Edition 2023

We look back with enthusiasm on a very successful and inspiring third edition of the Utrecht Science Week with fascinating speakers, forward-looking visions, surprising encounters and meaningful conversations. The complete overview of all programme components of the Utrecht Science Week in 2023 can be found here.

Check out the beautiful footage of Utrecht Science Week ’23 below.

Aftermovie Utrecht Science Week 2023

Aftermovies events Utrecht Science Week 2023

View the aftermovies of The Betweter Festival, Dialogue on animal-worthy farming, and the Sutainable City Challenge here.

Friday 29 September

Opening Utrecht Science Week – photographer Seth Carnill

Betweter Festival – photographer Ben Houdijk

Betweter Festival – photographer Tessa de Geus

Betweter Festival – photographer Jelmer de Haas

Monday 2 October

Plandelen op Utrecht Science Park – photographer Seth Carnill

Tuesday 3 October

Thursday 5 October

Friday 6 October

Speakers during 2023 editon

Reinier van den Berg

Reinier van den Berg is weatherhost, climatologist and frequently on stage as speaker, with main topics ClimateChange and Sustainability. Also co-founder of SpeakOut.nl. View his personal invitation here.

→ 29-09, 13:15uur: Symposium de Toekomst van ons Water

Esther Breij

Esther Breij is Vice President, Head of Translational Research & Scientific Communication at Genmab.

→ 05-10, 10:00uur: Immuno-Innovation: Changing the Game in Health (ENG)

Sylvia Brugman

Sylvia Brugman is Associate Professor Host Microbe Interactomics at Wageningen University & Research.

Mieke de Bruin

Mieke de Bruin is community manager at the Utrecht Science Park Foundation. In this role, she is involved in area development, lobbying. mobility and the IASP, the international association.

→ 06-10, 10:00uur: Duurzaam samenwerken voor een versnelde circulaire economie

Patrick Cramers

Patrick Cramers is director of the Institute for Life Sciences & Chemistry (ILC) at Hogeschool Utrecht. "Education, culture and community involvement are the recurring themes running through my working life. I feel at home in dynamic organisations, where I can make a difference for talents. As a creative strategic thinker and do-er, I know how to capitalise on opportunities for an organisation. I understand the language of the content, understand the processes of the organisation and know how to connect them. I enjoy working with a company, with which it is good to be in and in which everyone can reach their own goal."

→ 02-10, 09:00uur: Hackathon Lab Sustainability On The Utrecht Science Park
→ 06-10, 10:00uur: Duurzaam samenwerken voor een versnelde circulaire economie

Anton Damen

Anton Damen, known as the Plandelman, is a film journalist, game reviewer and copywriter. He has worked as a (lead) editor at the International Film Festival Rotterdam for a decade and at the Netherlands Film Festival for almost as long. For the AD, he plays video games and writes about technology and gadgets. For the magazines Toeractief and Wandel.nl, he makes reports and portrait interviews. Anton is currently engaged in a sustainable voyage of discovery, which has led to a new initiative: PLANDELEN.

→ 02-10, 12:30uur: Plandelen op Utrecht Science Park

Sharon Dijksma

As mayor of Utrecht, Sharon Dijksma is committed to a safe, healthy and climate-neutral city and equal opportunities for all. She wants to focus in particular on the city's young people, because they need and deserve Utrecht to invest in their future. She also sees it as her responsibility to act as a bridge-builder between the parties and institutions that make the city together, and to promote Utrecht's interests in The Hague, Europe and internationally.

→ 06-10, 16:30uur: Finale Sustainable City Challenge 2023

Jesse van Doren

Jesse van Doren is an entrepreneur who has been helping companies from all over the world, creating websites, developing technologies and setting up innovation and technology communities since he was 11 years old. He is super excited about the future and the possibilities of technology. After one and a half years of HBO (propaedeutic in the bag), Jesse had to set up a company for his studies. Since he was already working on this, he quit his studies and started focusing fully on his company. Over the past few years, he has gathered a great team of people around him. With his various companies Brize, DesignThinkingMethode.nl, Hackathonopmaat.nl, Trackcol en Livestreamopmaat.nl, he helps leading organisations reinvent themselves by giving lectures, workshops and trainings.

