Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc) are co-founding the independent incubator Biotrip. This is a platform that brings together medical scientists and biomedical engineers to work with entrepreneurs to develop, commercialize and deliver vaccines and immunotherapies to patients with a wide range of diseases.
Biotrip is an initiative between two well-known Dutch academic institutions. "If anything, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the critical importance of biomedical engineering and its merger with clinical research and medicine. Biotrip will yield technologies and commercial opportunities that will help solve the medical challenges of the future", says TU/e Rector Frank Baaijens. For example, Biotrip aims to develop a novel generation of vaccines to bolster broad protection in the population against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and potential future pandemics.
Ecosystem
"Biotrip is a flexible and biotech investor oriented incubator with which we want to realize new startups in the Brainport region. The south of the Netherlands secretly harbors a fantastic biotech ecosystem, where Biotrip fits in very well and will provide growth and innovation", according to TU/e Executive Board President Robert-Jan Smits.
Biotrip established a team of entrepreneurial academics, biotech professionals and an internationally oriented advisory board. "We are immensely grateful for Dr. John Kastelein's and Dr. Andrea van Elsas' participations in this exciting venture. They are highly successful biotech entrepreneurs and investors, with John operating out of the Netherlands, while Andrea recently joined Third Rock Ventures at the West Coast of the United States", says Biotrip co-founder Dr. Willem Mulder.
Co-founder Dr. Mihai Netea adds: "Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology's Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Alexander Eggermont is a renowned clinical trialist in the immuno-oncology space. We couldn't be more excited about the prospect of working with Dr. Eggermont in the coming years."
Radboudumc's Chief Executive Officer Dr. Bertine Lahuis states: "In the past decade, the prolific work of our clinician-scientists propelled a distinctive translational immunology program that has uncovered unique insights in immune function and regulation. Now, we need to translate this knowledge to benefit our patients." Dean Dr. Jan Smit concludes: "With Biotrip, we have now more firmly established our bioengineering ambitions through a formal alliance with TU/e. We are convinced Biotrip will yield the biotech innovations of the future, which will improve the quality of life of patients worldwide."
