Jan Lintsen officially opened DemoLab @Science Park

On Monday 28 March, Jan Lintsen, member of the Executive Board of the University of Amsterdam, opened the second location of the successful university incubator Demonstrator Lab Amsterdam. Demonstrator Lab Science Park offers employees and students the opportunity to become acquainted with entrepreneurship and product development in a hands-on and innovation-oriented environment.

The opening of Demonstrator Lab Science Park was prompted by the great success of Demonstrator Lab ‘Zuidas’ on the VU campus and the large need for a living valorization lab. At both locations, Amsterdam university staff and students (from UvA, HvA, VU, Amsterdam UMC and NWO institutes) can get to work with their research-based idea for a product or service. The knowledge transfer office IXA-UvA is closely involved in the valorisation support of participants.

UvA board member Jan Lintsen: “It is great that this new location of the Demonstrator Lab now also provides easy access to this valorization lab at Science Park. We noticed that the physical proximity of the Demonstrator Lab for students and employees of the VU played an important role in the choice to join the community. This option is now also available for students and staff who study or work at or closer to Amsterdam Science Park, including those of the NWO institutes present.”

The Demonstrator Lab team and facilities drive the transformation of ideas into innovative products and services. But failure can also be part of the story – after all, it remains a testing ground where people learn by doing.

Dr Chris Slootweg, director of the Science Park location: “I hope that Demonstrator Lab will encourage all researchers and students at Amsterdam Science Park to pay even more attention to the application of newly acquired research knowledge and challenges everyone to embark on the Lab-to-Market adventure.”

The first projects have started

The first four Demonstrator Lab Science Park projects have started. Eddy Lite (until recently active in Demonstrator Lab Zuidas), led by Dr Rudolf Sprik (FNWI-IoP), offers economical and simple use of eddy currents-based tests of carbon fiber composite and metals. FireFly, a project of Dr Shayne Bennetts and Prof Florian Schreck (FNWI-IoP), has the potential to revolutionize the production of custom optical printed circuit boards for quantum technology. ImRheo of Dr Mazi Jalaal (IoP) is developing a cost-effective and easily accessible method for image-based rheology, studying the properties and deformation of materials, based on image processing and artificial intelligence. Furthermore, Flowsure of Amsterdam Science & Innovation Award 2021 winner Tom Brouwer (AMC) is developing urine monitors that automatically alarm when urine production stops. This increases patient safety and reduces the workload for employees: who now have to check every patient several times a day.

Employees and students can now apply for a place in the Demonstrator Lab @SP! What to expect and how to register can be found on the website

You find the Demonstrator Lab Science Park in the Building of the Faculty of Science, Science Park 904, building D. Come by and be inspired!