MIT and UG researchers jointly work on improving impact

From 10 to 12 September 20 researchers from the University of Groningen (UG) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) attended a workshop in Cambridge (MA) to familiarise themselves with MIT’s Catalyst and IMPACT methodologies and build connections.

The workshop is a next step in ongoing discussions between MIT and UG to explore a more intensive collaboration in the areas of impact and entrepreneurship with a thematic focus on healthy ageing and energy transition. In the next months this should lead to the development of a longer term collaboration model between MIT, UG, other partners from the University of the North and businesses from the Netherlands and the US.

MIT Impact is a short programme of 10 weeks during which early career researchers explore and defend the real-world impact of their research, additionally they learn more about career options outside of academia.

MIT Catalyst starts with a period of six months during which Catalyst Fellows work together to craft a portfolio of research proposals through an iterative process guided by an experienced mentoring team. Then, a 12–30 month phase starts where teams collaborate, develop, and test solutions with ongoing mentorship to ensure progress towards impactful outcomes.

The spin-out count from MIT is remarkable, with a project translation rate of 15% at MIT and an impressive 50% with MIT Catalyst. Furthermore, these educational initiatives have also already proven their success in other European countries where they were implemented.