Frido Smulders works as full professor in the field of Design, Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the School of Industrial Design Engineering at Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. His present research (and teaching) focuses on the human dimension of innovation and entrepreneurship. Frido holds a PhD in ‘Innovation Sciences’ at Delft University of Technology and BSc & MSc degrees in Aerospace Engineering also from Delft. His career in business, prior to rejoining academia, spans from a concept engineer in the Offshore Industry (SBM Offshore) to a materials specialist in Aerospace Industry (Alcoa) and as management consultant in the field of innovation, technology and creativity. 

Frido collaborates intensively with industry and his research is financed by large industry grants and the European Union as well as from grants from Dutch national organizations. Included among these collaborations are with Unilever on a project called ‘Innovating innovation by Design’ and recently with Henkel, Germany on design for holistic experience.

Three former PhD projects focused on respectively, innovative ship design (in collaboration with the Delft School of Marine Engineering and Ulstein Design & Solutions), culture sensitive design processes and the third focused on Entrepreneurship education through Design and was funded by EIT Climate Kic.

Frido has authored and co-authored 100+ articles, several book chapters and four books.