COMMUNICATION

Latest activities of LifeSciences@Work

LifeSciences@Work (LS@W) is our national accelerator for high potential start-up initiatives in life sciences. Academics with entrepreneurial aspirations in genomics, proteomics, metabololomics, bioinformatics, drug development, medical devices, diagnostics and eHealth are invited to join. This accelerator, powered by the Top Sector LSH, will help scientists start a successful company that will make a difference. In three stages scientists are coached to build their own business: Venture Challenge, Expert Classes, Value Centre.

Succesful first Expert Class
During the first LS@W Expert Class, organised by LS@W partner Loyens & Loeff together with mentors and alumni, the focus was the special requirements needed for life sciences start-ups in legal and tax issues. The programme offered speed dating and an interactive workshop by the Loyens & Loeff legal and tax experts.

Dr. Chrétien Herben, valorisation manager of Health~Holland and director of LS@W:

“The expert classes help the LS@W community to strengthen their business case with industry knowledge. During this first edition the exchange of experiences between mentors, alumni and starters happened naturally regardless of their individual background.”

The upcoming expert class will address financing of a business, it will be announced via the LS@W newsletter and website.

Value Centre Vouchers

Five Value Centre Vouchers have now been distributed with the help of Medtech Partners. Startups Harmonics and Quirem Medical explain how the voucher contributed to their business. Harmonics exchanged the voucher to further develop the technical aspects of their product and to obtain independent expertise on which development partner would be a good fit. The Value Centre Voucher provided Quirem Medical with the opportunity to hire an organisation with specific knowledge about the requirements needed to obtain a CE mark. Both stories indicate how external expertise can be of added value to the companies.


Latest News of LS@W alumni

Dutch biotech companies had a successful 2015. In 2016 the investments and acquisitions in the LS@W alumni network will continue. The latest news is about the start-ups Toxys, based at Leiden Bio Science Park, and ThromboDX, located in Amsterdam.

Top Team member Hans Schikan honored with Roland Lageveen Award

Biotech entrepreneur and Top Team member Hans Schikan is honored with the Roland Lageveen Award 2016-2017 for his enthusiastic and dedicated contribution to the Dutch Biotech sector. Chairman of the jury and Ronald Lageveen’s wife and daughters gave the Award to Schikan during the HollandBIO Year Event.

The Roland Lageveen Award is an honourable award that is handed out to a person or organisation who has made a significant contribution to collaboration within the biotechnology sector in the Netherlands. The award is has been established in memory of Roland Lageveen (1957-2012), a biotech entrepreneur who dedicated a large part of his time to enhancing the success of the Dutch biotech sector.

                                                                                                                                                                                 

Although Schikan has been active in the pharmaceutical industry for years, he did not  attract much biotech attention until he became CEO of Prosensa in 2009. With every change he gets, Hans stresses the importance of collaboration with all stakeholders and he pays special attention for patient participation in drug development. The enthusiasm and cheerfulness of the Top Team member is contagious. Entrepreneurs, scientists, governance, patients, government, and employees: Schikan is a very welcome guest. In conclusion, Schikan has more than deserved the Roland Lageveen Award, according to the jury.


Hans Schikan:

"I am deeply honored and humbled with this significant award. Roland Lageveen was an inspiring entrepreneur and enthusiastic contributor to the Dutch Life Sciences & Health community. I feel very privileged to receive this recognition in his name and commemoration."


In 2015, the Dutch healthcare system was once again ranked as the best in Europe. The Euro Health Consumer Index (EHCI) scored the Netherlands with 916 points out of a total of 1000 within 50 focus areas. Switzerland (894 points) ranked second and Norway (854 points) ranked third.

Van Liempt Live about the success of Dutch biotech

The Dutch biotech sector is doing well, and that fact is not going unnoticed. As we wrote in our Year in Review, 2015 saw a record number of deals involving Dutch biotech companies. Recently, HollandBIO director Annemiek Verkamman and doctor and venture capitalist Sander van Deventer were invited to discuss the success of the Dutch biotech sector in the RTL Z program Van Liempt Live. Van Liempt refers to the sector as the best-hidden cash cow of the Netherlands.


Annemiek Verkamman:

“The Dutch innovative biotech sector is booming, let’s celebrate its success!”

Watch the item here.