For over a year the ‘Financieele Dagblad’ and BNR Newsradio have been searching for the New Champions (De Nieuwe Kampioenen): companies that have a good chance of breaking through internationally. During a special Newsroom broadcast on May 18th all 27 innovative entrepreneurs who had been selected as finalists came together. The expert panel who talked with the finalists during the broadcast included our very own ECE Professor of Entrepreneurship Justin Jansen, who is also Professor of Corporate Entrepreneurship at the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM).

The New Champions

The company that won the public award during the broadcast on May 18th was Young Capital, which once started under the name StudentenWerk and helps entrepreneurs find (university educated) talent. They have a database of almost three million people under the age of 30. Out of more than 200 promising companies, the judges selected Priva (environmentally friendly greenhouses and buildings), Photanol (converting CO2 into other fragrances and flavors) and Optiqua (quality controls of drinking water) as the New Champions of 2015. According to the experts these are the three most promising companies when it comes to expanding and strongly innovating their sector through innovations.

Taking Risks

Expert Justin Jansen feels that Priva is a good example to show that larger companies can also be one of the New Champions. “It is definitely possible. You have to look at new technologies, also outside of your own sector, and look for collaborations with smaller companies. Innovating seems to be a risk, but not innovating – that is taking a real risk, namely that your company goes bankrupt.”

Interested in innovation and future growth? Come to the ECE Congress -Looking Ahead on June 11th. You can also join the New Business Cycle (SME’s/ Corportates) or Get Started programme (Startups) to turn your ideas into innovations.