Martin Smit, a biologist and biochemist, spent decades working as a researcher in both academia and the pharmaceutical industry. For the past three years, he has served as director of the UMCG Innovation Center. In this role, he became involved with exquAIro at an early stage. Within the foundation, Smit is treasurer, but above all a connector who uses his experience and network to strengthen medical AI education. Although Martin has retired, his commitment remains strong. “Contributing to healthy ageing has been a key theme throughout my career, and it continues to be central in my work with exquAIro.”
A career in research and collaboration
Martin: “I was trained as a biologist with a focus on biochemistry. I earned my PhD in Groningen and then worked for several years at the UMCG, back then still called the Academic Hospital Groningen, in the pediatric laboratory. There I studied metabolism, nutrition, and health, trying to understand how nutrition affects the liver, intestines, and everything linked to these organs.”
After his PhD and postdoc period in metabolism and nutrition, Martin worked for almost twenty years at Organon, where he eventually led one of the five research departments. Returning to Groningen, he joined the UMCG and became director of the UMCG Innovation Center. “The focus of the Center is on translating research into applications, which is often complex. We work on development of innovations in the hospital, patents, startups, investments, and everything that comes with them.”
This role brings together many of his skills: scientific expertise, commercial experience, and the ability to foster collaboration. According to Smit, working across boundaries is essential: “If you really want to achieve something, you have to collaborate across many disciplines. That’s always been the most enjoyable part for me.”
Founding exquAIro
Within exquAIro, Smit played an active role in establishing and shaping the foundation. He contributed to drafting the business plan, built a strong link to the UMCG board, and safeguarded the financial basis.
“One of the biggest challenges in the early phase was convincing everyone that this was a viable business plan. The approach was new and unfamiliar for the UMCG, especially because we were collaborating with a company, Rewire, that also aimed to achieve a social good. At the UMCG, there’s a strong tendency to avoid risks. That’s important, of course, but you also need to recognize the opportunities to get something new off the ground. I worked hard to help make that shift, but I must honestly say that Marnix Bügel, co-founder of exquAIro, played a crucial role by going straight to the Executive Board and personally presenting the plan.”
Looking ahead
In the coming years, Smit sees several options for exquAIro’s further development. The foundation could evolve into an independent organization that not only trains professionals from the UMCG but also healthcare professionals from other university medical centers and institutions. He also envisions expanding fundraising efforts for scientific research. “Ultimately, you want the good ideas that participants help to develop within exquAIro’s programs to actually be implemented.”
The promise of AI
As a biologist with a long career in drug research, Smit sees particular potential in applying AI to complex datasets, offering deeper insights into the causes of disease and possible interventions. This can lead to earlier, more accurate diagnoses and more personalized care: “The greatest benefits lie in analyzing large, complex datasets. With AI, we can better understand the causes of disease and how to intervene. That opens the door to earlier and more accurate diagnoses, and to truly personalized medicine.”
Continuing the drive for healthy ageing
Although retirement is on the horizon, Smit will remain committed to exquAIro and to supporting young researchers. His motivation is unchanged from the start of his career: contributing to healthy ageing. For him, it ultimately comes down to helping people stay healthy for longer and continuing that mission well beyond his formal career: “In the end, it’s about enabling more people to live healthier lives for longer. That’s something I want to keep working on, even after I retire.”
About Meet exquAIro
In this series, we meet participants, partners, and pioneers who are building bridges between biomedical science and artificial intelligence. Their stories show how collaboration, curiosity, and technology come together within the exquAIro network.
Source text: exquAIro (author Marlies Schipperheijn)
Photographer: Jan Buwalda