University of Leiden
Advancing innovation in Leiden with plans for a new regional innovation and entrepreneurship centre
Challenge
Leiden University, the Municipality of Leiden and the University of Applied Sciences (Leiden Hogeschool), approached Oxentia to fulfil a brief of bringing together academic excellence across the biosciences, social sciences, law and commerce. This high-profile project aimed to establish a new entrepreneurship centre in the Dutch city of Leiden, backed by a funding commitment of €3 million.
Approach
Oxentia contracted with Luris, the technology transfer office for Leiden University, which led the project to establish the centre and worked closely with the three project partners to develop a business plan and a service offering for the centre based on rigourous analysis, stakeholder interviews and international benchmarking. To form the analysis, Oxentia conducted a series of stakeholder interviews, ran focus groups with members of the local entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem, and provided a benchmarking analysis of US, UK, and Dutch entrepreneurship centres and incubators.
Impact
The final output was a detailed business plan and a presentation to key decision makers and stakeholders. The proposal was approved, and since its launch in 2016 PLNT Leiden Centre has become a vibrant hub and a catalyst for regional entrepreneurial activity.
