After eight years of building, connecting and innovating, Roelyn van der Hoek is handing over the baton at 4TU Impact. What started as an informal coordination effort between universities grew under her leadership into a strong and recognizable collaboration programme within the 4TU federation. Roelyn is saying goodbye to 4TU Impact, but she will continue her mission to make a difference. She is taking on a new role as Impact Developer Defence at the University of Twente, where she will focus on creating societal impact at the intersection of technology and public values.
From coordination table to a robust impact programme
When Roelyn began, 4TU Impact was primarily a platform for exchanging ideas. There was no dedicated budget, no formal programme structure. Only a great deal of potential. By developing a multi-year plan together with colleagues, space was created to turn shared ambitions into concrete action.
The results speak for themselves. Today, 4TU Impact is a mature programme with fourteen active working groups and a wide range of initiatives. From startups and collaboration with industry to learning communities and shared facilities. All driven by one central goal: translating knowledge into societal and economic value.
The real strength of the programme lies in its people. Board members, Knowledge Transfer Office staff, and support professionals found each other through 4TU Impact and worked together on valorisation and the application of knowledge, crossing disciplinary and institutional boundaries.
Ideation Labs: Bringing ideas into motion
Roelyn looks back with particular pride on the 4TU Ideation Labs, a successful concept developed and implemented by the Impact Studio at TU Delft. These labs offer researchers a safe, accessible environment to explore innovative ideas with impact potential, supported by entrepreneurial students who are specifically recruited and trained for this purpose.
Researchers from different universities and disciplines are matched with students and guided together by a business coach. The students assess whether an idea is technically feasible and whether it holds societal or economic value. The Ideation Labs stimulate collaboration both within and across the four technical universities, helping teams make well-informed decisions about next steps, such as launching a startup.
Connection as a lasting common thread
Connection has been a defining theme throughout Roelyn’s work. In her new role as Impact Developer Defence at the University of Twente, she will use her experience to shape collaborations around complex societal challenges, where technology, ethics and security converge.
Building trust, starting with concrete projects and then scaling up step by step form the foundation of this approach.
Official Farewell on 27 October
Roelyn’s official farewell from 4TU Impact will take place during the 4TU Impact Support Day on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, hosted this year by the University of Twente This annual event brings together colleagues working on impact for workshops, tours, and networking opportunities. It will also mark the handover to the new programme manager, Maarten van Schaik.
