation with the Rabobank Enschede-Haaksbergen and the Student Union.

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Successful start

To actually make a successful start is not easy, even if you have a good idea for a company and you have the requisite entre-preneurial knowledge. Kennispark Twente provides support in starting up new busines-ses with a range of different schemes.

25 years of TOPTOP stands for Tijdelijke Ondernemers Plaats [Temporary Place for Entrepreneurs] and is a scheme that organises the basic funding and coaching for start-ups. In addition, start-ups can also use the facilities of the department with which their company is affiliated. A total of 27 people were given a TOP place in 2009, 25 of whom qualified as technostarters. 2009 saw the 25th anniversary of the TOP scheme and in December 2009, NIKOS organised a festive reunion with TOP businesses and partners, which was attended by some 100 people.

VentureLab TwenteIn collaboration with NIKOS and Saxion’s Knowledge Centre for Innovative Entrepre-neurship, the VentureLab Twente was also launched in 2009. VentureLab Twente is a business development support programme for ambitious individuals and teams who start a new business or reorganise an existing company within the programme, the aim being to establish a high-tech, fast-growing company. In May, an initial group of 18 entrepreneurs started in the pilot programme, to be followed in October by the first official group with 24 partici-pants.

In November 2009, VentureLab Twente also received the NBIA Soft Landings Internatio-nal Incubator status from a panel of experienced business incubator managers. This programme acknowledges incubators that help other international companies enter the Dutch market.

The Legal DeskIn 2008, Kennispark Twente launched a legal desk where young (student) entrepre-neurs can go with legal questions and where they can get examples of standard con-tracts. The lawyer also assesses legal documents drawn up by the entrepreneurs themselves. In 2009, the lawyer was asked for support on 53 occasions, most of which involved assessing the general terms and conditions and standard contracts.

Incubator BTC-Twente2009 also saw close collaboration between Kennispark Twente and BTC-Twente, the oldest incubator in the Netherlands. BTC-Twente provides space and services to small and medium-sized business that wish to establish themsel-ves in the vicinity of the UT. As an incubator, BTC provides services, such as coaching and guidance, to entrepreneurs starting a business. In addition, the network meetings that BTC organises contribute to Kennispark Twente’s objectives. The monthly entrepreneurs’ get-together (BTC Café) is a good example of this. Since October 2009, BTC-Twente has been managing The Corridor, which is acting as a pilot location during the redevelopment phase of the Langezijds building. BTC-Twente will fulfil its incubator function in this new building and may also participate as an operating partner in the redevelopment of Langezijds into The Gallery.

TC Tubantia, 7 November 2009

A print factory for blood vessels and organs, a pharmaceutical industry, an aviation school and the development of biofuel for aircraft. Soon, this will all be possible in Twente. In the VentureLab Twente, dozens of ambitious plans such as these by entrepreneurs from all over the world are being hatched as we speak. The aim: three thousand jobs for highly qualified graduates.

Twente’s promising projectsentice the sharpest minds

At the end of 2009, 69 companies were located in the BTC building and the buildings managed by BTC-Twente (Capitool 50, Tpoint, Novay and The Corridor) under one tenancy agreement. Due to the financial crisis, occupancy rates were lower in 2009 than in previous years. In the BTC building, the average occupancy rate was more than 68%. In the other buildings this varied from 75% to more than 94%.

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At the end of May 2009, Kennispark Twente took part in the Silicon Summit in Palo Alto (USA), together with a number of young entrepreneurs. B&M Business Development, Recore Systems, Micronit and Novulo participated in workshops designed to take a close look at their companies and their skills, and to provide networking opportunities.

Contact with talent Growing companies need talented em-ployees. However, fast-growing SMEs are often overlooked by students and the companies do not yet have the resour-ces to actively recruit them. Kennispark Twente, often in cooperation with Career Center Twente, facilitates contact with talent in various ways.

