The Board of the EWUU alliance between Eindhoven University of Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Utrecht University and University Medical Centre Utrecht has decided to appoint Jaap Trappenburg to the position of Alliance Coordinator as of 12 August.

The Alliance Coordinator will support the Boards of the four institutions in further strengthening the strategic collaboration and carrying out its significance for students, staff and stakeholders in society. The motto of the strategic collaboration is Challenging future generations. Using an unconventional approach, EWUU challenges new generations of researchers, tutors and students to work together, across disciplines, without imposing limits in advance. The four institutions do this by collaborating across disciplines within the fields of Preventive Health, Circular Society, Living Technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Education and by enhancing Unusual Collaborations with expertise and training. The central focus in the collaboration consists of the question of how the four institutions can jointly contribute to societal transitions by means of education, research and knowledge transfer. The coordinator inspires, connects and takes good ideas further, and collaborates with members from all four institutions for this purpose.  

Jaap Trappenburg is associate professor healthcare innovation research & valorisation at the Julius Center at University Medical Centre Utrecht. In 2016, he co-founded The Healthcare Innovation Center (THINC.) to make innovation science and support accessible to innovators, also outside the academic environment. His research programme TASTE (Tailored Self-managemenT & eHealth) aims at transforming chronic disease management by accelerating the introduction of impactful digital health innovations. He will start his position as Alliance Coordinator on 12 August 2024. He succeeds Esther Stiekema, who stepped down on 1 February 2024.