Matthijs Buijs

Matthijs Buijs is a part-time lecturer and innovation coach at the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering (IDE), Delft University of Technology. He is affiliated with the Department of Design, Organisation and Strategy, and the research group Designing Value in Ecosystems. He teaches and mentors students in the Master’s elective Build Your Startup, where he helps transform student ideas into viable companies.

• University: Delft University of Technology
• School: Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering
• Department: Design, Organisation and Strategy
• Role: Part-Time Lecturer & Coach

Matthijs is an experienced entrepreneur with a background in telecom, IT, digital signage, and solar energy. His research and teaching interests center on entrepreneurship, innovation, and value creation in digital and design-driven ecosystems. He emphasizes hands-on learning and real-world startup incubation.

The Build Your Startup course has led to the creation of several successful ventures, including Pieter Pot, Loop Biotech, and Breeze. His teaching approach blends design thinking with business model innovation, fostering entrepreneurial mindsets among students.

His scientific and professional recognitions include:

• Red Dot Design Award (for digital store concepts)
• Pluim Award for 'most inspiring master elective'

As an active angel investor and coach, Matthijs supports early-stage startups and contributes to innovation ecosystems. He is involved in courses such as Tech Enabled Innovation Studio and Co-design in Services during 2024–2025. While he does not supervise formal PhD or Master’s theses, he mentors student-led startup teams as part of his educational role.

He is associated with no formal lab or research center but operates within the entrepreneurial education and innovation studio frameworks at IDE.