During the Twente Recruitment Days in October 2009, Kennispark Twente facilita-ted the participation of nine companies, all of which took part in Career Center Twente’s ‘Twenteplein’. Kennispark Twen-te also provided young entrepreneurs with the opportunity to present themsel-ves to students during the Bright Twente get-togethers. These get-togethers are organised by Career Center Twente and are aimed at giving students a chance to get to know employers from the Twente region.

The job vacancy service on the Kennis-park Twente website was continued in 2009. This website enables Twente-based companies (particularly spin-offs) to publish their vacancies for free. This site was made known to the UT community through adverts in the UT News.

Technology Circle TwenteEvery entrepreneur knows the importance of networking. In June 2009, the Techno-logy Circle Twente (TKT) celebrated its 25th anniversary with a gala dinner. In honour of this anniversary, TKT and Kennispark Twente published a booklet entitled ‘Startfighters’, containing portraits of entrepreneurs with a unique tale to tell.

Successful growth

Entrepreneurs often start up alone or with a companion, expanding as soon as business starts to go well. Kennispark Twente supports knowledge-intensive companies in developing their ambitions.

International growthToo few start-ups succeed in converting their innovative technologies into succes-sful global brands, products and compa-nies. Through Embedded Coaching, Kennispark Twente enables entrepreneurs to give their business strategy an interna-tional focus. This is achieved by making use of intensive expert coaching, an extensive international network and an individually tailored programme in Silicon Valley (USA) for a period of eight weeks. Following a successful pilot in 2008, the Embedded Coaching programme was housed at Kennispark Twente in 2009, where attention centred on the design of the organisation of Embedded Coaching.

UT News, 22 October 2009

What exactly is the situation in terms of knowledge and innovation in the Nether-lands? This was the question on Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Verhagen’s lips when he visited the BTC opposite the UT yester-day. Director Rob de Koning took him round the complex where spin-offs from the UT and other small businesses are located. The Minister was impressed: “Twente is an excel-lent example of investment in knowledge and innovation”.

Minister praises innovative character of the region

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presentation for a group of venture capi-talists at the Summit. That is a significant accomplishment in itself. He failed to win “despite a formidable performance”, according to Paul Heysters. In addition to being a useful experience, the Silicom Summit also provided the opportunity to establish business contacts. Recore Systems has already been able to attract borrowed capital through a venture capitalist (source: Iddo Bante at CTIT, see further in this annual report). The Twente-based entrepreneurs also found it a very positive experience to be able to make contacts with other Dutch delegates with ambitions to expand into the US.

Access to a networkPart of the programme on the trip was a visit to the PlugAndPlay centre: a good example of an American incubator with a renowned office garden. “The great value of PlugAndPlay is not the space that they lease but the access that you gain to a huge network of venture capitalists and partners in the American market. Each week, pitches are given by companies and you can visit the big venture capitalists whenever you want. You can also make continual use of experienced business mentors who help you brainstorm about, say, your business model and put their network at your disposal,” says Jaap.

This was an experience the entrepreneurs would not have missed for the world. “This offer, this chance had added value and worked as catalyst,” say the partici-pants.

It is all about hard work in the US. Late to bed, early to rise. And all manner of activities in the period in between, all part of doing business. “It was long day again today. Sleep is not a favourite hobby here; we were told that a 72- hour work week is not unusual. However, I have the idea that ‘working’ is a fairly broad notion here,” writes Paul Heysters of Recore Systems in the diary he kept during the Silicom Summit trip to Silicon Valley organised by Kennispark Twente at the beginning of June 2009.

It is all about long hours in the US

It was with the following objectives that Kennispark Twente organised the mission to Silicon Valley: to apply an international focus, to learn from the examples in Silicon Valley, to expand the international network and, in particular, to take a closer look at company strategy. Four entrepreneurs were part of the delega-tion: Paul Heysters (Recore Systems), Jaap Beernink (B&M Business Development), Frank Wille (Novulo) and Ronny van ’t Oever (Micronit). “This type of mission contributes to your development as an entrepreneur: how do I present myself, how does the investment climate operate, what is the situation in the US,” says one of the participants.

