Antwerp is the knowledge region par excellence, which is highlighted during the Antwerp Innovation Night, organised by Antwerp.SRL, the network platform of UAntwerp and Voka Antwerp-Waasland.
It is clear that the Antwerp region excels in both entrepreneurship and innovation. Groundbreaking research conducted at the University of Antwerp and the colleges of the Antwerp University Association (Artesis Plantijn, Karel de Grote and the Antwerp Maritime Academy) is finding its way to the market more often, and more easily. An increased focus on valorisation is therefore one of the most important strategic objectives of our university.
The Antwerp.SRL initiative sees the university working closely with Voka – the Chamber of Commerce for the Antwerp-Waasland area. Together, they organise the Antwerp Innovation Night, centered around the AHA! awards ceremony. "As the largest entrepreneurial organisation, we want to use these awards to express our appreciation for the magnificent research being carried out in Antwerp. After all, such research is the basis for future entrepreneurship," says Luc Luwel, CEO of Voka Antwerp-Waasland. The last edition of the Antwerp Innovation Night took place on April 16ᵗʰ, 2024 (invitation only).
About the AHA!-awards
The University of Antwerp and the Antwerp university colleges support researchers in their effort to translate their research and expertise to societal impact.
Therefore, supporting and stimulating valorisation is one of our main strategic goals. We present awards to entrepreneurial researchers or teams with a high valorisation potential: the AHA! award.
With these awards we want to value the daily efforts that innovation oriented researchers make to transform their ideas to an innovative product, process or organisation for industry and/or society.
There were two categories of AHA!-awards:
- one for achieved innovation
- one for a promising innovation trajectory