The Dutch vocational education system has over the past decade institutionalised the ‘practor’ position; a practor is a research-teacher responsible for conducting and linking research with education practice and the needs of businesses and other partners from the field.

At the previous meeting of ‘practoren’ working in the green domain, Technopolis Netherlands presented the findings of the evaluation of the ‘KIEM-groen pilot practoraten’ scheme that was carried out earlier this year and commissioned by Taskforce for Applied Research SIA.

Through this scheme, practoren in the green domain can receive financing for 1-year practice-oriented research projects in collaboration with a professor of applied sciences and a business or other partner from the field.

Technopolis Amsterdam concluded that the pilot scheme is a relevant instrument that, in addition to the structural funds and at a relatively limited investment, can provide guidance and acceleration to the development of ‘practoren’ in the green domain.