You are who you knowNetworking is also a key part of doing business in the US. “However,” says Ron-nie van ‘t Oever, “the way of doing busi-ness here is very different to Europe, the

approach to the sales process is slightly different. It appears in this respect that networking is very important here, and to a certain extent ‘you are who you know’.”Jaap Beernink goes on: “Today, I have two meetings planned, the first is a breakfast meeting, which suits me perfectly, by the way. I might try to introduce it in the Ne-therlands. Here, business is often done in cafes and restaurants anyway. At 8 a.m. the cafes are full with breakfast meetings and this is also true at lunchtime.”

Selling yourself in one pitchPitching should be common practice for entrepreneurs who want to do business in the US. The Twente delegation expe-rienced dozens of pitches, followed trai-ning courses, and worked on their own presentations, often into the small hours, without ever knowing if they would be as-ked to ‘tell their story’. But sure enough, Ronnie van ‘t Oever was chosen to hold a

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In 2009, 27 people were given a TOP place..

TOP Places in 2009

Blue4GreenDaan Sistermans

LightmotifJeroen van Tienhoven

SocialMineDennis Doubovski

AKO EngineeringAlbert Koopman

DistimoRemco van der ElzenVincent Hoogsteder

Ruben Heerdink

Mylife Technologies

Bystrova DynteqMarkvoortLenferinkHaverslag

Agrawal EcolabsPramod Agrawal

MobiHealth BVKnoppel

Kryoz Technologies

De Hoon

SMCWolbers

Cooll BVJohannes Burger

Meijer

SeeEziElisa GielenPaul Jenkins

Amitek Model Factory

Rob WermenbolVan der Zouw

Inertia Technology

Marin-Perianu

InpressionMichiel van der Kwast

Avions VoisinLievaart

Meulenbelt

Talent, Praktijk voor kind en jeugd

Mariët Reesink

ELS CompanyEls Holland

Innovation

Innovative businesses ensure a flexible and vital economy and new

employment. In the new knowledge economy, the importance of rapid

interpretation, exchange and application of up-to-date knowledge in new

products and technologies is increasing. Kennispark Twente provides

more knowledge transfer and collaboration between knowledge institutes

and companies.

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work placement or graduation assign-ments, student entrepreneurs, as well as departments and professors. Since it began two years ago, the SKP has received 346 requests for knowledge - in-cluding 115 requests in 2009 - from 290 different companies. Only 7% of these requests were not linked to a spin-off, department or UT student.

Science ShopThe UT Science Shop (Wewi) is the link between the university and society. The Wewi provides services to social organisa-tions, interest groups, individuals and SMEs that need scientific research carried out or require expert knowledge such as that available at the UT. In 2009, the Wewi conducted the same number of research projects as the year before: 17, of which 14 were published as public reports and three embargoed. The number of applications submitted rose from 73 in 2008 to 89 in 2009.

The highlight for the Science Shop was the publication of the report ‘50 years of Christian Democratic Cooperation in the EUREGIO’ in three different languages. The Dutch, English and German editions were presented to Mr Hans-Gert Pötte-ring, chairman of the European Parlia-ment, Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenen-de and the European CDA party leader Wim van de Camp. The report was written by Shira Godfried, a Master’s student in European Studies.

Innovation vouchersWith the SenterNovem innovation vou-cher, SMEs can gain knowledge by submitting a research assignment to a knowledge institute. The results of the assignment can be used within the company to revamp products, processes or services. In 2009, 22 innovation vouchers were submitted to the UT.

Facility Sharing

In 2007, Kennispark Twente started with Facility Sharing projects, which involves making university equipment and facilities available. Start-ups can use these, for example, to conduct tests, do research in a specific environment or equip a pilot production location. The MESA+ High-Tech Factory is one such example.

High-Tech FactoryThe High-Tech Factory is a new produc-tion facility on the UT campus. The old university clean room is being converted into a new production facility for compa-nies in the micro and nanotechnology sectors, enabling bulk production for the commercial market.

