Martijn Priem

Martijn Priem serves as a Researcher and Policy Advisor at the Business Innovation Knowledge Center of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, where he has worked since 2014. He represents the university at the Dutch Platform for Entrepreneurship (NLPO) and leads the societal challenge project focused on creating a 'future-proof economy.' His work bridges commercial, educational, and creative domains to foster entrepreneurial mindsets across Rotterdam's educational institutions.

His research interests center on experiential learning, innovation, and entrepreneurship education in the broadest sense - focusing on developing skills to deal with uncertainty and complexity, identify opportunities, and create multiple forms of value (beyond financial prosperity to include wellbeing). He emphasizes that sustainable change begins with individual awareness and ownership, believing education serves as a crucial catalyst for systemic transition.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent focus on transdisciplinary entrepreneurship education, action research methodologies, and teacher development. His work increasingly examines how to create learning environments that help educators and students become aware of their influence and develop behavioral change. The O2LAB Rotterdam project represents a culmination of his decade of research, connecting different educational levels (MBO, HBO, WO) and domains to embed entrepreneurial mindset into the DNA of Rotterdam's educational institutions.

Martijn actively develops train-the-trainer programs and coordinates educational initiatives including minors like 'Creative Concepts Into Business' and 'Turning Innovation Into Business.' His approach emphasizes 'practice what you preach,' believing real change requires leading by example rather than finger-pointing. He views education as foundational for addressing urgent societal challenges like climate change, polarization, and inequality through collective action.

As project leader for O2LAB Rotterdam, he collaborates with Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship and other educational institutions to promote entrepreneurial education across economic, art, technology, and healthcare domains. His work aims to increase education's societal impact by connecting different educational levels and domains, with teachers as central agents of change who can help students learn to contribute to building a better world.