TU Delft and Erasmus MC will benefit from government investment of € 8 million for MedTech innovations

The four technical universities in the Netherlands (4TU) are joining forces with three medical academic centers and venture investor Innovation Industries to bring medical technical solutions to the market faster. This week, the Ministries of Economics and Education, Culture and Science awarded € 8 million to the MedTech consortium from the Thematic Technology Transfer (TTT) system.

This TTT system is best practice in Europe in the field of support for spin-offs, incubators and universities. The consortium aims to further expand the good international position of the Dutch MedTech sector.

Technological innovations are desperately needed to keep healthcare affordable, qualitative and manageable in the long term. However, the route to the market is very complex and difficult for MedTech spin-offs. The Knowledge Transfer Offices (KTO) of TU Delft, TU Eindhoven, University of Twente and Wageningen University & Research are building a national and open program together with the KTOs of Erasmus MC, RadboudUMC and Maastricht UMC, and VC Fund Innovation Industries.

Less downtime and faster to the market

"The initiative for this application comes from 4TU, with the University of Twente as secretary," says Roy Kolkman, Manager of the KTO of the University of Twente. "With this investment we lay an excellent foundation for the MedTech spin-offs in the Netherlands. By enriching the breeding ground with the right knowledge and expertise, the chance of failure is smaller and the time-to-market is shortened."

Better propositions

"By joining forces between UMCs and TUs, we come up with strong propositions," says Thijs Spigt, KTO director of Erasmus MC. "The knowledge and experience within the consortium ensures faster validation and a better business proposition. Extensive attention is paid to clinical demand, technical feasibility and business development."

Expansion of leading position

"The Netherlands is a frontrunner in the development of new technologies. Bringing it to the market is, however, a major challenge. We are investing in this consortium and doing everything we can to make it successful. In addition to capital, we use our knowledge, experience and network to provide a important contribution ", says Pleuni Hooijman, fund manager at Innovation Industries.