The companies involved are mostly spin-offs of MESA+, the Institute for Nanotechnology. The arrival of this production facility enables them to focus on their operational management and growth.

Innovation

From idea to business

Business DevelopmentMany new technologies and ideas are born at the University of Twente. Since 2009, the UT has had a Business Develop-ment team in place at the institutes coordinated by Kennispark Twente. This team supports the invention, develop-ment and transfer of ideas that could lead to business.

Key tasks are: • scouting & screening of research into promising ideas;• process supervision for the protection of intellectual property;• spin-off development and ‘go-to- market’, such as support in developing a business plan, subsidies, contracts, contacts, etc.);• the transfer of opportunities for valorisation.

Business developers are active within the technical research institutes of the UT. In this way, they are close to the resear-chers. This team is centrally managed by Kennispark Twente. Since mid-2009, the team has charted some 70 inventions, just under 50% of which are being actively supervised.

This has resulted in attracting invest-ments, protection through patents, subsidies such as valorisation grants and agreements concerning the transfer of intellectual property.

PatentsA key element of the work done by the Business Development team is the protection of promising knowledge, part of which is through patent applications. The UT has a special Patent Fund aimed at enabling the knowledge developed within the UT to transfer through to the business sector in greater quantities, faster and more efficiently (at a reasona-ble price). In 2009, 30 patent applications were submitted, of which six received a contribution from the Patent Fund.

Knowledge transfer

Student Knowledge PortalThe UT has various portals that enable SMEs and less resolute social organisati-ons to use the knowledge available at the UT. The Student Knowledge Portal (SKP) links requests from SMEs to experts at the UT. These could be students with

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On 13 July 2009, Maria van der Hoeven (Minister for Economic Affairs) visited the UT to hand over €11.6 million to Miriam Luizink, managing director of MESA+, for the High-Tech Factory. The High-Tech Factory has already received a €4.4 million subsidy from the EA programme ‘Pieken in de Delta’ [Peaks in the Delta] and €2.2 million from the province of Overijssel. The Ministry of EA will now contribute a further €7.6 million on condition that the province of Overijssel and the Twente region guarantee that they will underwrite the co-financing of another €4 million, bringing the total available budget to €11.6 million.

In June 2009, a very special open innovation centre opened at Kennispark Twente: the Thermoplastic Composites Research Centre (TPRC). Participants are the American airplane manufacturer Boeing, Royal Ten Cate, Fokker Aerostructures and the UT. “It is easy to see that this collaboration underlines the expertise in technological innovation at the UT,” says Pia Snijder, Boeing’s strategic director for Northern Europe and managing director of the TPRC.

TPRC underlines UT’s expertise

The world’s biggest airplane manufactu-rer is working on the development of an extensive and diverse network of centres for technological innovation, and in order to do so, the company has developed a very special model, a world first. Pia Snij-der: “They are open innovation centres, in which the participants contribute their expertise in technology and finances to a separate company. Boeing does not have exclusive rights to the products from the collaboration. The intellectual property of the new technology lies with the partici-pants. It is beneficial to Boeing not to have to carry out technological innovation alone nor to have to buy expertise. Other parties can also benefit from our knowledge. In this way, a scientific and independent research centre has been set up in which companies can collaborate on the basis of trust and without fear of competition. This is the best way to utilise extensive, global technological knowledge.”

EmploymentThe global network currently comprises twelve innovation centres, none of which overlap. Of those centres, only one focuses on the innovation of thermoplastic compo-sites and that is in Twente. And will be for at least five years. Pia Snijder expects the TPRC to boost employment. “We intend to involve SMEs in Twente wherever we can, which is one of the reasons the province of Overijssel is willing to provide us with financial support. And it also fits perfectly with the aims of Kennispark Twente.”

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After all, the necessary basic infrastruc-ture has already been realised within the High-Tech Factory. An equipment fund has also been formed, from which companies can request the necessary production equipment. In 2009, the High-Tech Factory received €11.6 to support this equipment fund and to redevelop the production environment.