→ 02-10, 09:00uur: Hackathon Lab Sustainability On The Utrecht Science Park

Sara Dubbeldam

Sara Dubbeldam is sustainable fashion advocate and writer. On her platform When Sara Smiles she writes about the world behind our clothes and building a sustainable wardrobe without compromising on style.

→ 02-10, 19:30uur: Utrecht Maakt Kennis - Groene garderobe

Gita Gallé

Gita Gallé is a director and supervisor in healthcare. In daily life, her positions include member of the Board of Directors (COO/CFO) of the Princess Máxima Centre for paediatric oncology, member of the Board of Directors of the Princess Máxima Foundation. "The fact that Máxima is now the largest European children’s cancer center happens to be something that many people do not yet know. It’s good for us to realize that. Because we are of course Dutch-made. So I especially want to focus on close cooperation with other parties and organizations, such as the shared care centers, but especially the patient & client organizations. So that we can use each other’s expertise and together ensure that we achieve our mission and continue to innovate.”

→ 02-10, 09:00uur: Hackathon Lab Sustainability On The Utrecht Science Park

Lars Guelen

Lars Guelen is discovery research team leader at Genmab with a broad scientific background. He is passionate about drug development and has an extensive experience in large molecules development for immune-oncology.

→ 05-10, 10:00uur: Immuno-Innovation: Changing the Game in Health (ENG)

Katja Heister

Katja Heister is the head of the GeoLab at Utrecht University since September 2015. Before, she was assistant professor in soil science at the Technische Universität München in Freising-Weihenstephan, where she is still associated as lecturer. She is responsible for the operation of the GeoLab. This includes the supervision of the daily operational processes as well as the development of a longtime vision of the laboratory in close collaboration with the scientists and other stakeholders. Together with the operational manager Bernadette Marchand, she forms the lab management.

→ 02-10, 09:00uur: Hackathon Lab Sustainability On The Utrecht Science Park

Amy Hillaert

Amy Hillaert is Podium programme maker and founder of the company Pastel Clothes.

→ 02-10, 19:30uur: Utrecht Maakt Kennis - Groene garderobe

Roberta Hofman

Dr.ir. Roberta Hofman werkt als senior scientist bij het team drinkwaterbehandeling bij KWR Watercycle Research Institute. She holds a professor position at Hogeschool Utrecht. It is the ambition of the HU that this will allow the subject of 'water' to develop further into a fully-fledged knowledge base. "My specialties are drinking water and wastewater treatment, mainly UV, oxidation and adsorption processes. Besides, I have experience in resource recovery from water treatment and lifecycle assessments for water treatment. I have experience as a polymer and organic chemist in coatings, pharmaceutical and chemical industry, and as a science journalist for professional journals."

→ 29-09, 13:15uur: Symposium de Toekomst van ons Water

Jim Jansen

Jim Jansen is editor-in-chief of the popular science magazine New Scientist and publisher of Veen Media. Produces 15 magazines a year and also publishes as many popular science books. He is also science coordinator at Het Parool and author of the weekly column Eureka in the Algemeen Dagblad.

→ 29-09, 11:45uur: Opening Utrecht Science Week 2023
→ 29-09, 13:15uur: Symposium de Toekomst van ons Water

Prescilla Jeurink

Prescilla Jeurink is Pharmacology teacher within Pharmaceutical Sciences at Utrecht University. Her teaching focusses on the role of the immune system in health and disease. She is fascinated by the potential impact of a healthy diet and lifestyle in the maintenance of good health. Her ambition as Future Food Ambassador Feed, Food & Health is to seek synergies between expertise on human, animal and plant immune resilience and nutrition within academic groups, companies and medical centres.

→ 02-10, 11:00uur: Healthy and sustainable food: envision future scenarios to drive change in society

Dennis Klomp

Prof. dr. D.W.J. (Dennis) Klomp is Professor high precision structural and metabolic imaging at UMC Utrecht. In the last five years he has setup a strong and unique research team including chemists, physicists and clinicians embedded in the medical arena. Find his full biography here . Check out his personal invitation here.

→ 02-10, 18:00uur: Het ziekenhuis van de toekomst

Robbert van der Kruk

Robbert van der Kruk, researcher Cognitive robotics for Agri-Food Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology

→ 02-10, 11:00uur: Healthy and sustainable food: envision future scenarios to drive change in society

Josefien Kursten

As a member of the Executive Board, Josefien Kursten helps determine the general policy of UMC Utrecht. She is also responsible for finances and (sustainable) operations. With her vision on appropriate care, Josefien brings a lot of expertise to keeping high-quality care accessible and affordable in a broad sense. After studying Economics, Josefien started working at various ministries as a financial policy advisor. After more than 10 years, she switched to the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa). Josefien held various management positions at the NZa. Since 2016 until early 2022, she was director of regulation. Social commitment is leading in the steps Josefien has taken in her career.

