Pitch like a pro: share your research in minutes + VOKA company pitches

The Doctoral Schools, in collaboration with VOKA Limburg and the Tech Transfer Office, are organizing the trajectory “Pitch like a Pro: Share Your Research in Minutes”. This initiative, organised within the framework of the Valorisation Academy, consists of two complementary components: an intensive pitch workshop followed by a real-life pitching opportunity in front of Limburg-based companies:

Part 1 – Pitch workshop

During the workshop, we focus on four core elements:

• Investor clarity: craft a pitch that makes the problem, solution, traction and opportunity instantly clear

• Structure & momentum: open strong, create a logical flow and build towards a compelling ask

• Persuasion & delivery: speak with confidence, presence and credibility under time pressure

• Slides that sell: create minimal, purposeful slides that strengthen your story rather than distract from it

Participants receive access to a short e-learning video course in advance, covering the fundamentals of pitching. During the live workshop, participants pitch in small groups, receive focused feedback and immediately iterate on their pitch, ensuring they leave with a strong, clear and convincing message.

Part 2 – Real-life pitches to a business audience

After the workshop, participants get the opportunity to pitch their refined business idea to a real business audience, hosted in collaboration with VOKA. This moment allows participants to test their pitch in a realistic setting, gain valuable feedback from companies and experience what it feels like to present to potential investors or business partners outside the classroom.

This two-step approach ensures participants not only learn how to pitch, but also experience what it means to pitch under real-world conditions.

Learning outcomes

After attending the workshop, participants will...

• be able to translate their business idea into a clear investor-focused core message,
• be able to structure a short pitch with a strong opening, clear logic and a convincing closing,
• know how to highlight the elements investors care about most (problem, solution, market, traction, team, and ask),
• be able to deliver with more confidence, presence and control over pace and nerves,
• be able to design simple slides that support decision-making instead of overwhelming the audience,
• be aware of common investor pitch pitfalls, and how to avoid them.

Competences

An important part of preparing for any further professional step is becoming (more) aware of the competences you have developed and/or want to develop. In the current workshop, the following competences from the UHasselt competency overview are actively dealt with:

• interpersonal competences:
  
  • persuasion
  • presentation skills
  • oral communication
• intellectual competences:
  • creativity
• personal effectiveness:
  • self-confidence
  • stress management
    
    

For whom?

• PhD students/postdocs
• 15 places available

When and where?

• Workshop "Pitch like a pro: share your research in minutes": May 13, 2026, 09:30-16:30 - campus Diepenbeek, building D, room C110.
• VOKA company pitches: June 11, 2026, 09:00-17:30 - VOKA offices, Gouverneur Roppesingel 51, 3500 Hasselt

Registration?

• Register here from January 29 until April 19, 2026.
• As places are limited, registering does not automatically imply that you will be able to participate. You will be notified by email after the registration deadline has passed.
• Please cancel your registration at least one week in advance in case you cannot make it (cf. cancellation & no-show policy).

Acknowledged as?

• DS BSH: category 'research management & communication skills' - workshop aimed at developing ​communication skills
• DS HLS: category 'transferable skills' - half of one compulsory elective course
• DS ST: category 'scientific & generic communication' - course about generic communication