Successful launch and winner of the BK-Launch Ventures elective!

Just before the summer break, Tom Jaring was chosen as winner of the BK Launch Studio, an elective course of the MSc Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences at TU Delft. The course aims to teach architecture students entrepreneurial skills by combining these with design activities. According to the jury, Tom Jaring had worked out his business plan and design for an eco-sound wall the best. He received a start-up voucher worth 3,000 euros from external partners to take his plan further.

Learning process

The BK-Launch studio ran for the first time in the spring of 2021 – and was not only a learning process for students, but also for the teaching staff. BK-Launch studio leader Hans Wamelink: ‘We look back on a successful first run. Improvements for next year are mainly in the more structured approach to the business plan, with more room for theory and exercises, so that students know better what is expected. […] In addition, we want to create tutor pairs in which one tutor has expertise in design and the other in entrepreneurship, so that students get input from both expertise’s throughout the entire programme’. 

Looking ahead

Next year, there will be room for 20 students in the BK Launch studio. It is expected that the number of applications will greatly exceed the available places. ‘This shows once again that we are responding to a growing need. That is why, as of next academic year, we want to go one step further in facilitating students, in addition to BK Launch. With BK Launch Ventures, business plans made in the BK Launch studio, such as Tom's, will be further developed into start-ups,' says Wamelink.

Want to know more about BK-Launch, make sure to read the full article by 4TU.CEE or have a look at the BK Launch web page.