→ 29-09, 11:45uur: Opening Utrecht Science Week 2023
→ 02-10, 09:00uur: Hackathon Lab Sustainability On The Utrecht Science Park

Wouter de Laat

Wouter de Laat is group leader at the Hubrecht Institute and professor of Biomedical Genomics at Utrecht University Medical Centre. His research focuses on regulation of epigenetics and gene expression. To this end, De Laat has developed technologies that allow him to study how the three-dimensional structure of the genome affects transcriptional regulation.

→ 02-10, 09:00uur: Hackathon Lab Sustainability On The Utrecht Science Park

Corinne Lamain

Corinne Lamain is Director at The Centre for Unusual Collaborations (CUCo). Corinne is a PhD candidate in the field of Political Ecology, looking at climate security discourses as part of climate action in the Eastern Himalayas.

Renoud Marijnissen

Renoud Marijnissen is Director, Research Program Management, New Formats & Technology at Genmab.

→ 05-10, 10:00uur: Immuno-Innovation: Changing the Game in Health (ENG)

Marjon Moed

Marjon Moed is a theatre maker. In 2008, she graduated from the Music Theatre Academy (CODARTS).

→ 02-10, 19:30uur: Utrecht Maakt Kennis - Groene garderobe

Marleen Onwezen

Marleen Onwezen is a social psychologist. She studied in Tilburg and received her PhD on the role of emotions in sustainable choices at Wageningen University in 2014. She has now been working at Wageningen Economic Research as a senior researcher for over 12 years. She is ambassador, expert leader and consumer behaviour coordinator at Wageningen University and Research. She is also the leader of the gamechanger choice-enabled consumer at NWA and sits on Wageningen Research's healthy and safe food systems core team. She is part of the scientific board of several companies to help think about how to stimulate sustainable and healthy choices.

Judith Oprins

Judith Oprins is Vice President, Operations & Resource Management at Genmab. She has now worked at the international biotechnology company Genmab at the Utrecht Science Park for over 20 years. Judith started at Genmab as a scientist and she collaborated, among other things, on discovery of daratumumab (now available as an antibody therapy against the cancer Multiple Myeloma/Cahler's disease). Besides serving as Vice President Vice President, Operations & Resource Management she is also Site Manager of Genmab's Dutch research centres (Genmab R&D Centre in Utrecht and Genmab Zeist). "Making connections is a key driver for me," she says.

→ 02-10, 09:00uur: Hackathon Lab Sustainability On The Utrecht Science Park

Corné Pieterse

Prof. Corné Pieterse conducts research into the immune system of plants at the cellular and genetic level. With this research, he demonstrates in what ways plants are capable of optimally protecting themselves against attackers (diseases and infestations) and how they make the most of beneficial microflora in the soil. This knowledge is applied around the world for improving important food crops in a sustainable way. "We translate our research into economically relevant crops". Pieterse’s research can help reduce global harvest losses and thereby considerably improve total food production. The growing world population and major harvest losses due to pests and diseases make his research highly relevant. As the immune system of plants exhibits parallels with that of humans, test plants can be used to study certain human pathogens. As such, Pieterse’s research also contributes to a better understanding of the human immune system.

→ 29-09, 11:45uur: Opening Utrecht Science Week 2023

Anton Pijpers

Anton Pijpers (1958) has been chairman of the Executive Board of Utrecht University since 1 October 2017. After studying veterinary medicine at Utrecht University, he worked as a veterinarian. He also obtained his PhD from Utrecht University and was appointed professor in 1993. Between 2000 and 2009, Anton Pijpers left the university and was general director of the Animal Health Service. In 2009, he returned as dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. In 2014, he became vice-chairman of the Executive Board. A bridge builder, he enjoys working with deans, students and staff on both a strong regional network and the university's international appeal. He also holds several (unpaid) ancillary positions. For example, he is a member of the Top Sector Life Sciences & Health steering committee, vice-chairman of the Economic Board Utrecht and chairman of Fulbright The Netherlands.

