The University of Twente has presented eight companies with an innovation voucher, each worth 10,000 euros. The companies will be using their vouchers to make use of facilities, support, training sessions or research at one of the university’s seven Centres of Expertise.
The University of Twente has reserved 50 innovation vouchers for SMEs, with a total value of 500,000 euros. These vouchers are intended to further promote collaboration between the knowledge-intensive SME sector and the Centres of Expertise. “It’s great to see that international and regional SMEs are interested in working together with the University of Twente, and are taking the initiative”, says Miriam Luizink, director of Strategic Business Development.
First vouchers
On 3 December the first vouchers were presented at the ThermoPlastic composite Research Center to eight companies: Whitefox Technologies, BLUE-tec, SoundEnergy, Van Wees UD and Crossply Technology, BioVolt, Infotopics, DiaBox and EyemergE.
BLUE-tec, which is developing a new type of membrane technology, is delighted to receive the innovation voucher. The company will use it to conduct research at the European Membrane Institute (EMI) of the University of Twente. “We are investigating whether we can make Forward Osmosis membranes and modules on the basis of existing membranes. This will enable us to develop an optimum membrane concept at an acceptable price,” explains director Lex van Dijk of BLUE-tec.
The next round
The University of Twente has now opened the next round for innovation vouchers applications. Companies can submit their project proposal until 31 March 2016. One eligibility condition for the 10,000-euro voucher is that the company is a new user of the facilities of the Centre of Expertise in question. A private contribution of at least 2,500 euros is required.
Centres of Expertise
The vouchers can be used at one of the following Centres of Expertise of the University of Twente:
- European Membrane Institute (EMI)
- ThermoPlastic composite Research Center (TPRC)
- MESA+ NanoLab
- Experimental Centre for Technical Medicine (ECTM)
- Centre for Service Robotics (LEO)
- Virtual Reality Laboratory (VR-lab/T-Xchange)
- DesignLab
The innovation vouchers is part of the Strategic Business Development programme of the University of Twente, intended to strengthen its relationship with the business community.
