Biotech Booster program offers unique opportunities

The Biotech Booster Program - supported by the National Growth Fund - provides unique opportunities for researchers and entrepreneurs with a potentially interesting biotech idea in its early stages. What exactly is the program? For whom is it intended? What is Brightlands' role in it? How can you apply? We put those questions to Alex Jones and his new colleague Jessie van Buggenum, both business developers at Brightlands Maastricht Health Campus.

Alex: "It is a national program for researchers and entrepreneurs active in biotechnology to further develop an innovation towards a product. What's special about it is that it was created specifically to help biotech ideas get started in the still early stages. It's that plus the combination of mentorship, financial support and networking opportunities that make the program really interesting. Jessie, who will be the first point of contact for interested parties from Brightlands, adds: 'If your project passes the initial screening, you will receive funding and help from experienced professionals and entrepreneurs to develop and validate your proposition in project form (Proof of Principle, Proof of Concept). In short: your invention can get a flying start this way.'

For whom is the program intended?

Jessie: "For all researchers and entrepreneurs with early-stage biotech innovation. Early on in the process - much earlier than usual - participants get the chance to elaborate and develop their idea towards a product. This allows you to validate your invention and explore what steps are needed to bring it to market.'

What is the role of Brightlands?

Alex: "Brightlands Maastricht Health Campus is a valorization campus, we are the exclusive KTO (Knowledge Transfer Office) and venture builder for Maastricht University and MUMC+. Therefore, we are constantly looking for interesting, potentially valorizable ideas. The Biotech Booster Program offers us an additional opportunity to further develop and validate an innovation at an early stage. The fact that we work together from the beginning has absolute added value, both for us and for the researchers/entrepreneurs. It allows us to think along from different perspectives on how to develop an invention into a product or service.'

How can you apply?

Do you have an innovative biotech idea? Then feel free to contact Alex Jones or Jessie van Buggenum.