Open Innovation Talks | Session 1: Introduction to open innovation & startup–corporate collaboration

​Open Innovation & Startup–Corporate Collaboration
Kick-off event of the 2026 Open Innovation Talks

​How do startups, corporates, academia, and the public sector actually work together in practice and what does “open innovation” really mean in the context of Amsterdam and the wider region?

​This first event of our 2026 open event series sets the scene. It brings together founders, innovation leaders, researchers, and public stakeholders to unpack how early-stage startups can collaborate with large organisations and cities from day one, and what conditions make those collaborations work.

​We’ll explore the role of the Amsterdam ecosystem within the broader Randstad context, the incentives and constraints different stakeholders face, and how open innovation can move from theory to real pilots, partnerships, and impact.

​Agenda highlights

​Keynote
The evening opens with a keynote by Vareska van de Vrande, focusing on the tensions and coping mechanisms in corporate–startup collaborations. Drawing on her research paper When opposites attract: a review and synthesis of corporate–startup collaboration, she will unpack why these collaborations are often challenging, where frictions typically arise, and how both startups and corporates can better navigate them in practice. The keynote bridges academic insight with real-world relevance for founders, corporates, and public stakeholders.

​Panel discussion
A moderated panel with voices from academia, startups, corporates, and the public sector. The conversation focuses on how open innovation works in practice: where collaboration succeeds, where it gets stuck, and what early-stage startups should realistically expect when working with large organisations and cities. The session is interactive, with space for audience questions and concrete examples from real collaboration settings.

​Breakout session (tbd)
Depending on audience mix, we’ll host an interactive breakout to dive deeper into concrete questions, challenges, or collaboration opportunities raised during the panel.

​Networking
We’ll close the evening with informal networking over drinks and bites - creating space for follow-up conversations, new connections, and potential next steps.

​This event is open to founders, aspiring entrepreneurs, corporate innovation teams, researchers, policymakers, and anyone interested in open innovation and early-stage collaboration.

​We are looking forward to seeing you there!