U-Forward Health Breakfast #19

U-Forward Health Breakfast #19: 14 January 2026

U-Forward Health BreakFast #19 is a morning networking and pitch event for the Utrecht region’s health innovation community, taking place Wednesday, 14 January 2026, from 07:30 to 09:00 in Utrecht. Hosted by ROM Utrecht Region, this breakfast meetup brings together (digital) health entrepreneurs, innovation managers, care professionals,and advisors to connect, exchange ideas and help shape the future of healthcare.

What to expect at this edition:

🧠 Live innovation pitches: Three regional healthcare innovations, including an AI spraak-app (Bobbai), smart therapeutic textile (Bratelle), and ECG analytics software (Galvo™), will present live to a jury.

🏆 Regional competition: A winner will be selected on the spot and go on to represent the Utrecht region in the Nationale Zorginnovatieprijs 2026 and Dutch Health Week.

☕ Networking over breakfast: Attendees enjoy good coffee and breakfast while meeting peers, sharing insight, and discussing opportunities in care innovation.

This session blends inspirational pitches, regional collaboration and valuable connections to accelerate healthcare innovation in the Utrecht ecosystem.

Pizza night • Feb 12

🍕 Founders & Pizza 🍕

 

Calling all founders in the Utrecht region: our third Founders & Pizza night is happening on February 12 at UtrechtInc offices, and you won’t want to miss it!

What to expect:
✅ Free pizza & drinks
✅ Inspiring speakers
✅ Great conversations
✅ Valuable takeaways
✅ A room full of fellow entrepreneurs

Our previous events were a hit, so we’re firing up the ovens again—serving fresh slices and even fresher connections. Whether you’re here to exchange insights, meet like-minded innovators, or just enjoy some relaxed networking, this is the place to be.

📍 Where: UtrechtInc (Vening Meinesz building C, Princetonlaan 6, 3584 CB Utrecht)
📅 When: 12 February 2026
⏰ Time: from 5.30PM

🔗 Grab your spot.

IPON 2026

 IPON: 11-12 February 2026

IPON is the leading EdTech trade fair and knowledge platform in the Netherlands focused on educational technology (ICT in education) and innovation in teaching and learning. Its annual event brings together thousands of education professionals, school leaders, ICT coordinators, EdTech providers and policymakers to explore how technology can transform teaching and learning, from AI and digital literacy to VR/AR, gamification, privacy/security, adaptive learning environments and more.

At IPON 2026 you can expect:

🎤 Inspiring keynote sessions and theater presentations on the future of digital education and technology in classrooms.

💡 Hands-on workshops and expert breakouts covering topical themes like digital tools, inclusive & adaptive learning, professionalization, analytics, and privacy.

🧑‍💻 Exhibitor showcase and innovation floor, featuring more than 120 EdTech companies presenting the newest solutions and products for primary, secondary and vocational education.

🤝 Networking opportunities with peers and thought leaders to share best practices and build collaborations in the education technology ecosystem.

📅 11 & 12 February 2026, 10:00 – 17:00 each day
📍 Jaarbeurs, Utrecht, Netherlands (Halls 3 & 4)

Meet UtrechtInc

NEXT EVENT: 26 February 2026

Are you a researcher, scientist, medical professional or student in Utrecht and you want to learn what a startup incubator does and how we could help you set up your own business? Are you passionate about health, education, sustainability or AI? And are you considering starting a scalable business? Come to our monthly open event Meet UtrechtInc.

Sign up and you are invited to visit our startup incubator, get a tour, and learn what an incubator does and how it can help you on your startup journey. Join us for an afternoon of startup insights and inspiration.

Meet our team and get a sneak peek at the inner workings of our university incubator. Discuss your entrepreneurial aspirations and let’s see what your startup journey could be!  Please sign up below to join this event.

Agenda

  • 15:30 | Tour & introduction incubator, feedback on your business idea and ambitions
  • 16:30 | Open community drinks with in-house entrepreneurs and scientists

This event is also for

  • People who want to find out if there is a business potential in their research (academic spin-off)
  • People who want to get a taste of (part-time) entrepreneurship
  • People who have an existing startup but are looking for a great startup support community
  • People who are looking for a co-founder/entrepreneur who can help bring their research to market

Earth Valley Café #13

Earth Valley Café #13: 26 February 2026

Building Digital Resilience in the Energy Transition

At Earth Valley Café #13, innovators, entrepreneurs and policymakers from the Utrecht region gathered to discuss a timely question: how dependent are we on the cloud and what happens if it fails?

As the energy transition becomes increasingly data-driven, digital infrastructure plays a critical role. This edition focused on cloud sovereignty, data sharing and digital resilience, exploring how organisations can reduce risks and build robust systems that remain reliable in times of disruption.

With insights from experts and interactive discussions, the event offered practical strategies and plenty of opportunities to connect with others working at the intersection of energy, sustainability and digital innovation.

Earth Valley Café continues to bring the ecosystem together to exchange knowledge and accelerate impact-driven collaboration.

