The Faculty of Economics and Business and Oranjewoud Export Academy solidify partnership

The Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) and Oranjewoud Export Academy have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to confirm and continue their collaboration. Both partners look forward to intensifying their cooperation. The aim of the cooperation is to better connect high-quality knowledge and young talent with internationally operating SMEs in the Northern Netherlands.

Oranjewoud Export Academy is a foundation that aims to provide a platform where high-quality knowledge and ambitious entrepreneurs from the Northern Netherlands come together. A platform where entrepreneurs can acquire and bring knowledge that enables international growth. It is the Export Academy’s mission to help entrepreneurs in the Northern Netherlands to maximise their international potential. With practical training programmes and over 50 members - mostly highly innovative companies - Oranjewoud Export Academy is at the heart of northern, internationally operating SMEs. The Faculty of Economics and Business has the business knowledge and young talents that are so valuable to these companies, and these company members in turn offer practical expertise and opportunities for the faculty’s students.

"That makes structurally connecting each other's know-how and networks a very logical step, which we already noticed during previous projects we carried out together," says Joyce Walstra, director of the Oranjewoud Export Academy.

Three pillars

An important pillar of the cooperation is the development of a pool of third-year undergraduate and graduate students that will help members of the Export Academy with research questions on innovation and business development - possibly resulting in a job after completion of their studies. A research structure involving PhDs and/or an endowed professor is also high on the agenda, as is collectively offering strategic management programmes for CEOs and DGAs. "Working together with the Export Academy offers interesting opportunities for our faculty to contribute to the internationalisation of Northern companies through research, training and internships. It also offers great opportunities for international and Dutch students to do projects and internships on export management at companies in the Northern Netherlands and possibly work there," said Peter Verhoef, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business.

Export hub

Furthermore, the faculty and Export Academy agree to exchange speakers for existing programmes and to have substantive activities mainly take place at the Oranjewoud Estate, as an export hub in the northern region.