Meet the Network: Willem Mees van der Bijl

The Life Sciences & Health ecosystem within the Rotterdam region consists of a wide network of people and organizations, such as companies, educational institutions and healthcare providers. As Rotterdam Square, we would like you to get to know our partners in this network, starting off with Willem Mees van der Bijl.

Could you first introduce yourself?

My name is Willem Mees van der Bijl, director at Dune Innovation and CEO of Erasmus MC spinoff Spatium Medical. I graduated from TU Delft over 20 years ago and after having  worked on design and development projects all over the world, I returned to Rotterdam.

What does your company do?

At Dune Innovation, we develop MedTech innovations with and for start-ups and multinationals worldwide. With our medical device development expertise and an entrepreneurial mindset, we feel right at home in the world of healthcare innovation. We identify opportunities for innovation, bring ideas and new technologies through development to validation and implementation. From development of a novel device for bladder cancer treatment, to innovating intervention cardiology, to creating optimal workspace for surgeons in laparoscopy.

What do you look for within the Life Sciences & Health network?

We are located in the Erasmus MC where we are in direct contact with healthcare professionals; patients; researchers; students and the wider network that meets us here at Rotterdam Square. We are looking for challenges and ideas that can be turned into opportunities for innovation. We bring user centered design, engineering and entrepreneurship to the world of healthcare.

Biomedical engineer Frank Sterke (left); pediatric surgeon John Vlot (center) and Willem Mees van der Bijl (right) discussing the Spatium Medical innovation.