Thermoplastic Composites Research CenterKennispark Twente is also dedicated to the development of open innovation centres in which companies and the UT can collaborate on open innovation. In this way, the knowledge within the UT is also valorised and R&D activities and employment opportunities in Twente created. Establishing such innovation centres involves intensive collaboration between Innovation Platform Twente and Oost NV.

On Friday 12 June 2009, members of the Boards of Boeing, Royal Ten Cate, Stork Fokker and the University of Twente signed an agreement for the establish-ment of a new Thermoplastic Composites Research Center (TRPC) in Kennispark Twente. In the centre, the parties will conduct research into the technology of thermoplastic composites for the aviation industry. This technology has to deliver new and cost-efficient production and assembly processes that offer key environmental benefits. Until now, more than 50 companies have registered their interest in the TPRC Community..

Millions for high-tech factory

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12 May 2009:Speed-dating dinner for young entrepreneurs

12 June 2009:Launch of the Thermoplastic Composites Research Center

13 May 2009: Student entrepreneurs’ day

12 June 2009:Getting acquainted with Nano4 Vitality and UT Innovation lecture

5 November 2009: Young Technology Award

12 June 2009: 25 years of Technology Circle Twente and the launch of ‘Startfighters’

EventsandMeetings

13 May and 10 December 2009: Symposium Entrepreneurship for PhD students

10 December 2009: 25th anniversary reunion of TOP scheme

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Area

One of the preconditions for successful entrepreneurship is a physical

environment that inspires starters and attracts established companies.

An inviting research and business climate in an exciting location where

talent is present in abundance. Kennispark Twente’s physical area

covers the UT campus and the adjacent Business & Science Park.

An area of some 180 hectares, with more than 300 companies.

Together they represent 5,000 jobs in the industry and another 3,000 or

so in education and research. In the last year, work has largely focused

on the Master Plan for the Development of Kennispark Twente and the

redevelopment of the UT’s Langezijds building.

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gateway to The Gallery’ and was officially opened in the first quarter of 2010. It is now frequently used by young start-up VentureLab participants, the Twentse lab for Telemedicine and several other young companies. Kennispark Twente has also relocated its organisation to these premises, as has Innovation Platform Twente. The Corridor and The Gallery are a key part of the Area Development Master Plan on account of the concentra-tion of innovation and entrepreneurship there.

Events and meetings

Meetings between scientists and entrepre-neurial talent and financiers are a vital element in the Kennispark Twente area. These meetings can be both planned and ad hoc. In the latter case, people can bump into one another in any one of the many facilities in the area: at a match of the national soccer champion FC Twente, an evening at Cinestar movie theatre or while skating at Twente ice rink. In

addition, Kennispark Twente’s calendar, and those of its partners, is full with meetings at which entrepreneurs can get together, with financiers, talented students and partners. Below are a number of examples.

Young Technology Award 2009The finals of the Young Technology Award 2009 were held on the evening of Thursday,5 November, and was attended by some 90 interested parties. Six nominees battled for the award for most promising technology company. During the final, each company presented itself to the jury and the audience in an elevator pitch. The jury comprised Geert Kolthof (Service2Media, winner of the national Rising Star Award in 2008), Martijn Kuit (managing director of MIRA biomedical research institute) and Mark van Buiten (Eurosafe Solutions, serial entrepreneur).

The nominees were Blue4Green, Smart Signs Solutions, Xiophotonics, Twee R Recycling, Mobihealth and Steray. The award went to Erik Staijen with his company Blue4Green, who received a cheque for €5,000 from Kennispark Twente and Innovation Platform Twente intended to boost his company.

Room for entrepreneurship

Area Development Master PlanThe ‘Master Plan for the Development of Kennispark Twente’ is the spatial transla-tion of Kennispark Twente’s ambitions. New companies require space and an attractive environment that fits the bill and draws new companies. The master plan transforms the three areas of Kennispark Twente into a single spatial unit that stimulates the coming together and collaboration of knowledge and business. The UT campus, the Business & Science Park and the interjacent provin-cial road will become one.

