About the flywheel that is the Excellence Fund

Anno 2024, the TU Excellence Fund turns 5 years old. In the last few years, an involved community of founders has developed that truly (want to) make a difference for TU Delft. With their financial commitments, they have among other things made it possible that TU Delft has attracted 8 top scientists.

As TU Delft, we want to move the boundaries of technological science and educate new generations of involved engineers. To be a solution-oriented contributor to the problems of tomorrow, and to the Dutch economy. In 2019, a few alumni and friends of TU Delft gathered their strengths to support this ambition and excellence strategy of TU Delft, from three perspectives: research, education, and innovation; together the ecosystem of TU Delft. This made the TU Excellence Fund a fact.

How the flywheel works

An excellent ecosystem starts with scientific excellence. The focus of the Excellence Funs is therefore on attracting international top scientists in 5 crucial knowledge areas: health care, energy transition, digital society, climate, and urbanization & mobility. These scientists are like a flywheel for the whole ecosystem: better research, better education, better international positioning, better students, more attraction of business partners, more financing (NOW, ERC, public-private), more impulses for entrepreneurs, and eventually more impact on society and economic development.

Support from founders

To realise this, the fund relies on the support of founders, alumni, and friends of TU Delft, who want to commit to this strategy for a set financial contribution per year. In 5 years, this initiative has grown from 30 to more than 70 founders, collectively committing €4.6 million (autumn 2024). From this fund, preconditions are realised that allow top scientists to come to TU Delft: infrastructure (labs, equipment), talent development (PhDs and postdocs), and the possibility to build a research group. The number of professors that could be attracted in this way has grown from 3 in 2019 to 8 in 2024.

Impact made measurable

To make the aimed-for flywheel effect, and with that, the impact of the scientists, more measurable, 5 ‘drivers for impact’ have been formulated. The ‘driver for research’ or for example to express the number of publications or the growth of the research group. The ‘driver for education’ can be made clear from the number of students. There are also a ‘driver for international positioning’, a ‘driver from financing & collaboration’ and of course the ‘driver for societal impact’: the ability of scientific research to contribute to large societal challenges. This Impact Report maps this for each scientist and is also combined into a total overview.

‘It is important that TU Delft remains in a world-leading position. Top scientists ensure that the university increases in world ranking. During alumni gatherings with lectures by top scientists, it is fantastic to see how everyone hangs onto every word of one such talent. That is when it becomes tangible how important the university is, as a place where problems of the future are being solved.’

Menno Antal

‘On what is success based? A brilliant idea, or having each other? Personally, I see the Excellence Fund as a great adventure and a special undertaking, which I am glad to support with my knowledge and experience. Not only to help TU Delft to get higher on international rankings, but also to bring more attention to her projects and people. Come on, we need each other!’

Jeroen Kok

‘Technology has a crucial part to play in solving large societal challenges, such as climate change, hunger and disease. By investing in TU Delft, I am giving back to the university that has meant so much to me. That is how we improve not only knowledge and skill within TU Delft, but we create a flywheel effect: the impact of every euro spreads worldwide, both within and outside of the academic world.’

Guus Overdijkink

‘Studying at TU Delft has brought us a lot – a university we are still proud of. The Excellence Fund is a good way to give back to TU Delft.’

Chris de Ruyter van Steveninck & Marlene Sybrandy

‘I think it’s fantastic to be able to contribute to a long-term, reciprocal relationship between the university and alumni. That is how we work together to create ripples in the river.’

Karin Sluis

Founders form a growing, meaningful community

The flywheel does its job. Not just for education, research, and innovation, but also for the community surrounding the Excellence Fund itself. This is steadily growing, partially thanks to the ‘bring a friend' concept. The founders have by now formed a close-knit and meaningful network of proud pioneers when it comes to donating and developing alumni communities. They take part in the Delft Leaders Programme, find each other when coaching promising startups, and meet each other during in-depth knowledge sessions or the Annual Founder Event. Click here to see the total impact of the community.

Small-scale, personal and exclusive

Founders are regularly invited to important events of TU Delft, at tours and lunches, and at personal introductions of Delft scientists. A spectacular example was the opening of the Glasslab at Architecture and the Built Environment by James O’Callaghan in autumn 2023, which was made possible by the Excellence Fund (see here). Additionally, in the last few years, there have been 12 online Meet the Scientist sessions (and 1 live). These are sensational masterclasses to listen to and share high-quality knowledge. With this, the founders receive the latest scientific developments from important scientists, such as the recently attracted Stefan Witte (see here) and they get to know groundbreaking startups or developments within TU Delft.

Education central during Annual Founder Event

The Annual Founder Event in May 2024 was all about education at TU Delft and the impact of the community around the Excellence Fund. The décor for this event was formed by ECHO: the newest innovative and sustainable teaching building on campus, crowned with the World Prix Versailles 2023. After a ‘current state’ and a view into the future by rector magnificus Tim van der Hagen, a panel discussion followed about the developments in education at TU Delft. After this, participants could follow one of six mini classes, in which the newest classes, disciplines, and education innovations in the curriculum of TU Delft were represented. And of course, there was time to reminisce about their own education.

Capital, coaching and community

Aside from coaching students, the fulfilling of guest lectures, and the opening of their (international) network, the community around the Excellence Fund is also involved with the Graduate Entrepreneur. This collaborative initiative of TU Delft, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Erasmus MC, is the largest ‘early-stage financer’ of startups in the Netherlands. Alumni provide ‘capital’, ‘coaching’ and ‘community’ to promising startups. In autumn 2024, the fiftieth deal was made. With an initial investment of €56 million, more than 50 pre-seed and seed startups have been supported. By supporting this entrepreneurship, founders and alumni can realise even more impact.

Founders autumn 2024:

About the flywheel that is the Excellence Fund

Founders form a growing, meaningful community

Impact Report 2024 – TU Delft Excellence Fund