Stephan van Dijk

Director of Innovation at Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions | The Netherlands

Stephan van Dijk is Director of Innovation at the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions. The AMS is a knowledge institute positioned at the forefront of urban research and innovation. Bringing together the brightest minds from their founding partners – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Delft University of Technology, and Wageningen University – it aims to make cities better, collaborating closely with the city of Amsterdam and our public and private partners to research and develop solutions for urban challenges. Annually, about 250 researchers, designers, engineers, and policymakers collaborate within the AMS Institute to develop and test these solutions in the city. Stephan is responsible for the innovation strategy and research & innovation programmes, including multiple living labs and urban tech start-up support. Stephan wanted to become an architect, but instead got a MSc in systems engineering and operations research then a PhD in innovation management. He is driven by working on innovation and new technologies that have a positive impact on our lives in cities. He is a strategic thinker and doer with a track record in innovation strategy, tech transfer, and start-up creation. Stephan worked on innovation and sustainability challenges with cities that include Amsterdam, Lisbon, Barcelona, Eindhoven, and Rotterdam, and with partners like MIT, Philips, Google, DSM, UNStudio, PON, Daimler, TomTom, Schiphol, and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, and other great start-ups and universities around the world.