Working together towards solutions
Today’s challenges call for collaboration, curiosity and a genuine drive to make a difference. On VU Amsterdam’s campus – at the heart of the Zuidas innovation district – different disciplines, perspectives and people come together. Researchers and students from the humanities, sciences, social sciences and medicine work here alongside partners and members of the public. This cross-pollination and diversity create wide-ranging partnership opportunities, and lead to new insights, applications and results that matter – from health and climate to inequality of opportunity and digital innovation.
Researchers with impact
We give our researchers the space and support they need to create value for society. Through Recognition & Rewards, we encourage diverse talents and career paths, giving researchers the time, recognition and appreciation for their contributions to valorisation and societal impact.
Entrepreneurship and innovation
We help translate knowledge and ideas into practice. That’s why IXA-GO supports researchers and businesses at every step from idea to valorisation: from funding and intellectual property to finding the right partners. In the Demonstrator Lab, researchers and students develop ideas into prototypes and applications. VU StartHub brings ambitious start-ups together in a vibrant community on campus, where they can build on the knowledge, experience and networks of alumni and other entrepreneurs. And the Willem Hovy Fonds supports VU Amsterdam students and recent graduates in taking their first steps towards entrepreneurship, paying extra attention to talented individuals for whom that step may not seem an obvious one.
Alumni and valorisation
Through the Dienst Universitaire Relaties en Fondsenwerving (DURF), VU Amsterdam maintains close ties with alumni and its external network. Fundraising via the VUfonds creates additional financial scope for distinctive education, innovative research and groundbreaking initiatives from the VU Amsterdam community – helping them find their way into practice.
Creating impact together
In 2027, the Matrix Innovation Center will open on VU Amsterdam’s campus: a place where researchers, start-ups, scale-ups, spin-offs and other companies can work together on innovations in fields such as life sciences, medtech and AI. The centre will accelerate the translation of knowledge into practice, building further on our ambition to grow into an internationally recognised hub for knowledge and impact.
Discover how our education, research and valorisation create impact in the areas of Health and well-being, Climate and environment, and Justice and resilience.