During the Opening Academic Year, University Fund Twente presented the award to UT alumnus Siete Hamminga. He is founder and CEO of Robin Radar Systems BV. The annual award goes to UT-affiliated entrepreneurs who have proven success in launching a startup in the market.
Hamminga studied in Enschede from 1994 to 2001 for his Master's in Industrial Engineering and Management with a specialisation ‘Strategy and Entrepreneurship’. His entrepreneurial qualities were visible early on. As a UT student, he sold suits to directors of study associations, students and employees. He even managed to attract then-Rector Magnificus Frans van Vught as a customer.
High-tech innovation
After his studies, Hamminga started the company Waleli: an innovative high-tech company with which he mostly collaborated with other companies to identify their innovations and then bring them to the market with maximum speed and minimum cost. The company won several innovation awards and was named ‘one of the 100 most promising European technology companies’ by Red Herring in 2006.
In his role at Waleli, he bought all rights to software that can use radar to detect small objects such as birds from TNO in 2010. Hamminga knew there had to be a market for this advanced ‘Buienradar for birds’ and therefore started the company Robin Radar. Thanks to a clear vision and by shaping the company entirely in his own way, Hamminga laid the foundations for strong growth. In fourteen years, Robin Radar grew into a large, international company with over 160 employees and more than 50 million euros in turnover.
From bird watching to drone detection
Worldwide, Robin Radar now has many customers. Spread over several locations, there are more than 300 radar systems. Airports worldwide do all they can to keep swarms of birds away from their aircraft. Robin Radar's systems make it possible to monitor many birds over a large area. And all in real-time.
In 2014, Hamminga decided that Robin Radar should also focus on detecting drones. These are too small for normal radars or are - when detected - mistaken for birds. By analysing the data very precisely, it is possible to detect the presence of propeller blades. This allowed Robin Radar to make the step to drone detection. That technology, too, is used in many places around the world. For instance, drone detection radar systems could also be found at the Paris Olympics last summer.
Last week, Robin Radar Systems opened its first office in the United States, after selling systems to Boeing and the ‘Department of Homeland Security’, among others, last year.
Van Den Kroonenberg Award
The Van den Kroonenberg Award for excellence in entrepreneurship is awarded to entrepreneurs who have a clear connection with the University of Twente and who have proven themselves through good entrepreneurship. The award, which is awarded by a jury consisting of entrepreneurs and UT researchers, is a tribute to former rector magnificus Harry van den Kroonenberg, who played a crucial role in establishing the University of Twente’s entrepreneurial reputation. The Van den Kroonenberg Award was awarded for the 39th time this year on behalf of the Twente University Fund. The winner received 4,500 euros and a sculpture by Mohana van den Kroonenberg.
