- Dutch universities have initiated standardised deal terms to make the spin-out process more transparent;<\/li>
- Despite challenges, there are pockets of progress<\/a> in the Dutch tech spin-off landscape, like the new deal terms;<\/li>
- KU Leuven is Europe’s most innovative university for four consecutive years with 135 spin-off companies<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Stakes and Shares: The Balancing Act<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The proportion of shares universities claim in their spin-offs is a point of contention that often stymies the growth of these nascent companies. Start-ups that relinquish more than 10 percent of their shares<\/a> to universities are often seen as less profitable, which can discourage potential investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In response, Dutch universities have initiated standardised deal terms to make the spin-out process more transparent. These agreements lay out various options for transferring intellectual property, including equity packages and license agreements. Nonetheless, striking the right balance between the universities’ involvement, which builds trust, and the allocation of shares, remains a complex task.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a>![](\"https:\/\/innovationorigins.com\/app\/uploads\/2023\/07\/UIIN-CONFERENCE_AMS_2022_WEB-READY_605.jpg\")
<\/div><\/div>The road to more successful spin-offs: What needs to change in the Netherlands?<\/div>We wrote about it before; despite the Netherlands\u2019 strong position in deep-tech research, the impact of spin-offs lags behind other European countries. <\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\nCase in Point: The Cradle Conundrum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Highlighting the intricacies of this issue is the case of Cradle, a Dutch start-up that chose to work with US universities due to the difficulties of collaborating with Dutch institutions. This scenario underscores the need for Dutch universities to foster a more conducive environment for their local spin-offs, to prevent them from seeking partnerships abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spurring Growth: The Role of Venture Capital and Innovation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Despite these challenges, there are pockets of progress<\/a> in the Dutch tech spin-off landscape. Round One Ventures, a new venture capital fund, aims to support student start-ups, while ReCarbn, a spin-off from the University of Twente, is one of the first companies to spin out with the new deal terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nevertheless, the process of spinning out remains slow due to extensive paperwork and the requirement for detailed forecasts. Simplifying funding processes and providing initial grants could accelerate the path to commercialisation, leading to more efficient and effective application of scientific research.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/div><\/div>Challenges of university spin-offs in the Netherlands: growth potential vs. obstacles<\/div>A 3D body scanner set to take the world by storm. Vaccination without needles. Sensors that monitor building fatigue cracks. Just some examples of innovations from university spin-offs. <\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\nLessons from Leuven: A Belgian Success Story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
While Dutch universities grapple with these issues, their Belgian counterpart, KU Leuven, stands as an exemplar of successful spin-off creation<\/a>. Named Europe’s most innovative university for four consecutive years, KU Leuven boasts 152 spin-off companies, demonstrating that successful spin-offs are achievable with the right support and infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the university’s success stories is ArtiQ, an AI-based software company that supports doctors in diagnosing and treating respiratory illnesses. The company’s founders benefitted from KU Leuven\u2019s tech transfer office which provided expertise in collaborative agreements, business development, funding, and intellectual property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Road Ahead: Fostering a Sustainable Ecosystem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The comparison between the Dutch and Belgian university spin-off landscapes underscores the importance of fostering a supportive ecosystem for spin-offs. Such an ecosystem offers not just financial support but also provides guidance<\/a> in business development, collaborative agreements, intellectual property, and access to a network of experienced entrepreneurs and investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As universities strive to bridge the gap between invention and commercialisation, the role of university spin-offs becomes increasingly crucial in advancing living standards and securing a bright future. In the Netherlands and indeed across Europe, the journey to harnessing the full potential of tech spin-offs has only just begun.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dutch universities, despite their prowess in deep-tech research, grapple with the challenge of nurturing successful tech spin-offs. While the Netherlands leads in research, it falls behind the UK, Germany, Switzerland, and France in creating successful tech spin-offs. The growth rate of these spin-offs is sluggish, with only 48% of them employing more than 10 employees […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2580,"featured_media":495586,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3009],"tags":[79555,41891,5393,79321,79558],"location":[66637],"article_type":[60583],"serie":[],"archives":[],"internal_archives":[],"reboot-archive":[],"class_list":["post-452328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-startup","tag-ku-leuven-7","tag-spin-offs","tag-start-ups-nl","tag-valorisatie","tag-vu-amsterdam-4","location-europa","article_type-analyse"],"blocksy_meta":[],"acf":{"subtitle":"The proportion of shares universities claim in their spin-offs is a point of contention that often stymies the growth of these nascent companies. ","text_display_homepage":false},"author_meta":{"display_name":"Laio","author_link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/author\/laio\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/KU-Leuven.jpg","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["Start-ups<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Start-ups<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["KU Leuven<\/a>","spin-offs<\/a>","start-ups<\/a>","valorisatie<\/a>","VU Amsterdam<\/a>"],"unlinked":["KU Leuven<\/span>","spin-offs<\/span>","start-ups<\/span>","valorisatie<\/span>","VU Amsterdam<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 3 years ago","modified":"Updated 3 years ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on July 15, 2023","modified":"Updated on July 15, 2023"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on July 15, 2023 11:00 am","modified":"Updated on July 15, 2023 11:00 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/452328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2580"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=452328"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/452328\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/495586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=452328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=452328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=452328"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=452328"},{"taxonomy":"article_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_type?post=452328"},{"taxonomy":"serie","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/serie?post=452328"},{"taxonomy":"archives","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/archives?post=452328"},{"taxonomy":"internal_archives","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal_archives?post=452328"},{"taxonomy":"reboot-archive","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reboot-archive?post=452328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- KU Leuven is Europe’s most innovative university for four consecutive years with 135 spin-off companies<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n