→ 29-09, 11:45uur: Opening Utrecht Science Week 2023

Wilma Scholte op Reimer

Wilma Scholte op Reimer is president of the Executive Board of HU University of Applied Sciences. She previously served as Dean of the Faculties of Sports and Nutrition and Health at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, in addition to holding an endowed chair in Complex Care focusing on heart patients at the University of Amsterdam’s Faculty of Medicine.

→ 29-09, 11:45uur: Opening Utrecht Science Week 2023
→ 29-09, 13:15uur: Symposium de Toekomst van ons Water

Reint Jan Renes

Behavioural scientist Dr R.J. (Reint Jan) Renes is lecturer in Psychology for a Sustainable City. His professorship conducts research into the behavioural psychology behind sustainability, based on concrete practical issues. After all, more and more people are concerned about the climate. But many of them still feel little urgency or see too many obstacles to actually making climate-friendly choices in their daily lives. What motivates them to actually get started?

→ 03-10, 10:00uur: Dag van de Duurzaamheid

Rob Ruijtenbeek

Rob Ruijtenbeek is Vice President, Head Antibody Discovery Technologies at Genmab.

→ 05-10, 10:00uur: Immuno-Innovation: Changing the Game in Health (ENG)

Jelle Ruurda

Prof. dr. J.P. (Jelle) Ruurda is a gastrointestinal and oncological surgeon at UMC Utrecht. From 2019 he is a full professor with his chair in robot-assisted and minimally invasive surgery. Jelle Ruurda started with robotic surgery already in 2000 and since his return in Utrecht fully focusses on robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy and gastrectomy. Research is focused on minimally invasive and robotic surgery, but also surgical imaging and innovations are topics of research. Check out his personal invitation here. Read more about his biografy here.

→ 02-10, 18:00uur: Het ziekenhuis van de toekomst

Paul Schenderling

Paul Schenderling is an economist, writer and speaker. He has over 10 years of research and consulting experience and experience in political-administrative processes, at local, regional and national level. His substantive baggage and process skills enable him to bring together broad groups of stakeholders around shared solutions. In doing so, he connects clear visions with practical choices, so that everyone knows what we are doing it for, but also how to do it. "I advise and write on social and environmental issues from an economic perspective. From finding rare combinations of inspired and workable choices together, I get excited every time!"

→ 04-10, 13:30uur: Tweede Circular Economy Festival

Sigrid Scherrenberg

Sigrid Scherrenberg is Manager Innovations at Royal Haskoning DHV. Sigrid holds a Master Degree in Civil Engineering, Sanitary Engineering from Delft University of Technology, where she also obtained her PhD in 2011. Her research focused on advanced treatment of WWTP effluent to remove phosphorus to very low limits (<0.15 mg Ptotal/L). She did a post-doc in collaboration with Evides Industriewater on the reuse of WWTP effluent for irrigation water.

→ 29-09, 13:15uur: Symposium de Toekomst van ons Water

Liana Steeghs

Liana Steeghs is Senior Director Alliance Management bij Genmab.

→ 05-10, 10:00uur: Immuno-Innovation: Changing the Game in Health (ENG)

Michiel van der Stelt

Michiel van der Stelt is Programme Manager Sustainability at HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht and works on the programme Healthy and Circular Drinkingwater.

→ 29-09, 11:45uur: Opening Utrecht Science Week 2023

Eva Switynk

Eva Switynk is a student of Fashion and textile technologies at Saxion University of Applied Sciences. She developed a clothing collection from leftover pieces of curtain and denim.

→ 02-10, 19:30uur: Utrecht Maakt Kennis - Groene garderobe

Annuska Toebast

Annuska Toebast-Wensink MA MSc is a researcher in the Marketing & Customer Experience lectorate. She focuses on sustainable fashion consumption. Annuska connects theory and practice in her work. With a background in marketing and communications, her research interest and specialisation lies in consumption research, with a focus on sustainable fashion.

→ 02-10, 19:30uur: Utrecht Maakt Kennis - Groene garderobe

Jan Henk van der Velden

Jan Henk van der Velden, managing director of the Utrecht Science Park foundation since 2017, on the Utrecht Science Park: "I find it particularly interesting how, at the Utrecht Science Park, healthcare and knowledge institutions, research institutes and companies are collaborating intensively at a very high level on health and sustainability. It's a great opportunity to be able to contribute to this together with the Utrecht Science Park team."

