ASTP — Education, Not-for-Profit
Rebranding Europe’s leading knowledge transfer network. A bold new identity to unify ASTP’s mission and membership following a strategic merger.
overview
ASTP is a nonprofit organisation based in The Netherlands, dedicated to advancing knowledge transfer between academia and industry across Europe. With over 800 members in more than 40 countries, ASTP delivers training, conferences, and peer exchange for Knowledge Transfer professionals.
Following a corporate merger, ASTP approached us with the need to reframe the newly unified organisation and re-engage its stakeholders. The existing brand lacked clarity and cohesion—visually static, and without a strong sense of ownership or symbolism.
We led ASTP through a strategic rebrand, working closely with leadership to clarify their mission and re-establish their identity. The result is a bold, flexible visual system and a dynamic logo rooted in the core idea of “transfer”—a brand ready to lead and grow with Europe’s knowledge transfer community.
Brand Core
Our process began with stakeholder interviews and discovery workshops to unpack ASTP’s mission, values, and structural evolution post-merger. We uncovered key insights around what members valued most: a sense of professional community and a trusted platform for exchanging expertise. These findings were distilled into two central brand pillars:
— To foster community networks
— To inspire knowledge transfer
These pillars became the strategic foundation of the rebrand—helping to guide messaging, visual tone, and brand behaviours across touchpoints.
Brand Core
We developed a new design system that visually expresses ASTP’s role as a connector and facilitator. The creative direction draws on themes of energy, collaboration, and clarity—reflecting both the professionalism and dynamism of the knowledge transfer sector.
The refreshed visual language uses bold geometric forms, intersecting lines, and vibrant colours to represent pathways of exchange and movement. Clear typographic hierarchy and simplified layouts ensure the brand communicates effectively across cultures and to non-native English speakers—critical for ASTP’s pan-European audience. The system flexes across training materials, event branding, and digital platforms while maintaining consistency and recognisability.
Logo
The new ASTP logo embodies the organisation’s mission through three intersecting paths—metaphoric highways that symbolise transfer, collaboration, and momentum. The mark brings energy and purpose to a previously static identity, while the refined wordmark enhances legibility and professionalism.
To reinforce ASTP’s purpose at every interaction, we introduced a new strapline: “A World of Knowledge Transfer.” This addition strengthens the connection between name and mission, giving the brand a clearer voice within a global landscape of research, innovation, and education.
