The Faculty of Economics and Business and TNO solidify partnership

The Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) and TNO have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to confirm and continue their cooperation. Both partners look forward to further developing their collaboration. The partnership will focus on technological innovation, its connection to business operations and its societal impact.

TNO, the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, is an independent statutory research organization that focuses on applied science. It conducts contract research, offers specialist consulting services, and grants licenses for patents and specialist software. FEB has been actively collaborating with TNO for a long time. Historically, this partnership was formed primarily through the appointment of distinguished professors at FEB who were or are also employed by TNO. David Langley, for example, who is currently a Professor of Digital Transformation and Strategy at FEB, held a distinguished professorship at FEB and was a senior scientist at TNO. Similarly, George Huitema was Distinguished Professor of Telematics at FEB and held a position as a senior scientist at TNO until 2022. Recently, Harrie Bastiaansen, another senior scientist at TNO, joined FEB as Distinguished Professor of Digital Transformation and Data Strategy in a European Perspective. Looking at this long history of connection, solidifying the relationship between FEB and TNO is a logical next step.

More student opportunities to partner with TNO

Under the new MoU between FEB and TNO, FEB students will have more opportunities to partner with TNO. This can for instance include individual internships, graduation assignments within TNO, student teams carrying out research projects on a specific topic for TNO, and guest lectures by TNO colleagues. The collaboration between FEB and TNO will help to promote entry-level jobs within the research organization to FEB’s students and recent graduates. “This partnership with FEB enables TNO to strengthen its scientific foundation while accelerating the societal impact of our innovations. It reflects our shared commitment to shaping the future of digital transformation and data strategy. By connecting with academic talent and research excellence, we ensure our applied science remains both cutting-edge and relevant. It deepens our joint capacity to innovate responsibly and inclusively,” says Omar Niamut, Science Director of TNO’s ICT, Strategy and Policy unit.

The partnership will not only be focused on education and improving students’ job opportunities, FEB and TNO also aim to collectively develop research activities and exchange knowledge between professionals from both organization. FEB and TNO can benefit from each other’s expertise and provide each other advice on relevant themes.

Both partners look forward to future initiatives. Peter Verhoef, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business: “We already had a long-standing relationship with TNO in the past, and with the many opportunities in the Northern region, such as the AI Factory in Groningen, we can fruitfully work together to create a joint impact.”