Two delegations from Japan visited the University of Twente and Novel-T early september. Both were here to find out more about Twente and to learn about our approach to innovation and enterprise.
Japan has its own equivalent of the Dutch ‘top sector’ policy. A delegation including scientists, senior officials from the Japanese Ministry of Economic Affairs and the director of the Japanese high-tech materials programme recently visited the University of Twente. Geert Dewulf, dean of the Faculty of Engineering Technology, was among the welcoming party. “This visit was the result of an open invitation issued by the former rector, Ed Brinksma, during a mission to Japan,” he explains. “Our visitors had two main objectives: to strengthen our existing ties, especially in the field of high-tech materials, and to learn more about how we collaborate with industry and our own spin-off companies.”
The first three projects which the university will undertake in association with our Japanese partners were announced during the visit. It seems likely that they are the precursor to close and ongoing cooperation. Prof. Dewulf is confident that formal partnership agreements will be finalized during the months ahead.
Delegation from the Kansai region
The University of Twente and Novel-T welcomed another large delegation from Japan in the same week. This was a mission from the Kansai region, where numerous large electronics firms are based. Kansai has a population of some 21 million and a gross domestic product comparable to that of the Netherlands. Our guests were seventeen senior representatives of eight large companies who were undertaking an eight-day tour of the most important European innovation ecosystems. Their business contacts had urged the mission’s organizers to include Twente on the itinerary. Wilbert Pontenagel of Novel-T was closely involved in arranging the visit. “The delegation members wanted to know more about the ways in which we work alongside the private sector, the ecosystem of startups we have created, and how we promote cross-pollination between research and commerce. They were particularly keen to hear about our practical experiences.”
The visitors were welcomed to the University of Twente campus by Victor van der Chijs, president of the Executive Board. Having heard how our regional history has spawned an ecosystem in which innovation and enterprise thrive, they were shown some examples. Spin-off company 4Silence demonstrated how new scientific knowledge underpins the creation of a successful commercial enterprise which can take full advantage of the Twente ecosystem. A representative from Thales explained that the benefits are not only felt by startups but also by large multinationals.
Wilbert Pontenagel is proud that the delegation decided to come to Twente – the other side of the world – to learn from us. “I confidently predict that this visit will lead to close cooperation between our university and the companies of the Kansai region. Creating strong ties between innovative ecosystems is a good thing. We can all learn a lot from each other.”
