HZ University of Applied Sciences has a new research vision. "The transition from a university of applied sciences to a knowledge institution is quite challenging. We have already achieved a lot, but with this vision, we can truly take major steps," says leading lector Jasper van Houcke of the Applied Research Center Technology Water Environment (ARC TWE).
Jasper van Houcke is one of the authors of the vision, which was presented in February during the successful first edition of the HZ Discovery Café. The document was created in response to the evaluations of ARC TWE (in 2022) and ARC Vitality (in 2023), led by leading lector Olaf Timmermans. "One of the recommendations from both evaluation committees was that we need to collaborate even more closely,” explains research advisor Kees Bal from the Department of Education, Research, and Quality. The research committee - comprising Bal, Van Houcke, and Timmermans, along with research managers Han van de Sandt (ARC TWE) and Margot Tempelman (ARC Vitality), as well as Chaima Benkaddour - is a concrete example of this.
The vision that the committee subsequently developed together is another. “We held many sessions and had extensive discussions with administrators, management, researchers, and other stakeholders,” says Van de Sandt.
Enormous growth
According to him, it is a significant step forward to now have a vision with an implementation agenda. “In 2000, we were one of the first universities of applied sciences to appoint a lector. Since then, applied research has grown enormously. We now have seventeen research groups. A great deal needs to be organised around them to further professionalise research and researchers and to increase their visibility. It is also important for the HZ organisation to refine certain processes so that the value of practice-oriented research for the region and education can be fully utilised. With this vision, we can take significant steps in that direction.”
The key themes will remain unchanged in the coming years. HZ will continue to focus on water, energy, and vitality, topics that align with Zeeland’s identity and in which HZ has positioned itself as a knowledge partner in recent years. “We want to focus on substantive quality,” says Van Houcke. “During our period of rapid growth, we may have been too focused on securing projects. Now, we are taking a step forward by placing greater emphasis on quality, results, and how we can apply them in the region. Creating impact. That is what it’s all about.”
Zeeland is surrounded by water. Climate change has major consequences for the province and its surrounding areas, particularly in terms of water safety and the availability of water in the right quality and quantity. That is why climate adaptation and mitigation are central topics in HZ’s applied research.
A sustainable energy transition is vital for the Southwest Delta due to its high energy consumption. However, its location on the North Sea, as well as the Ooster- and Westerschelde, presents many opportunities. HZ is responding to this challenge by striving for an affordable and socially responsible approach. In the coming years, HZ aims to expand its energy research through more structural funding and external grants.
How can broad prosperity be maintained in a rural coastal region like Zeeland, ensuring it remains a sustainable, dynamic delta? This is the focus of the vitality theme. In a sustainable, dynamic delta, individuals and organisations thrive - often in connection with one another - across areas such as nature, recreation, the built environment, facilities, employment, entrepreneurship, education, health, and care.
"HZ is a respected institution in the fields of water, energy, and vitality. The institutional plan states the goal of maintaining and strengthening this position. This is the foundation of our vision," reads one of the first chapters. According to Timmermans, this is an ambitious objective. "As a small university of applied sciences, we conduct extensive research in and for the region. This requires great effort on our part. The formation of ARC’s has been a crucial step organisationally. At the same time, it has led to better coordination between research groups and knowledge centres. These are all steps in the transformation from a university of applied sciences to a knowledge institution. We need all our energy to further strengthen internal processes and maintain strong partnerships externally."
The team emphasises that HZ must keep pace with the transition and provides various tools for this in the vision and implementation agenda. Timmermans hopes that the transition will be largely completed within ten years. "By then, I hope we will truly be a knowledge institution, where research is proportionate in scale to education, and the two elements collaborate even better than they already do. They truly need each other."
Read the Research Vision here