The Twente University Fund will present the first-ever Van den Kroonenberg Lifetime Achievement Awards during the Opening of the Academic Year on 31 August. The awards will be presented to four alumni who were driving forces or pioneers behind the development of internationally leading technology companies: Jitse Groen (Just Eat Takeaway.com), Sytse Sijbrandij (GitLab), Geert-Jan Bruinsma (Booking.com) and Martin van den Brink (ASML).
The lifetime achievement awards are being introduced as part of the University of Twente’s 65th anniversary celebrations. Through these awards, the Fund aims to honour entrepreneurs and innovators who grew from Twente into global game changers. Alumni who demonstrated vision and courage, embodying the entrepreneurial spirit of the University of Twente in an exceptional way.
“For 65 years, the University of Twente has been known as the entrepreneurial university. These four alumni demonstrate the impact that entrepreneurship, technological innovation and perseverance can have. Their work has reached millions of people worldwide and fundamentally transformed entire industries,” says Erik Tissingh, chair of the Van den Kroonenberg Award jury. “The University of Twente is immensely proud of these alumni.”
Four alumni with global impact
Business Information Technology alumnus Jitse Groen founded Thuisbezorgd.nl while still a student. What started as a simple online platform grew into Just Eat Takeaway.com, one of the world’s largest food delivery companies. Groen subsequently became one of the Netherlands’ best-known technology entrepreneurs.
Industrial Engineering and Management alumnus Sytse ‘Sid’ Sijbrandij co-founded GitLab and built it into a global open-source software platform used by millions of developers. GitLab became one of the most successful software companies with Dutch roots and is widely recognised as a pioneer in fully remote working.
Geert-Jan Bruinsma, also an Industrial Engineering and Management alumnus, laid the foundations for Booking.nl, which later evolved into Booking.com. His idea of making hotel reservations accessible online proved far ahead of its time and developed into one of the world’s largest travel platforms.
Applied Physics alumnus Martin van den Brink played a key role as technological architect and long-serving CTO of ASML in developing the advanced chipmaking machines that underpin the global semiconductor industry. Under his technical leadership, ASML grew into one of Europe’s most important technology companies.
A tribute to pioneering spirit
The awards are named after Harry van den Kroonenberg, former Rector Magnificus of the University of Twente and one of the founding figures behind the concept of the entrepreneurial university. Since 1984, the annual Van den Kroonenberg Award has recognised an alumnus with a proven track record in entrepreneurship at a young age.
To mark the university’s 65th anniversary, a special one-off edition has been created. The four laureates are being honoured for their pioneering contributions to innovation, technology development and entrepreneurship. The awards ceremony will take place during the Opening of the Academic Year on Monday 31 August and will also mark the beginning of the University of Twente’s anniversary year.
About the Opening of the Academic Year
On Monday 31 August, the University of Twente will officially open the 2026–2027 academic year. The event will also mark the start of the university’s anniversary year, celebrating its 65th anniversary. Under the theme Courage, alumni stories will take centre stage. In addition to the presentation of the Van den Kroonenberg Lifetime Achievement Awards, the programme will feature a keynote address by Minister and UT alumna Heleen Herbert, as well as the Graduation Awards 2026.
More information about the (regular) Van den Kroonenberg Award can be found here.
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