The Innoversum Convention on the business opportunities of nano-technology in the food, sports and health sectors was a success. We welcomed approx. 400 visitors.  Some highlights. Member of the national Innovation Platform and the ‘most influential man’ in the Netherlands, Alexander Rinnooy Kan, gave the keynote (in dutch).  In the afternoon, senior-and-still-kicking serial entrepreneur, Bert Twaalfhoven stole the show.  The convention ended with award ceremonies.  The Van de Krooneberg award 2010 for young and promising UT spin-off entrepreneurs was for Recore Systems, while Wendy Borneman won the Marina van Damme scholarship for female high-potentials.

VentureLab entrepreneurs Koen Mioulet  (B2B marketing and VBDN – the dutch association for business developers), Max Groenendijk (Lightmotif), Rob Wermenbol (Amitek Model Factory), Wijnand Grooten (101 solutions), and TOP entrepreneur Sandra de Vos (Medisse)  presented their businesses at the Innoversum ‘mini-fair’.

I was actively involved in the preparations of Innoversum 2010, side by side with Kennispark, IPT, Saxion and BTC staff. In particular I was responsible for the organisation of the breakfast debate between students from the  University of Twente (UT) & Saxion Polytechnic, and the mayors of Enschede & Hengelo (our neighbour city) and the chairmen of the Board from the UT & Saxion. My greatest worry was for the students to turn up at all, and preferably on time. And they almost all did! We had good food and a lively debate. It made a great start of the day!

Look  here for pictures.