16 HYBRID LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AT PIVOT PARK: CONNECTING COMPANIES AND KNOWLEDGE INSTITUTIONS The Drug Discovery research group at HAN University of Applied Sciences has been active at Pivot Park in Oss since 2021. In 2024, they relocated to a new bigger research lab within Pivot Park. Here, researchers, lecturers, and students collaborate on innovative projects at the intersection of chemistry and biomedical sciences focusing on the early phase of drug development. Examples include the development of new cancer drugs, the design of inhibitors for protein-protein interactions, and the identification of markers for the cellular localization of drugs. The research group collaborates closely with partners at Pivot Park, such as QTM Biosciences and Precision Medicine, as well as Radboud University and Radboud University Medical Center. In addition to applied research, Pivot Park offers a learning environment for HAN students, who are introduced to the entire process from target to drug candidate through internships and the Drug Discovery minor. The lab thus forms a key hub within Pivot Park's innovation ecosystem. During the Drug Discovery minor, students not only learn the theory behind the steps in drug development through expert lessons but they also directly contribute to it in project teams. "That's precisely what I find so appealing about it", says Meerle Sa- muels, a Chemistry student at Avans University of App-lied Sciences. "That you can work at the lab in Pivot Park and be taught by experts in the field. I wanted to know if I would really enjoy this program as much as I thought. Well, I do." To gain a better understanding of the practical side of things, the minor students first carry out assignments using simulations. At certain points in the process, they must decide whether to continue developing a product or not. Thereafter, they work on real projects in the new research lab with multidisciplinary groups of students from HAN and Avans. These projects are initiated by companies at Pivot Park. According to Brigitte Drees, director of Pivot Park, a professorship on campus takes collaboration with education to a new level. "As a campus, we connect companies and knowledge institutes focused on innovations in drug development. With a professorship, we bridge the gap between education and practice in two ways. Firstly, we ensure that HAN students and lecturers can utilize the knowledge of the companies on our campus, and vice versa. Secondly, as a campus, we gain earlier recognition from our future employees." pivotpark.com Since 2024, HAN is also connected with Pharma Delta network through its drug discovery research group and with the Life Long Learning teamofHAN.Thenetworkisformedbyagroup of 40 organizations, including 25 pharma- ceutical companies. Pedro Hermkens, former professor Drug Discovery, played a key role in bringing together knowledge institutes, companies, and government bodies within this network that is partly located at Pivot Park.
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