Leidse instrumentmakers School

What Leidse instrumentmakers School does

Leidse instrumentmakers School (LiS) is a private Dutch MBO vocational school founded in 1901 by Nobel laureate Heike Kamerlingh Onnes in Leiden, South Holland, and is the oldest such institution in the Netherlands. It trains (research) instrument makers through a unified BOL program at niveaux 3 and 4, teaching computer-controlled and manual turning, milling, glassblowing, electronics integration, and full-cycle instrument development — from translating a customer's technical question into a design, through prototyping and testing, to production of precision components for scientific research, high-tech industry, medical technology, and aerospace applications. The school complements its core BOL programs with LiS Academy (continuing-education courses in turning, milling, glassworking, cleanroom work), LiS Engineering (precision engineering services for companies), and LiS voor Werkenden (professional upskilling), and routes students into a network of 450+ internship companies including Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands, LUMC, and Naturalis Biodiversity Center.

Revenue is generated primarily through Dutch government MBO funding allocated per student, statutory tuition of EUR 1,458/year for students 18+ collected via DUO, and commercial income from LiS Academy courses and LiS Engineering services. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: prospective students are recruited through open days, Meet & Greets, shadow days, and inspiration evenings, while the annual Bedrijvenmarkt connects students with 55-60 hiring companies. The school serves roughly 400 students at the Leiden campus with 73 staff, with a publicly stated goal of scaling to 700 students nationally, supported by a market context of 71,000 open technical vacancies in the Netherlands.

Name

Leidse instrumentmakers School

Legal name

Leidse instrumentmakers School

Website

https://lis.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Leidse instrumentmakers School is the Netherlands' oldest MBO vocational school, training precision (research) instrument makers through BOL programs at levels 3 and 4, plus continuing-education and engineering services for industry partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Leiden

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Vocational Education: As a publicly funded MBO (middle-level applied education) vocational school, LiS operates primarily through government funding allocated per student. Students aged 18+ pay statutory tuition fees (lesgeld) to DUO.
2. Student Tuition Fees: Students 18 years and older pay statutory tuition to DUO. For study year 2025-2026, BOL-opleiding tuition is set at EUR 1,458. Additional costs apply for study materials, personal protective equipment, tools, and books.
3. LiS Academy Professional Courses: The school offers continuing education through LiS Academy, providing courses in turning, milling, and glassworking for professionals seeking skills development and certification.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Leidse instrumentmakers School (LiS) is the oldest mbo vocational school in the Netherlands (founded 1901), offering BOL vocational training at niveaux 3 and 4 to become an Instrumentmaker or Researchinstrumentmaker. Students learn to design, prototype, manufacture, and test precision instruments from metal, plastic, and glass through both computer-controlled and manual machining processes. Beyond the core educational programs, LiS provides LiS Academy continuing-education courses for professionals, LiS voor Werkenden for working learners, and LiS Engineering services for industry partners.

Product overview

The Leidse instrumentmakers School (LiS) is a specialized vocational school (mbo-vakschool) offering a unified BOL educational program at niveaux 3 and 4, focused on training students to become (research) instrument makers. The core offering consists of two integrated programs: the Niveau 3 Instrumentmaker program teaches students to manufacture precision instrument prototypes from technical drawings, while the Niveau 4 Researchinstrumentmaker program extends this with added emphasis on conceptualizing, designing, and developing solutions from technical requirements to functional prototypes. Beyond the main educational programs, LiS offers LiS Academy for professional development courses (turning, milling, glassworking), LiS Engineering services for industry collaborations, and continuing education tracks for working professionals under LiS voor Werkenden.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BOL Opleiding Niveau 3 - Instrumentmaker Vocational training program (niveau 3) where students learn to make prototypes of precision instruments from technical drawings, actively contribute ideas during the manufacturing process, and then test and improve the instrument.
• BOL Opleiding Niveau 4 - Researchinstrumentmaker Advanced vocational training program (niveau 4) where students learn to develop solutions from a technical question through to a working prototype, with emphasis on conceptualizing and designing precision instruments.
• LiS Academy Professional development and continuing-education courses for working professionals, including courses in turning (draaien), milling (frezen), and glassworking (glasbewerken).
• LiS Engineering Engineering services offered to companies, providing specialized precision engineering solutions and collaborations with industry partners.
• LiS voor Werkenden Continuing education and professional courses for employed individuals looking to enhance their skills in precision technology and fine mechanics.

