How can legislation and regulations contribute to innovation and support entrepreneurs?

On Wednesday, 25 June 2025, Trix Mulder was officially appointed as Professor of Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship. Since 1 May 2023, Trix has been affiliated with the professorship of the same name, which focuses on complex legal issues relevant to (social) entrepreneurs.

Keeping pace with technological and societal developments

The urgency of legal research within the ICT domain is increasing rapidly. Organisations are showing a growing need for answers to questions such as: how can we properly protect personal data? How can we organise our operations in a legally sound manner? And how can we ensure that we use AI in a responsible way?

Entrepreneurs often experience legislation and regulations as complex and restrictive, but the professorship led by Trix Mulder turns this perspective around. It specifically examines how legislation and regulations can contribute to innovation and support entrepreneurs. Central to this is the question of how legal frameworks can keep pace with technological and societal developments.

Legal issues at the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship

Research within the professorship focuses on legal issues at the intersection of ICT and law. This includes themes such as data sharing, privacy, cybersecurity, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI). How do legislation and technology influence one another, and what does this mean in practice? Trix Mulder combines her expertise and passion for both law and technology in this research.

Within the professorship, three key themes have been defined:
• Impact entrepreneurship
• Governance
• Digital transformation

These themes relate to current challenges across a wide range of sectors. Technology is playing an increasingly important role in areas such as healthcare, the energy transition and the agricultural sector. In the Northern Netherlands, for example, collaboration takes place in projects such as Cybersecurity and DigiAgro. Within DigiAgro, the professorship works with agricultural entrepreneurs on the legal frameworks for the development and use of agrobots. In doing so, the region is at the forefront of the smart application of legal knowledge in innovation processes.

Collaboration and education as key pillars

Collaboration is an essential component of the professorship, both within Hanze with other professorships and degree programmes, and with external knowledge institutions and professional practice. Students also play an important role: they contribute to applied research and develop professional products that are directly applicable for entrepreneurs.

About Trix Mulder

Trix Mulder is a legal scholar who obtained her PhD in March 2022 from University of Groningen on the topic of privacy and health data. Prior to her appointment as Professor, she worked as a legal adviser at the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and as a senior coordinating legal adviser at the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.

Through the professorship, Trix Mulder, together with students, colleagues and practice partners, is working towards a body of law that not only keeps pace with a changing society, but also looks ahead and actively contributes to entrepreneurship.

Read the inaugural lecture