About
Rotterdam Square

Since June 2022 Ellen Smit is Managing Director of Rotterdam Square. She has a Master degree in Economics from the Free University Amsterdam. She developed her experience in the Life Sciences & Health sector when she was as a Senior Account Manager at Leiden Bio Science Park foundation. “In my current role at Rotterdam Square I use my Leiden experience to set up and build the Life Sciences & Health ecosystem in the Rotterdam region.”

Sharon Mullen has been working in the Life Sciences & Health ecosystem for the past six years and supporting the positioning of the Netherlands as a location for international LS&H companies. Working with many international companies she has helped them successfully establish their business and connected them with the ecosystem for collaboration. “As part of the team at Rotterdam Square, I am excited to share more opportunities for collaboration at the Erasmus MC Campus and see how I can connect the researchers, healthcare experts and industry, so we can accelerate Health&Tech innovations for the future.”

After studying Communications in Rotterdam, Aniek van Rijn is currently working as the Marketing & Communications Manager at Rotterdam Square. “In this role, I am responsible for all marketing and communication activities of Rotterdam Square, aligning these efforts with our goals and objectives. My aim is to strengthen the identity and positioning of Rotterdam Square, the city of Rotterdam, and the Erasmus MC Campus within the Life Sciences & Health network. Being part of this new, dynamic organization is very rewarding and I am constantly learning new things about the Life Sciences & Health sector. For any marketing and communications related inquiries, feel free to contact me.”

For the past 20 years, Claudia Sprenger de Rover worked for a Cardiovascular Research Organization, where she organized events and supported the Board. Claudia is now Office Manager at Rotterdam Square. “I want to use my knowledge and experiences to work together with our team on the development of this exciting, innovative ecosystem, and to put Rotterdam Square on the map nationally and internationally by organizing events.”

Joëlle van der Maarel joined Rotterdam Square as Event Manager in March 2025, bringing four years of experience in the marketing and events industry. Passionate about organizing events, she aims to foster collaboration and innovation in the healthcare sector. “The healthcare industry faces major challenges and I believe that knowledge sharing and innovation are the keys to sustainable solutions. I am convinced that through innovative events and collaborations, we can make a positive impact on healthcare in Rotterdam and beyond. I am looking forward to contributing to this mission!”

Carola Immerzeel-Goosens has been working at Erasmus MC for almost 25 years, currently at the Technology Transfer Office (TTO). “Within TTO I am coordinator of the support team, patent formalities officer and advisor on finance, grants and communications. I’m also the Erasmus MC Incubator Manager: a lab and office facility for start-ups.” Carola works part-time as Project Manager at Rotterdam Square. “I’m looking forward to strengthen the existing ecosystem and support the start-up companies with everything they need to grow. Rotterdam is the place to be!”

Dirk Schraven is a member of the Executive Board of Erasmus MC, where he is mainly responsible for digital transformation and innovation, real estate and campus development, and supply chain. An engineer by training, Dirk has been in hospital management for the last 15 years and is passionate about digital and technology innovation in healthcare. “To address the challenges we face in healthcare, we need to innovate with technology partners. With Rotterdam Square, we hope to establish the necessary partnerships to do just that.”

Hicham Shatou is the founder and CEO of LeQuest, a company that focuses on patient safety and improving efficiency in the healthcare industry by closing the gap between medical technology and healthcare professionals. He is also a member of the Supervisory Board of Rotterdam Square.

With a strong belief in purpose-driven innovation, Jan Peter brings over a decade of strategic leadership experience across startups and scaleups. His focus lies in creating societal impact through technology. Jan Peter has been active in the Rotterdam Life Sciences & Health ecosystem for over 20 years. As Business Director at FoodFirst Health and Country Lead at Inquira Health, he helps build future-proof, people-centered solutions. At Rotterdam Square, he contributes his expertise in venture building and innovation strategy, believing in collaboration and a strong Rotterdam ecosystem.