On Wednesday 1 July the ten top campuses of the Netherlands published the manifesto top locations during a webinar. A manifesto in which reinforcement by the empire of physical campus development is central. In addition to an introduction about the added value of these innovation ecosystems by Bert Kip (chairman of Nationaal Campussen Overleg) and the presentation of the manifesto in words and pictures, reactions were requested from VNO-NCW (chairman Hans de Boer) and VSNU (chairman Pieter Duisenberg). Both are convinced of stimulating the campuses as success numbers. “Success numbers to cherish,” says Hans de Boer.
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Campus residents underline importance
The importance of the innovation ecosystems of campuses and science parks is underlined by the parties present in the webinar. Campus residents Dennis Schipper, managing director of DEMCON, and Linda Dijkshoorn, CEO and Founder EV Biotech are also present.
Linda Dijkshoorn during the webinar: “To be at Campus Groningen is really a stroke of luck. We are now in a shared facility ourselves, namely Innolab Agrifood. A wonderful facility in which we are close to larger companies, such as Avebe and Syncom, and close to science. The nice thing about it is that you get a lot of information and help. That total help and dedication to make the campus grow and its residents flourish, you really feel that as a startup”.
Dennis Schipper agrees with this added value: “Campuses are important to DEMCON because of the Human Capital present. It is important for us to be visible for talent, and to be able to do projects together with that talent, but also with employees of knowledge institutions. We are physically part of the ecosystem on the Campus, so that people literally cannot get around us”.
Success stories: scientists starting a business
Pieter Duisenberg, chairman of VSNU, speaks ‘last but not least’ in the webinar and indicates that he can repeat the words of Hans de Boer (VNO-NCW). As far as VSNU’s course of action is concerned, it dovetails seamlessly with what is described in the manifesto. “When it comes to start-ups specifically, for example, we want to be the number one attractive climate for academic start-ups. Dennis Schipper and Linda Dijkshoorn are good examples of this: two scientists who have each started their own company.
What’s next?
The webinar ‘Manifesto Top Locations’ is concluded by chairman of the National Campuses Consultation Bert Kip, with a pressing question from the moderator: How to proceed? “Heartwarming how the support of VNO and VSNU is being expressed and wonderful examples of knowledge workers becoming entrepreneurs in such an innovation ecosystem. That gives us energy. This is a starting shot for a project to bring the lobby more widely to the attention, and we as campuses will work hard for that. We hope that we have got a large number of ambassadors there today”, Bert Kip concludes.
About the Manifesto Top Locations
On Wednesday 1 July the ten top campuses of the Netherlands published the manifesto top locations during a webinar. In the Manifesto the campuses argue for joint government facilitation in 5 areas: shared facilities, accessibility, business development, acquisition and basic financing for campus organisations. Campuses are indispensable for a successful innovation policy.
