Menno Kok was trained as a Biochemist, Microbiologist and Biotechnologist. He is a senior executive at EIT Health, a pan-European network of companies, academic institutes, health care providers, regions and municipalities, dedicated to open innovation in Health and Healthcare.

In the 80-ties, he pioneered white biotechnology, using environmentally friendly processes to produce fine-chemicals with engineered bacteria. Remaining loyal to his microbes, he switched to infectious disease research and de development of live-vaccines at the University Hospital of Geneva.

From 2002, he headed the department of research policy at the Erasmus University Medical Center, advocating international collaboration in research and innovation, working closely with academics and technology driven companies to translate research into products that matter to people. In his current job at EIT Health he brings new innovation concepts to life in the multi-stakeholder context of public private innovation partnerships, to the benefit of the European citizen-, patient- and health care sector.