Biotech Booster Annual Event

Biotech Booster Annual Event: 10 March 2026

The Biotech Booster Annual Event 2026 brought together over 500 members of the Dutch biotechnology community to explore how cutting-edge bioscience is moving from the lab to real-world impact. Themed “Beyond the Lab: Science into Solutions,” the event showcased pioneering projects, connected researchers with industry partners, and highlighted the innovations shaping the future of health, sustainability, and industrial biotechnology.

Attendees enjoyed a rich programme that included keynote insights, project spotlights, immersive showcases, and ample networking, all designed to accelerate collaboration between researchers, founders, investors, and ecosystem partners.

When & Where:
📅 10 March 2026
🕑 14:00 – 18:00
📍 De Rijtuigenloods, Amersfoort, Netherlands
💡 Cost: Free to attend

The Annual Event remains an essential moment for biotech innovators and supporters across the Netherlands to connect, learn, and contribute to translating scientific breakthroughs into practical, societally relevant solutions.

Utrecht AI Event

Utrecht AI Event- Beyond Technology: 24 March 2026

The Utrecht AI Event: Beyond Technology is a key moment for anyone interested in how artificial intelligence shapes society, business and organisations. This full-day gathering brings policy makers, practitioners, educators, researchers and innovators together to explore what really matters beyond the technology itself, from ethical questions about human agency and resilience to how AI can be used responsibly for real impact.

Participants can expect a mix of inspiring talks, hands-on workshops and interactive demos, all focused on creating reliable, human-centred AI solutions. The programme also features opportunities to connect with Utrecht’s growing AI ecosystem, including AI Labs, innovative startups and regional initiatives showcased during lunch and networking sessions.

Whether you’re exploring AI’s societal implications or seeking practical insights for your organisation, this event provides a platform to exchange ideas, learn from experts and engage with peers.

📅 Tuesday, 24 March 2026
🕗 08:30 – 17:30
📍 TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht, Netherlands
🎟️ Free (registration required)

Graduation Day -19 June

🎉 Save the Date! 🎉
You are all invited to celebrate the graduation of our Science & Life-Science Validation Program Fall ´24, Tech Validation Program Spring ´25 and Student Validation Program Spring ´25 with us on June 19 at 4PM at the UtrechtInc office. 🎓

We’re bringing together our graduating startups and our amazing community to mark this special milestone. Get ready for startup pitches, showcasing their journeys at UtrechtInc, and of course, enjoy some cold drinks! 🥂

Whether you’re a fellow startup enthusiast, a member of our community, or a friend, we’d love for you to be there. ✨

📍 Venue: UtrechtInc Office in Utrecht Science Park
🗓️ Date: June 19
⏰ Time: 4:00 PM

Let us know you’re coming and RSVP on the LinkedIn event.
Stay tuned! 😉

RSVP

How is AI transforming healthcare? • Oct 28

📆 Join us on Oct 28 in Utrecht for an evening where we’ll look at the opportunities and challenges of using AI in the healthcare, bringing practical insights and academic expertise to the conversation.

💡 Our speakers:
Maria Galanty is a PhD candidate at the qurAI group (University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC), within the Intensive Care Lab, under the supervision of Clarisa Sánchez. Her doctoral research is part of the UvA Research Priority Agenda AI for Health Decision-Making, a cross-disciplinary collaboration spanning the Faculties of Medicine, Science, Humanities, and Law.

Welmoed Tjepkema is a data scientist at the AI for Health team of the University Medical Centre of Utrecht with a background in biomedical engineering.

What to expect:
– How AI is being applied in modern healthcare
– Why data quality and expert annotation matter
– How better dataset documentation can uncover and mitigate medical bias
– Wrap up with an open discussion

🧠 AI in Healthcare: The Power of Data and the Challenge of Bias
📍 UtrechtInc
📅 Date: Oct 28
🕕 Time: 17:30-19:30

Sign up today and tune in the conversation! 🔗

Sign up

 

Utrecht AI Drinks

NEXT AI EVENT: 5 November 2025

Dear AI Enthusiast,

Utrecht stands out as a hub of innovation and opportunity. Home to the largest Science Park in the Netherlands, the city recently celebrated 900 years of its rich history, boasts hundreds of promising startups, and features iconic landmarks like the beautifully restored Dom Tower. On top of that, Utrecht leads the way in sustainable mobility, with residents owning an average of 1.3 bicycles each, reflecting a city built for forward-thinking movement.

These facts only scratch the surface. Together, we can add new chapters to Utrecht’s story by unlocking the potential of AI right here. The possibilities for growth and innovation in this region are immense when we collaborate. I hope you will join us in making it happen.

UtrechtInc  invites you to Utrecht AI Drinks on Wednesday, 5 November from 4 PM. This event is a great opportunity to connect with academics, experts and founders working at the forefront of AI and AI-driven innovation.

Looking ahead, UtrechtInc will host Utrecht AI Drinks every two months. Mark your calendar for the upcoming session on January 7.

We look forward to welcoming you.

Please sign up here.

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