About
Dr. Frank van Rijnsoever is an Associate Professor in Innovation Studies at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, specializing in innovation ecosystems, sustainable entrepreneurship, and education for societal impact. He holds a senior fellowship at the Centre of Academic Teaching and Learning, focusing on 'change agency' education. His research explores entrepreneurial ecosystems' influence on regional innovation success, university education's role in driving societal change, and the integration of artificial intelligence in data analysis.
Education: PhD in Innovation Studies (Utrecht University, 2010), Master in Science and Innovation Management (Utrecht University, 2005), and postgraduate training in complex systems modeling (University of Michigan, 2007). He also visited Monash University (2008–2009) for collaborative research.
Research Interests: Entrepreneurial ecosystems, sustainability transitions, university-industry collaboration, and education for societal impact. He leads projects like ESMEE (NWO-funded), analyzing ecosystems' role in societal missions, and studies the evaluation of wind energy projects (e.g., Wind Farm Houten).
Grants & Awards: Veni Grant (NWO, 2012) for collaborative science-entrepreneurship research. Active in EU Climate KIC programs and Dutch national initiatives like CATO2 for CO2 capture research.
Teaching & Outreach: Coordinates Master's programs in Sustainable Development and Innovation Sciences. Designs courses on research proposal writing and quantitative innovation analytics. Active in public debates on innovation policy and sustainability.
Labs & Collaborations: Collaborates with regional development agencies (e.g., ESMEE project) and global networks like Climate KIC. His work bridges academia, industry, and policymakers to advance sustainable entrepreneurship and education.