In January 2009, Enschede council approved the ‘Master Plan for the Deve-lopment of Kennispark Twente’. The UT Board had already approved the plan. 2009 saw the further search for funding for the implementation of the plan and the alteration of the zoning plan. A study was also carried out into the existing amenities for entrepreneurs in the area and how these could be shared.

Campus of national importanceIn late 2009, Kennispark Twente was declared an innovation campus of national importance. On behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, BUCK consultants conducted a study into Dutch

knowledge campuses. Of the 55 initia-tives that call themselves campuses, more than 50% are nothing more than an industrial estate. There are a mere four fully developed campuses in the Nether-lands, one of which is Kennispark Twente.

A campus of national importance is not only a natural and, for knowledge workers and R&D departments, attractive crystallisation point for open innovation and public-private R&D collaborative opportunities, it is also an innovation accelerator nationwide on account of its distinctive capabilities and ability to anticipate national priorities. In the international competition climate sur-rounding R&D centres and knowledge workers, a good campus can be a significant asset.

The Corridor: Gateway to The GalleryThe redevelopment of the UT’s Lange-zijds building into The Gallery was also continued in 2009 in collaboration with Kondor Wessels Projecten. The project scheduling was changed due to market conditions, which is why a pilot started in October 2009 in an empty building of Enschede municipal council. In this building, the concept of incubator, events, contact with talent, financiers and others was created and refined. The building is called: ‘The Corridor, your

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Powered by Twente: events for entre-preneurship and innovationThe Powered by Twente Foundation was set up on 17 November 2009. This is a foundation that organises events aimed at entrepreneurship and innovation, events not only organised by the foundation itself but also by other parties in the region that are proud that their event is held in Twente and are only to happy to give it the ‘Powered by Twente’ name. The Innoversum Innovation Conference was planned for June 2009, but due to poor market conditions has been moved forward to April 2010, where it will be held under the ‘Powered by Twente’ label.

Workshops for entrepreneurial scientistsA workshop was held for doctoral students from the UT on 13 May and 10 December 2009. On these two occasions, some 30 scientists looked more closely at setting up their own companies. After a short introduction about the support possibilities offered by Kennispark Twente, the workshop went into the value of patents in more depth. Other subjects included writing an application for an STW Valorisation Grant and how to apply for a patent. In the December workshop, additional topics included patents and business development at the UT.

Knowledge intensive companies looking for premises in Twente can be assisted by Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij Oost NV at the behest of Kennispark Twente. This involves the establishment of contact with potential partners, as well as information concerning office locations, projects and funding.

New premises and expansionsIn 2009, a total of eight new companies were established in Twente with a direct link to the UT or other knowledge institutes. Two companies were linked as part of Kennispark Twente. Together, these projects bring with them some €12 million in investments and 158 jobs. In this way, Kennispark Twente has become an important magnet for the Eastern Netherlands. Half of the R&D projects supported by Oost NV in 2009 were realised within Kennispark Twente. The same is true for 50% of the R&D-rela-ted jobs and almost 42% of R&D invest-ments from the Eastern Netherlands.

For UT campus manager Pieter Binsbergen, the approval of the Area Development Master plan in 2009 signifies an important step forward in the redevelopment of the entire area. “We are busy creating a new district in Enschede. Kennispark Twente must become a key district, like Roombeek. An area that has a green character and a dynamic appeal, with high levels of activity and interesting events held on a regular basis.”

Kennispark: a unique district in Enschede

Pieter Binsbergen envisages a large Kennispark Twente: the campus plus the area on the other side of the Hengelose-straat: the Business and Science Park, Go Planet, the ice rink, the Grolsch Veste.

International ambitions“2,500 people live on campus, and 12,000 currently work and study in the whole area every day. In a year’s time, Lange-zijds will be bristling with new activity. The amenities for recreation on the campus alone are already of a very high standard. This should be used for the creation of a new profile for Kennispark, where people can work and relax at a high level. The area around Amsterdam has a natural appeal. Here, we have to go that little bit further. Everything is possible. It is a question of alerting the rest of the Netherlands to that fact. We have to take some important steps. I am very much drawn to the level of ambition

here, which FC Twente chairman Joop Munsterman continually cites in his pep talks.”

