Vibe of the Future Festival: Experience the World of Tomorrow

On Tuesday 24 September, Hero Entrepreneurs will take place for the 4th time at HAN University of Applied Sciences in Nijmegen. Organizing the event are: the Entrepreneurship and Retail Management program, Center for Entrepreneurship and Mercator Launch. Successful and well-known entrepreneurs from the region tell their stories. This year they are Hidde Stolwijk (Karma Kebab) and Marco Aarnink (Drukwerkdeal & Print.com). This entrepreneurs event is intended for students, alumni and lecturers of HAN University of Applied Sciences and Radboud University.

Thursday 26 September is the INNOVATE Meetup: this is the vibe of the future with inspiring discussions and stories from innovators in Health & High Tech. How do we connect in the region and why is it necessary to innovate? Prominent guests will talk about this, with HAN also joining in the discussion. HAN Lecturer of the Year Bertrik Berfelo, as keynote speaker, will show how Esports, (Exer)gaming & Gamification can be used to address complex social issues.

During DemoDay on Friday 27 September, several startups will showcase their products and innovations on Erasmus Square, the heart of the Heijendaal Campus. An interesting opportunity for anyone who is also considering entrepreneurship, as well as for investors to directly interact with high-potential startups. HAN student Victor Hogeweij represents one of the 8 finalist teams of the INNOVATE challenge "The Most Innovative Student in the Netherlands". They are investigating whether a robot can help the elderly, caregivers and families using the latest technologies. Prior to DemoDay, an invite-only lunch will be hosted, where investors will pitch to the startups instead of than the other way around.

Through this festival, the region aims to further unite the forces of business and knowledge institutions. The program will showcase what Nijmegen has to offer in the field of innovation and provide scope for new encounters.