Trained as an innovation scientist, Matthijs investigates innovation policy and strategy. His research activities involve both quantitative and qualitative analyses, based on methods like statistical modelling, survey research, interviews and case studies. As assistant professor at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Matthijs mainly focuses at the interface of innovation/industrial policy and societal challenges. These lines of research follow on Matthijs’ PhD-thesis on ‘service innovation in an evolutionary perspective’ (from Eindhoven University of Technology) and his post-doc affiliation with the Center for International Development - Harvard Kennedy School of Government. The research conducted in this respect started with Matthijs’ previous affiliation at the Amsterdam Centre for Service Innovation (Amsterdam Business School, University of Amsterdam) and during his study Innovation Sciences (BSc and MSc, both cum laude), formerly Technology & Policy, at the Eindhoven University of Technology. 

Apart from his affiliation at Utrecht University, Matthijs also works as a Principal Scientist at research and consultancy agency Dialogic (Utrecht). Many of the research projects Matthijs contributes to are commissioned by public authorities at regional level, national level (Ministries of Economic Affairs / Infrastructure and the Environment) or supranational level (OECD, European Commission).