Train station Kennispark TwenteIn Pieter Binsbergen’s eyes, Kennispark Twente is the vehicle with which to get an effective Twente Promotie up and running, without forgetting to emphasise the green character of Twente. “But Twente is also a great place for young people to live. The economic spin-off from the UT is by far the biggest in the Netherlands. With all the opportunities that that creates. Green. Young. Dynamic. Technological. That is Twente. That is Kennispark. Drienerlo Station should really be renamed Kennispark Twente Station. You can feel that you are in a unique area straight away.”

Guidance in locating business premises

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Looking at the Eastern Netherlands, 50% of the R&D projects supported by Oost NV are located in the Kennispark. These projects bring with them some €12 million in investments and will, in

time, create 158 extra jobs. This makes Kennispark Twente an important magnet for knowledge-intensive companies in the Eastern Netherlands.

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Results of Kennispark TwenteTPRC

‘Financieel dagblad’ newspaper, 15 June 2009

Airplane manufacturer Boeing will be a partner in a new research centre for thermo-plastic materials at the University of Twente. Together with companies such as Royal Ten Cate and Stork Fokker, Boeing hopes to develop new composite materials here “within several years” that are lighter, stronger and more environmentally friendly than the current generation of composites. Jan Närlinge, president of Boeing Northern Europe, expects that, within five years, the new Thermoplastic Composites Research Centre (TPRC) in Twente will be producing materials that can actually be used in airplanes.

Entrepreneurship

The figures for Kennispark Twente show that student entrepreneurs turn out to become serious entrepreneurs. After graduation, seven student entrepreneurs received a TOP place, which enabled them to put serious effort into pursuing their businesses. In September, two student entrepreneurs made immediate use of the new FAME scheme, enabling them to combine their studies and entrepreneur-ship and indicate their willingness to re-main in Twente after graduation. We also saw an increase in the number of TOP places granted and a large number of par-ticipants in the new Venturelab Twente: 42. As a result, knowledge- intensive entrepreneurship remains an enduringly popular career option in Twente.

Companies and jobs

The total number of companies in the park has dropped slightly, while the number of jobs in the area increased marginally. R&D activities in the park remain high. This means that despite the financial and economic crisis, knowledge-intensive companies have grown in volume.

Kennispark Twente in cijfers 2006 2007 2008 2009 Totaal

Stimulation of entrepreneurship

Number of active student businesses Unknown 55 82 76 Number of students in FAME scheme 2 TOP places granted 10 21 21 27 336*Number of jobs at TOP companies 1984-2008 2254Participants in Venturelab Twente (started in 2009) 42

Companies and jobs

Jobs in the area (excl. UT) 4669 5332 5549 5611 +62Number of companies in the area 302 324 355 323 -32

Knowledge transfer

Patent applications 24 20 14 30 Number of requests from SMEsthrough the Knowledge Portal (start 2007) 114 121 115 Number of requests to Science Shop 72 69 73 89

* Total number of TOP companies since the TOP Scheme began in 1984. The total number of spin-off companies from the UT (including TOP companies) is approx. 700.

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Kennispark Twente is a joint initiative of:

Kennispark Twente is made possible with the help of:

Partners

Editorial staffKennispark Twente and Axis Media-ontwerpers

Design and layoutAxis Media-ontwerpers

PrintingDrukkerij Te Sligte

PhotographyUniversity of Twente Communication Department, Jan Schartman Fotografie, Eric Brinkhorst Fotografie

TextJaninka Feenstra, Kennispark Twente, and Marcel te Kiefte

Stichting Kennispark TwentePO Box 2177500 AE EnschedeThe Netherlands

Visiting addressThe CorridorHengelosestraat 525EnschedeThe Netherlands

T +31 53 489 4118F +37 53 489 2098E contact@kennispark.nlW www.kennispark.nl

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