Quantifiable outcome

• High employment guarantee for graduates
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vereeniging ter Bevordering van de Opleiding tot Instrumentmaker (Alumni Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The alumni association donated a new wire EDM machine (draadvonkmachine) to the Utopa workshop, demonstrating ongoing support from the graduate community for current student training.
• VCCN (Vacuumtechnologie Vereniging)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025LiS gained the right to independently certify students who participate in the 'Working in a Cleanroom' workshop on behalf of VCCN. This educational premiere was achieved through collaboration with VCCN, ROC Twente, Hogeschool Saxion, and LiS.
• Builder 3D PrintersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaboration to 3D print the full-scale T.rex Trix skeleton for Naturalis museum. The skeleton was printed at actual size using Builder 3D Printers technology.
• Lycee Pierre-Paul Riquet (Toulouse)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Frank Molster and Peter Paul Kooijman signed a cooperation agreement with Lycee Pierre-Paul Riquet in Toulouse during a trade mission with the Dutch Royal couple. The partnership aims to enable student projects and educational exchange in space aviation.
• Dutch Optics Centre (DOC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024DOC is a collaboration between TU Delft and TNO. LiS partnered with DOC and Haagse Hogeschool to establish the Lifelong Optics Learning platform for professionals in optics and photonics.
• Naturalis Biodiversity CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024LiS collaborated with Naturalis and Builder 3D Printers to create a full-scale 3D printed T.rex Trix skeleton as a museum exhibit.
• ROC TwenteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration partner in the VCCN cleanroom workshop certification program, working together with Hogeschool Saxion and LiS.
• Hogeschool SaxionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration partner in the VCCN cleanroom workshop certification program, working together with ROC Twente and LiS.
• Airbus Defence and Space NetherlandscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Students complete graduation projects at Airbus, working on space technology including satellite components and thermal management systems. Provides real-world aerospace engineering experience.
• LUMC (Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021LiS students worked on research assignments for LUMC, including the development and certification of a probe for medical research. Students contribute to real medical technology innovation projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Nova College: Regional MBO institution in the Haarlem/Amsterdam area offering technical and vocational programs. Competes in the broader Dutch MBO market for prospective technical students and provides alternative technical education pathways to LiS's specialization.
• Aventus: MBO school in Apeldoorn offering technical and vocational programs including precision-related trades. Comparable as a regional technical MBO competing for students seeking hands-on technical training, though at a broader program scope than LiS.
• ROC Twente: Technical MBO institution in eastern Netherlands and a named LiS collaboration partner in the VCCN cleanroom certification program. Competes for the same technical-vocational student demographic and shares curriculum-development infrastructure with LiS.
• Techniek College Rotterdam: Rotterdam-based technical MBO focused on engineering and technology trades. Comparable as a technical MBO competing for South Holland technical students and offering alternative pathways to instrumentation-related careers that LiS targets.
• MBO Rijnland: Regional MBO school serving the Leiden/Leiden region with multiple technical and vocational programs. Geographic competitor for prospective students in South Holland and an alternative pathway to technical careers that LiS targets.
• Cibap Vakschool voor Creatief Vakmanschap: Specialized Dutch 'vakschool' offering vocational training in creative crafts (furniture, interior, fashion). Most directly comparable in business model: a small, specialized mbo vakschool with deep industry ties, workshop-based pedagogy, and national reputation - mirrors LiS's structure in a different trade.
• Hout- en Meubileringscollege (HMC): Amsterdam-based specialized mbo vakschool for wood, furniture, and interior craftsmanship. Comparable as a niche, single-discipline vocational vakschool with strong industry partner network and brand recognition similar to LiS's precision-instrument focus.
• ROC Leiden: General MBO institution located in Leiden serving the same catchment area as LiS. Competes for the same pool of VMBO graduates pursuing technical education, though offers broader program portfolios rather than LiS's specialization in precision instrument making.

Broad incumbents

• Deltion College: Large Zwolle-based MBO institution with substantial technical and engineering program portfolio. Broader incumbent competing for the same prospective technical students across the Netherlands, but with significantly larger scale than LiS.
• Summa College: One of the largest technical MBO institutions in the Netherlands based in Eindhoven, offering broad technical and technology programs. Larger incumbent that competes for technical-track VMBO graduates nationally but lacks LiS's narrow precision-instrument specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/embed/P8R12nbfwYg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/leidseinstrumentmakersschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Leidse instrumentmakers School