Eindhoven city council member and jury chairman Stijn Steenbakkers handed over the prize: “Cooperation is in our DNA in this region. In recent years, Steef Blok has demonstrated that he is committed to the cooperation between education and business, right down to the smallest detail.”

Blok stated on stage that he considered it a great honour: “We have all worked so hard over the past few years. Now you can see, for example, how successful Ioniqa has become, although there have also been times when it was very difficult. Yet there are always people from TU/e Innovation Lab or Brainport on hand to help. That goes for all the companies affiliated with the university. It takes a a lot of blood, sweat and tears and it’s a risky thing to pull companies out of a slump. I will cherish this award together with the team from the Innovation Lab team as well as the Brainport team.”

Source: Innovation Origins