Since 2017, the 'UT Entrepreneurial Challenge' has been taking place on campus; every spring, dozens of groups or individual UT students sign up for the entrepreneurship competition. 'It was not uncommon for them to already have their own businesses. And already our own office in Incubase in the Bastille’, says Roy Spit, director of Novel-T, one of the organizing parties.
The entrepreneurial university
There is also room for student entrepreneurs in 'The Entrepreneurial Experience'. 'But it's no longer one-size-fits-all. This set-up makes it possible to get into the experience much earlier. Even if you don't have a concrete idea yet but you do have the motivation to do something entrepreneurial, then you are very welcome,' says Spit. 'It's the experience we want to offer students, not so much a competition. That they can try, learn and find out what they are capable of. As long as you want to show entrepreneurial behaviour.'
The more accessible concept should do better justice to the UT as 'the entrepreneurial university', the well-known slogan since the era of Harry van den Kroonenberg. 'If you want to be the entrepreneurial university, you have to tackle it across the board. We do the same with The Entrepreneurial Experience; we show that we are the entrepreneurial university, not a university for student entrepreneurs.'
Prices and edubadges
The entrepreneurs' event will start on Thursday 19 March. In the weeks that follow, the set-up is fairly similar to that of the UT Challenge, including workshops and in the form of company visits, so-called 'Business Labs'. In May, the students pitch their ideas. And also the case of The Entrepreneurial Experience, there will also be a finale at the end: the prizes will be awarded on 18 June.
What is new is that participating students can acquire so-called edubadges; a digital certificate that proves that you possess certain skills and knowledge. Spit continues to emphasize that it is mainly about offering the entrepreneurial experience. 'That's where the added value has to be. That we assist students in this with our methodologies, knowledge and skills.'
Saxion and ROC van Twente?
Probably too early for the upcoming edition, but there are plans to broaden it even further, Spit reports. 'There is a reason the name UT Challenge is out of the picture. We want to look for synergy with other educational institutions in the region, Saxion and ROC van Twente, much more. For example, Saxion students can already join the Business Labs this edition. We would like to expand this cross-pollination in the future.'