→ 29-09, 11:45uur: Opening Utrecht Science Week 2023
→ 02-10, 09:00uur: Hackathon Lab Sustainability On The Utrecht Science Park

Roel Vermeulen

Prof. dr. R.C.H. (Roel) Vermeulen is Professor of Environmental Epidemiology and Exposome Science at Utrecht University and the director of the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS) at Utrecht University and the UMC Utrecht. He holds a professor position at the Julius Center, Department Public Health Healthcare Innovation and Medical Humanities (UMC Utrecht) and a Visiting Professorship at Imperial College London, UK.

→ 02-10, 11:00uur: Healthy and sustainable food: envision future scenarios to drive change in society

Detlef van Vuuren

Detlef van Vuuren (1970) is a professor in Integrated Assessment of Global Environmental Change at the Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University and senior researcher at the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency leading the IMAGE integrated assessment modeling team. He has published more than 360 articles in refereed journals including high profile journals like Nature and Science. He is among the few people worldwide that are listed as most highly cited researchers in three different disciplines.

→ 02-10, 11:00uur: Healthy and sustainable food: envision future scenarios to drive change in society

Dieuwertje de Wagenaar

Dieuwertje de Wagenaar worked for years as a researcher at Wageningen University and as manager of the circular fashion lab. Among other things, she developed the free Circular Fashion course.

→ 02-10, 19:30uur: Utrecht Maakt Kennis - Groene garderobe

Bert Weckhuysen

Prof. dr. ir. Bert Weckhuysen is an University Professor of Catalysis, Energy, and Sustainability at Utrecht University. He received his Master and PhD degrees from Leuven University (Belgium) in 1991, and 1995, respectively, after which he has worked as a postdoc at Lehigh University (PA, USA) and Texas A&M University (TX, USA). His interests include the design, synthesis, characterization and application of solid catalysts for the manufacturing of our current and future transportation fuels, chemicals and materials. Recent research is devoted to the catalytic activation of CO₂via thermal and electrocatalytic pathways and the photocatalytic and electrocatalytic splitting of H₂O into H₂ and O₂, as well as the chemical recycling of plastics and the upgrading of municipal and agricultural waste. He has received many scientific prizes, including the Emmett Award, Bourke Award, Spinoza Award, Tanabe Prize, and Chemistry Europe Award. He has been appointed Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion and is a member of a.o. the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences, Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Sciences and Arts, and European Academy of Science. He serves on national and international boards, and directs several large-scale research initiatives, including ARC CBBC, MCEC, and SUNERGY. Weckhuysen is currently president of the European Federation of Catalysis Societies.

→ 06-10, 10:00uur: Duurzaam samenwerken voor een versnelde circulaire economie

Program edition 2022

Curious about what last year was like? Check out the programme of Utrecht Science Week edition ’22 here.

Program edition 2021

Curious how it all started in 2021? View the program of Utrecht Science Week edition ’21 online here.

Edition 2023

Aftermovie Utrecht Science Week 2023

Aftermovies events Utrecht Science Week 2023

Friday 29 September

Monday 2 October

Healthy and sustainable food: envision future scenarios to drive change in society – photographer Seth Carnill

Tuesday 3 October

Thursday 5 October

Friday 6 October

Speakers during 2023 editon

Reinier van den Berg

Esther Breij

Sylvia Brugman

Mieke de Bruin

Patrick Cramers

Anton Damen

Sharon Dijksma

Jesse van Doren

Sara Dubbeldam

Gita Gallé

Lars Guelen

Katja Heister

Amy Hillaert

Roberta Hofman

Jim Jansen

Prescilla Jeurink

Dennis Klomp

Robbert van der Kruk

Josefien Kursten

Wouter de Laat

Corinne Lamain

Renoud Marijnissen

Marjon Moed

Marleen Onwezen

Judith Oprins

Corné Pieterse

Anton Pijpers

Wilma Scholte op Reimer

Reint Jan Renes

Rob Ruijtenbeek

Jelle Ruurda

Paul Schenderling

Sigrid Scherrenberg

Liana Steeghs

Michiel van der Stelt

Eva Switynk

Annuska Toebast

Jan Henk van der Velden

Roel Vermeulen

Detlef van Vuuren

Dieuwertje de Wagenaar

Bert Weckhuysen

Program edition 2022

Program edition 2021