The I&IC one year on: how a department is getting back on its feet after a major breach of confidence

How the duty of confidentiality led to anxiety among I&IC staff and a loss of confidence in the Rector. This was the title of an investigative story that Delta published on 15 April 2024 about the lack of social safety, malfunctioning, failed communications, and legal threats at the Innovation and Impact Centre (I&IC). The article caused an uproar, was censored, won an award and has been back online since the summer of 2024.

Life continued, at the I&IC too. Interim Director Alice Stäbler took office and a social safety working group consisting of ordinary I&IC staff was established. On 1 January 2025, Stäbler was succeeded by a permanent successor, Kenneth Heijns. Not even three weeks before that the working group had issued a report whose subtitle was Openness, respect and trust: keys to a safe working environment. It is a brief, clear piece about what is not quite right at I&IC and how it can be improved.

This story looks at both the report and at Heijns’ work.

‘A gift’

The report was one of the documents in the handover package for Heijns’ new position. He considers it ‘a gift’. “The report is about real emotions and it contains very useful recommendations.”

He said this during an interview in his office on the Van der Burghweg. There are two wooden apple crates with books on top of each other in the corner. The meeting table is at an angle. One of the hanging ceiling lights now shines mostly on a chair.

“One of my big acts was to put the table at an angle,” laughs Heijns, his hands wrapped around his thermal mug of tea. The crates with books are also his. Is it an attempt at creating a homely feel? Or a small action of resistance against rigidity? “I just felt like doing it.”

Findings are no surprise

While he was not there in the period of unrest in 2023 and 2024, Heijns is not new to I&IC. He has worked there since 2017 but was detached to the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS Institute). So he is employed by TU Delft. And Heijns returned to the I&IC before he was appointed Director, in September of last year, as one of the 160 staff members.

This means that the dramatic findings of the social safety working group are no surprise for him. He sometimes heard firsthand what was going on. How he plans to turn the tide, more on that later.

‘Speaking up, speaking out, speaking to’

First the Openness, respect and trust report. It contains the outcomes of a survey that was filled in by a little less than half the I&IC staff members. The findings do not lie.

• More than three quarters of the respondents do not feel supported by the HR central service (see the box below).
• More than 60% do not think the R&D cycle is transparent.
• 60% do not feel that they receive enough information from the management team.
• 45% do not feel part of the I&IC (but mostly do feel part of their own department).
• Almost 80% do not think enough attention is paid to inclusion.

The report also includes two-and-a-half pages of recommendations for greater social safety. The main themes are as follows.

• Continuous consideration of the subject.
• Greater solidarity, in part through a clearer mission.
• Good personnel policy with a clear role for the Human Resources department.
• Better communication from the management and management team.
• Attention for diversity and inclusion.
• A learning culture with space for feedback.
• Setting a good example through ‘speaking up, speaking out, speaking to’.
• A clear organisational structure.

Colourful list of recommendations

Back to the room with the table at an angle. From his bag, Heijns takes out a colourful list of the steps that the working group proposed before it disbanded. Which ones are being acted upon and which not or not yet?

‘We need to include the staff in the strategic developments’

The first one on the list is a ‘not yet’. “Set up a new working group,” Heijns reads aloud, after which he explains why it is too early for that. “This must be done by the regular organisational structure. That’s why there are a director, a staff body and department heads. The measures have to first be embedded there.” He does talk to the previous chairs of the first working group once in a while to catch up.

Strategic choices

He names a couple of other recommendations, including describing the mission more clearly. “This should refer to TU Delft’s mission and our role in it. It is useful to write that down clearly. Furthermore, we must include staff members in strategic developments.”

This complements the recommendation that the management and the management team communicate better. “MT members discuss strategic choices with their teams, after which they include any suggestions to the MT.”

Cutbacks

Apart from this, there is a monthly plenary meeting. At the meeting, Heijns explains how things are going at I&IC, and certainly about social safety. But he also talks about finances, and this is again hard.

‘We have just come into quieter waters, and we have to change course again’

Just as all the services, the I&IC has to cut down on costs in the first funding flow. These budget cuts are never pleasant, and certainly not after such a difficult period. Heijns sees this as well. “A colleague recently said that we have just come into quieter waters, and we have to change course again. The cutbacks are accompanied by an unbelievable level of internal dynamics.”

Getting money

This is also related to the I&IC’s mission, in short, helping with obtaining and spending external funds. Where can you economise if it is your job to obtain funds and if more than 40% of your staff members are paid from these external funds?

‘Nobody wants us to stop advising on subsidies or registering intellectual property rights’

Furthermore, Heijns sees new opportunities. “There are so many policy proposals in Europe and the Netherlands that entail innovation and partnerships. And supporting these are what we are all about.”

Accepting cutting back

If cuts have to be made, then preferably with clear choices, Heijns believes. But how? “Nobody wants us to stop advising on subsidies or registering intellectual property rights. Or working on business development, programme management, programme development, bringing faculties together, creating consortiums with industry and government authorities.”

So what could help? “Maybe cutting 10 per cent means we have to accept that we are somewhat atrophied in what we can do. While we continue to look at where things can be done smarter.”

What are people worried about?

While all these painful processes are being undertaken, social safety has to remain a top priority. It is a fixed agenda item for the MT. But does Heijns know what might still be bothering people? Has he for example heard that it stings some staff members that they never heard an apology from the Rector or from HR about their lack of action when the situation was dire?

‘It is clear that some people have been hit’

Heijns had not heard this, but says that he would definitely take this seriously. Now, just passed his first 100 days as Director, he thinks that it will take him more time ‘to really see and feel what the impact has been’. “Really good people left during that period. Some of the people who are still here have clearly been hit. This includes the people who have worked night and day to keep things afloat. They have done all sorts of extra things behind the scenes, often without others seeing it at all. I think they are tired.”

‘Brave of you to do this’

Could it also be that his staff members do not want to overburden him? Heijns thinks for a bit and nods. “I was welcomed very warmly. Maybe because I am a fellow professional. I really enjoy this work. I pay attention to our craftsmanship and that seems to give a lot of energy.” At the same time, he does feel some ‘tension’, for example during consultation meetings.

He suddenly thinks about the run-up to his taking office. It had been made known that he was to be Director of I&IC, and he was moving around campus to avoid getting in the way of his predecessor. People told him that he was brave to take on the work, that it was a big job, and wished him luck.

‘I could only think that there was a lot of talk about the I&IC and not with it’

He was surprised about the sympathetic tone. “What was brave? I could only think that there was a lot of talk about the I&IC and not with it. Apparently a negative image had arisen about this group, but it is totally not in line with what I see. People here are incredibly passionate about their work and do it with integrity and put their heart into it. I see it as my clear task to continue to regularly talk about our work and how we do it.”

Showing vulnerability

Heijns picks up the list of recommendations for greater social safety again. This year there will be active bystander training for staff members; many of them went to the Mindlab performance; the R&D Cycle will be improved, Heijns says that there is a very good HR Advisor; and, the entire MT will take a course on management and social safety.

He has done the last course himself. He considers training, Mindlab and a point of contact as very important. But what was made clear to him is that one’s own behaviour is even more important. “How you behave, what you do to uphold or create a safe environment for others. It all boils down to the same thing every day – openness, showing vulnerability, acknowledging mistakes. I will do my very best to do this every day.”