The University of Amsterdam is awarding honorary doctorates to TomTom founder and social entrepreneur Corinne Goddijn-Vigreux and gynaecologist and Flemish politician Petra De Sutter. Goddijn-Vigreux is receiving the honorary doctorate for her pioneering work at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship and society. De Sutter is receiving the honorary doctorate for her significant contributions to medical science, particularly reproductive medicine, combined with her influential social engagement. The honorary doctorates will be presented during the UvA's Dies Natalis celebration on Thursday, 15 January 2026.

‘Corinne Goddijn-Vigreux and Petra De Sutter are both an inspiration to many,’ says rector magnificus Peter-Paul Verbeek. ‘De Sutter has more than earned her stripes in the field of reproductive medicine, and Goddijn-Vigreux is one of the most influential women in the European technology sector. Those achievements alone are remarkable, but what makes them even more special is their strong social commitment and the impact they have through it.’

Corinne Goddijn-Vigreux
As the founder of TomTom, Goddijn-Vigreux was instrumental in the global revolution in navigation technology. In 1991, she co-founded Palmtop Software, which later became TomTom, with Harold Goddijn, Pieter Geelen and Peter-Frans Pauwels. In 2004, the company – with computer science and mathematics knowledge gained at the UvA – developed the TomTom GO, the first portable navigation system with a touchscreen. Today, the company is the market leader in road maps for applications such as autonomous driving. Together with the UvA, TomTom operates a research institute for autonomous driving: the Atlas Lab.

Since 2018, Goddijn-Vigreux has served as chief marketing officer of TomTom. Thanks in part to her dedication, TomTom grew from a small Dutch startup to a world-renowned publicly traded company. Her pioneering work has maximized the impact of scientific knowledge and contributed to sustainability and road safety worldwide.

Diversity and equal opportunities
In addition to her work as an entrepreneur, Goddijn-Vigreux is committed to promoting diversity and equal opportunities in the tech community. She is the founder of Codam, a non-profit school for software engineering and AI. Students are selected solely based on motivation and potential, giving young people without qualifications the opportunity of a career in IT. The teaching method is based on the French Ecole 42: no lectures, many practical projects in which students learn with and from each other, and a strong emphasis on 21st-century skills such as creativity and resilience. Ecole 42/Codam is in the top 10 of the World University Ranking of the most innovative universities. Moreover, companies are frequently very enthusiastic about Codam graduates.

Goddijn-Vigreux is also the founder and chair of the Sofronie Foundation. This foundation collaborates with charities and non-profit organisations focused on improving the lives of disadvantaged young people through educational or vocational programmes. In 2016, she was appointed Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau in the Netherlands, and, in 2024, Officer of the Legion of Honor in France.

Impact & entrepreneurship
‘Goddijn-Vigreux is a strong advocate for greater European autonomy in technology and data, as a counterbalance to American and Chinese dominance. She sees education, talent development, and innovation as the keys to this position,’ explains honorary supervisor Willemijn van Dolen, professor of Marketing at the Amsterdam Business School of the UvA. ‘She champions a vision in which technology is used not merely for commercial purposes, but primarily for social responsibility. She demonstrates that impact and ethics can go hand in hand with entrepreneurship,’ adds co-honorary supervisor Marc Salomon, professor of Decision Sciences and president of the Amsterdam Business School.

Petra De Sutter
De Sutter is a professor of Gynaecology at Ghent University and was formerly head of the Department of Reproductive Medicine at Ghent University Hospital. In addition to her scientific work, De Sutter is active in politics for the Flemish Green party. She was a minister in the federal De Croo government as well as a member of the European Parliament, and she has served in the Belgian Senate and the Council of Europe. Currently, De Sutter is the first alderman in the municipality of Horebeke and a member of the federal parliament. As an openly transgender person, she has actively advocated for equal rights for the LGBTQ+ population. Last April, she was elected rector of Ghent University; she will take up her position in October and resign her political mandate in September.

Better treatment possibilities
De Sutter conducted groundbreaking research in the field of fertility and reproductive medicine. Her research focused on embryonic stem cells, egg activation, and fertility preservation. A significant portion of her research focused on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition that often leads to reduced fertility. She has also worked on improving various assisted reproduction techniques, such as IVF. Her work is highly regarded worldwide, both in scientific circles and in clinical practice, and has contributed to clear ethical and practical guidelines for new biotechnologies in fertility medicine.

Societal themes
In addition to her scientific work, De Sutter has strongly advocated for societal issues at the intersection of environment, health, ethics and human rights. She has actively campaigned on the impact of environmental factors on health and played a prominent role in the political debate on surrogacy. She also advocated for the independence of clinical research in the pharmaceutical industry. De Sutter's work has also had a significant impact internationally, including in areas such as social justice, public health and migration issues, as well as addressing gender inequality and LGBT rights.

‘What makes De Sutter's work groundbreaking is her ability to combine science and social engagement. Her insights and experience transcend her specific scientific discipline, as she is also committed to ethical debates and policy. Not only around reproductive rights and medical innovation, but also around environmental issues, human rights and gender inequality. This makes her not only a leading scientist, but also an influential voice in broader societal discussions about healthcare and biotechnology,' said honorary supervisor Wouter Hehenkamp, ​​professor of Effective and Sustainable Care at the Faculty of Medicine.