From brilliant idea to mid-volume production: bridging the gap between research and industry

On 1 April 2026, MinacNed and NanoLabNL jointly organised the event “From Brilliant Idea to Mid-Volume Production” at the University of Twente in Enschede. The event focused on one of the key challenges within the Dutch micro- and nanotechnology sector: how to successfully bring promising research results from the laboratory towards mid-volume production.

Many innovations originate at universities and research institutes, but the transition from a scientific idea to a market-ready product requires more than just excellent technology. Companies need access to specialised infrastructure, expertise, funding and a strong innovation ecosystem. For many start-ups and scale-ups, shared cleanroom facilities, such as those provided by NanoLabNL, play a crucial role in developing prototypes and taking the next steps towards industrialisation.

The programme brought together representatives from knowledge institutes, technology companies, investors and regional development organisations to discuss the complete innovation journey: from idea to product and from prototype to scalable production.

The afternoon opened with contributions from Martijn Fransen (MinacNed) and Hans Hilgenkamp (NanoLabNL), followed by a presentation on “From idea to product” by Roy Kolkman from Novel-T. Timo Meinders highlighted the ecosystem around MESA+ NanoLab and High Tech Factory, showing how shared facilities and regional collaboration support innovation.

The importance of collaboration between research infrastructure and industry was further illustrated by user experiences from the NanoLab ecosystem. Arne Leinse and Ronald Dekker from LioniX, together with Tim Tiek, Douwe Geuzebroek and Sander Slaa from Brilliance, shared their experiences in developing technologies and bringing innovations closer to the market.

The programme also addressed the financial and regional aspects of scaling up innovation, with contributions from Ytsen van der Meer (Cottonwood) on investment opportunities and Oost NL on the role of regional development organisations. The presentations were followed by an interactive discussion with participants and an informal networking reception.

Why this matters

The event demonstrated that successful innovation depends on a strong connection between technology, infrastructure, entrepreneurship and investment. The Netherlands benefits from a unique combination of university cleanrooms, specialised companies, investors and regional innovation networks. Collaboration between these partners enables emerging technologies in areas such as photonics, MEMS, quantum technology and semiconductors to progress from prototype development towards mid-volume production.

For researchers, start-ups, scale-ups and established companies, the event provided valuable insights into the full innovation chain and the support available to bridge the gap between research and industrial application.

NanoLabNL and MinacNed look back on an inspiring afternoon with valuable discussions, knowledge exchange and new connections across the Dutch micro- and nanotechnology ecosystem.