Our core themes

The Centre of Expertise Entrepreneurship focuses on the preconditions necessary to make societal and economic transitions successful. It does so by working on five core themes.

Five core themes

At Hanze, we work on societal challenges in the Northern Netherlands: energy & circular economy, health & active society, livability & sustainability, and digital transformation.

These challenges stem from RIS3, the innovation strategy for the Northern Netherlands. It also identifies five key conditions for success: well-educated talent, strong entrepreneurs, collaboration with other regions, a strong innovation network and digital skills.

The Centre of Expertise Entrepreneurship mainly focuses on these conditions and works on five core themes:

1. Regional Innovation Ecosystem
   Together with companies, governments, and educational institutions, we develop smart solutions to societal challenges and build a strong network where organizations can grow and innovate.
2. Human Capital
   We ensure there is enough well-educated talent for the transitions in the North and that as many people as possible can engage in meaningful work.
3. Digital Transformation
   We help organizations, employees, and citizens become digitally stronger and seize new opportunities in a rapidly changing world.
4. Interregionalization
   We leverage the power of collaboration with other European regions to address regional challenges more quickly and successfully.
5. Entrepreneurship
   We stimulate more and better (student) entrepreneurs in the Northern Netherlands.

From these themes, the Centre of Expertise Entrepreneurship makes a substantial contribution to the four societal challenges that Hanze prioritizes, as well as to the region’s transition challenges and development opportunities.