Dutch Institute for Knowledge-Intensive Entrepreneurship and International Management (NIKOS)

Department Chair
Aard Groen

NIKOS, (Netherlands Institute for Knowledge Intensive Entrepreneurship) the University of Twente's expert centre for technology based entrepreneurship, is committed to research, teaching, consultancy & training and business development support. As a department it consolidates the UT's expertise and experience from the Chairs for Innovative Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategic Management and International Management. The University of Twente's mission, developing "high-tech with a human touch", is leading for our activities. NIKOS is an expertise centre in IGS, Institute for Innovation and Governance Studies. NIKOS is a department in SMG, School of Management and Governance. NIKOS performs research, education and knowledge-valorisation with a special focus on knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship and business development in local and international networks. Disciplines include: entrepreneurship, marketing, strategic and international management and international management for bachelor's students from every School, including minors in entrepreneurship and international management. NIKOS also offers students Business Administration and Industrial Engineering and Management and Master's specialisations in International Management and Innovation and Entrepreneurship. NIKOS provides courses for the technical Master's and Ph.D. programmes, such as BIT, Nanotechnology and Biomedical technology. There is a growing demand for businesses and/or research institutes involved in education.

NIKOS research contributes to the SRO Innovation and Entrepreneurship of IGS, the institute of Innovation and Governance Studies. Important part of research is done in knowledge valorisation projects on regional, national, and international levels exemplifying the "engaged scholarship" approach of research in business studies. Specific research themes include: development of (start-up) knowledge-intensive ventures, strategic management and entrepreneurial processes in the context of technological innovation and international contexts, and university-industry interaction in the context of academic entrepreneurship and international contexts. The SRO Innovation & Entrepreneurship is admitted to the Twente Graduate Schoolk since 1 September 2010. This is an important recognition of our research quality and enables us to attract more PhD students.

Specific valorisation programmes providing coaching and training for 'High Tech Potentials' are: TOP, Potential Own Boss (KEB) and Venture Lab Twente. Venture Lab Twente supported over 120 high tech high growth entrepreneurs in 2010, enabling faster growth of these firms, while creating unique data logging possibilities for research on entrepreneurial processes and enabling students to learn in practice about high tech entrepreneurship.