PhDs who graduate from research groups that collaborate with industry have a distinct advantage in finding a job in industry and in adapting quickly to the new environment. Find out in this interview by David Giltner how Professor Hugo Thienpont and the Brussels Photonics research lab (B-PHOT) at the VUB succesfully managed to build a one-stop-shop approach. It started with the creation of a graduate program in photonics and subsequent partnerships with industry. Thienpont’s strategy shifted from technology push to solving industry-specific problems, leading to successful, long-term partnerships. Some researchers worry about compromising fundamental research, but Thienpont has found just the opposite. He invests industry earnings into both fundamental research and cutting-edge projects, creating a financial feedback loop that benefits both fields. His efforts have attracted political support and funding, further enhancing B-PHOT’s capabilities.
David Giltner founded TurningScience in 2017 to help scientists design and build rewarding careers in the private sector, which has become a popular topic nowadays.
Quotes by Hugo Thienpont
“We’ve found the best approach is to support industry all the way up to the highest level where they will accept your help, and that is usually pilot production. That is why this one-stop shop idea that we’ve been building for years is so valuable for our industry collaborators.”
“I am also investing heavily in fundamental research. Any time we perform well on a company contract and solve their problems quickly, I reinvest the remaining money in fundamental research.”
“They learn that industry thinks in a very different way than their promoter or academic advisor, and whether they pursue a university career or an industry career, that experience will always be valuable.”
Interested in (post)doctoral research in partnership with industry?
Check out the VLAIO Innovation and Baekeland mandates or contact Mieke.De.Volder@vub.be or Liesbeth.Bosman@vub.be for more info.