ConnectING 13

FACULTY WORLDWIDE
TECHNOVATION HUB JOINS
DESIGN FACTORY GLOBAL NETWORK
From its founding in 2016, Technovation Hub had big plans. Where the assignment initially
was to support the student teams on the faculty’s campuses, the organization had grown
into an incubator of engineering talent and an accelerator of innovation. On 8 January 2020,
Technovation Hub joined the Design Factory Global Network at Aalto University in Helsinki.
Tuesday 8 January 2020 was a
special day at Aalto University.
The institute not only celebrated
its 10th birthday, but also the entry of
the 30th member to the Design Factory
Global Network (DFGN). Chrisje Haenen
and Stijn De Jonge, administrators of
Technovation Hub, could not have
imagined a better time to sign the
cooperation agreement in Helsinki.
Like-minded
Chrisje Haenen looks back in time.
“Technovation Hub is an initiative of the
Faculty of Engineering Technology. It
was founded five years ago with the
support of the Science, Engineering &
Technology Group of KU Leuven to
support the emerging engineering
talent on the campuses and at the
Stijn De Jonge
same time to be the incubator of new
and promising projects. There are
already six student teams under the wing of Technovation Hub,
each of which is an example of entrepreneurship and innovation.
One of them, the Agoria Solar Team, became world champion
in the World Solar Challenge in October 2019. These examples
work contagiously, also within our community. We found that the
time was ripe to push the boundaries and to look for like-minded
partners in other countries and continents”.
Co-creation
These like-minded partners were found in DFGN. “What brings
us together is passion-based co-creation”, explains Stijn De
Jonge. “The network consists of innovation hubs such as ours
that are active in universities and research centres around the
world, from CERN in Geneva to Tongji University in Shanghai.
Design Factories are platforms for experimentation, action and
co-creation. In addition to the local activities of each factory,
there are also numerous shared initiatives.”
“One of the basic principles of a Design
Factory is that innovation is not
something that is accomplished by an
individual. Instead, innovation is by
definition a social and a collaborative
matter. Another important characteristic
of a Design Factory is the revaluation of
the concept of ‘space’. Creativity needs
a space that is separated from the
activities of daily working life. Building a
space away from the routine job is key
to enhancing a team’s creative
capability. At Aalto University, Design
Factories can have spaces ranging from
5 to 5,000 m². Interesting in that context
are the ‘traveling projects’ that literally
move to the locations where the most
suitable expertise or equipment can be
found”.
Double purpose
As a recognized Design Factory,
Technovation Hub 2.0 pursues a dual goal. “Our main assignment
is to encourage even more scientific or engineering students to
participate in team projects, both inside and outside the
curriculum”, says Chrisje Haenen. “Therefore, we want to appeal
to our partner companies more than ever to serve as a
commissioner or a client. It encourages the teams to think more
thoroughly about the valorisation of their concept or product.”
“A second goal that we have in mind is a proper location where
the teams can get to work. The space we dream of is a casual
meeting area as well as a learning environment that facilitates the
making of physical artefacts and is accessible to the local and
global academic and business community through a virtual
window. We are therefore looking for a location that allows
different ways of learning, working and sharing in a single space.
We are convinced that Technovation Hub 2.0 will soon have its
own place in the sun”.
Yves Persoons
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