About IXA
Innovation Exchange Amsterdam (IXA) helps drive the transition of academic and practice-based research and knowledge into ground-breaking innovations and applications that improve lives, transform industries, and create substantial societal and economic impact.
Since 2014 the University of Amsterdam (UvA), Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA), Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam and Amsterdam UMC join forces of their so-called knowledge transfer offices (KTO) under the name Innovation Exchange Amsterdam (IXA).
Our main focus
IXA is the expert interface between Amsterdam-based universities and parties interested in their research findings and knowledge. Being an interface, IXA deploys its expertise in two directions:
- Assisting Amsterdam researchers from all disciplines– including PhDs, postdocs, and teacher researchers, etc. – in generating societal and economic impact from their work.
We also include master’s students in this category, who – as part of their studies – would like to learn more about valorisation, or how to develop an idea.
Go to For researchers to find out more.
- Assisting external parties – e.g., companies, non-profits, governments, healthcare and educational institutions, NGO’s, etc. – in navigating the academic landscape to find a solution or spot an opportunity.
Go to For companies/non-profits to find out more.
In addition, IXA supports UvA, HvA, VU, Amsterdam UMC, AHK and KNAW management and teaching and supporting staff (HRM, legal, financial, administrative, secretarial and communication) seeking expertise or advice on research-based entrepreneurship, and research funding and grants.
Your first point of contact
At every campus location throughout Amsterdam, our business developers, legal advisors and grant advisors contribute to developing the Amsterdam innovation ecosystem by bringing people together. Meet the IXA Teams.
IXA offices are an integral part of the universities’ service infrastructure. Therefore, our services, facilities and expertise are free of charge.
VU researchers develop research equipment to identify contaminants in water
Water, comprising over 70% of our planet, is the source of all life. The presence of emerging contaminants in our water, including pharmaceuticals, pose serious health and environmental risks, such as DNA damage, reproductive issues, and cancer. New equipment to detect these contaminants developed by VU researchers has been sold to other research groups all over the world. Now the researchers are taking the next step, together with IXA, to expand sales to water companies worldwide as well as other applications such as food and drug discovery research.
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