The international conference ESOF (EuroScience Open Forum) is a biannual event on science and innovation in Europe. Established in 2004, the meeting offers scientists, decision makers and society in general a platform to discuss research, innovations and scientific culture. It is the largest meeting of its kind in Europe. This years edition took place between July 13 and 16, in the European City of Science Leiden, Netherlands. Thanks to the hybrid concept, the participants could attend the 120 sessions and 75 poster presentations on-site and online. The very diverse conference with more than 500 speakers from 87 different countries reflected the whole spectrum of scientific and societal challenges.
From Science to Start-ups
One of the seven subordinate themes discussed on ESOF2022 is “Science and Business”. Fitting perfect in this topic RESOLV applied to showcase the successful transfer project TranSOLV. After the successful proposal, RESOLV was invited to present TranSOLV as leading example on how the collaboration between university institutions and incubators can lead to successful start-ups companies. Bringing new innovative ideas from science to industry without the usual lengthy process is the main goal of TranSOLV. That's why working with the Start4Chem incubator is the perfect combination. At the same time, the project offers a new opportunity for young researchers: a career as entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneur or Scientist
One of the most asked questions about the TranSOLV project was: “How can a trained scientist be a entrepreneur?” The simple answer is: They need to be trained! Through various courses, the Start4Chem incubator trains scientists in the basic concepts of entrepreneurship and, arguably more importantly, entrepreneurial thinking. The combination of science and entrepreneurship opens up new possibilities for solving social problems. Crossing disciplinary boundaries and connecting advantages from both fields opens up a wide field for opportunities.