Successful First Year for the FSE Deeptech Pioneer Fellowship

The Deeptech Pioneer Fellowship of the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) at the University of Groningen has completed a successful first year. Five PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers were given the opportunity to dedicate a full year to transforming their research into commercial ventures. The first results demonstrate that this approach is working.

The fellowship was established to support entrepreneurial researchers in bringing breakthrough scientific innovations to market. Its focus is on deeptech: technologies based on scientific breakthroughs in fields such as AI, nanotechnology, green chemistry, medtech, biotech, robotics and quantum technology. These innovations have the potential to address major societal challenges in areas including healthcare, climate, food and security.

From Research to Entrepreneurship

The fellowship is an initiative of Prof. Dr. Matthias Heinemann, Professor of Molecular Systems Biology. He recognized that Groningen has a strong research base, but that more scientific breakthroughs could find their way to the market. Heinemann drew inspiration from successful programs at institutions such as ETH Zurich, where researchers are given the opportunity to focus full-time on innovation and entrepreneurship for a year.

'A tremendous amount of research with societal and economic potential is being conducted in Groningen,' says Heinemann. 'Through this fellowship, we provide researchers with the time, space and support needed to turn that potential into real-world impact.'

Promising Results from the First Fellows

Five fellows joined the program in its first year, and the initial results are encouraging. One of them, Davide Carraretto, is developing a technology that enables biomolecules such as proteins and DNA to be linked to other molecules. The innovation opens up new possibilities for a range of cancer therapies and has already secured substantial grant funding.

Other fellows are making significant progress as well. Simjanreet Singh, founder of Ximplic, is developing novel chip architectures for next-generation computing systems and recently received an investment from Future Tech Ventures. A third fellow, Tobi Schilling, is developing a natural preservative for alcohol-free beer. Two additional fellows have recently started their entrepreneurial journey within the program.

According to Heinemann, these examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the fellowship. 'What makes this program unique is that we are doing it together with partners from the regional innovation ecosystem, including NOM, Founded, Business Generator Groningen, Future Tech Ventures, BigCircle Ventures and ISPT. This collaboration significantly increases the likelihood that scientific innovations will grow into successful companies and create real impact.'

Building for the Future

The fellowship is currently funded by the University of Groningen and Nationaal Programma Groningen. Heinemann sees significant opportunities to further expand the program in the coming years.

Last Friday, Rector Magnificus Jacquelien Scherpen, Nationaal Programma Groningen Director Nienke Baars, Deputy Regional Executive Erik Jan Bennema, Jakob Klompien (Nij Begun) and the program's ecosystem partners gathered to reflect on the first results and discuss the future of the fellowship.

'The fellowship is only the beginning,' says Heinemann. 'If we continue to scale this approach, we can transform far more scientific knowledge into innovations, companies and societal impact over the coming decades. That represents a tremendous opportunity for Groningen and the Northern Netherlands.'

More Information

FSE Deeptech Pioneer Fellowship webpage
For more information about the fellowship, please contactProf. Dr. Matthias Heinemann, m.heinemann@rug.nl