Contract Research

Every year TU Delft receives lots of requests along the lines of ‘Do you have a technical solution for my problem?’, ‘I have a product idea that can fill a gap in the market. Who can develop it?’ and ‘I am looking for students for a product development project. How can I get in touch with them?’.
TU Delft can answer these types of question via contract research. The shape and substance of the research depend on the size and complexity of the problem. The customer’s needs can be matched with the right persons for the job at TU Delft in various ways. 

Research by scientists

TU Delft numbers about 2,700 scientists working across more than 160 research groups. The numerous PhD students, post-doctoral researchers and professors have the expertise that can take your innovation forward. Sometimes your needs can be connected to an existing research project. If so, your specific question can be put directly to the researcher working on the project.

• Process and costs
• Search for the right professor
• Search for the right field of expertise
• Research facilities  

Research by students

In many cases students deliver high added value at lower costs.  

Internship or graduation

Students do internships in different stages of their studies, either as an obligatory or optional part of their programme. These vary from short stints of several weeks to graduation internships lasting from six months to a year. The internship options differ, depending on the degree programme. Contact the Student Internship Office of the relevant faculty for more information.

Integration into project education

External research needs can also be integrated into education projects. Your ‘real life case’, for instance, can be integrated into a Bachelor’s or Master’s project performed by a project team of students under the supervision of expert teachers. Read more

International research projects

TU Delft students can perform international research projects for you at academic level. International Research Project Delft (IRP Delft) enables you to carry out customised research in order to explore the local needs of a specific country. Using pre-determined questionnaires, the research team conducts field research in countries where you see good opportunities for your business.

Examples contract research

• Click here to read an example of contract research with Damen Shipyard.
• Click here to read an example of contract research with Nissan.