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Rising above the buzz of the many visitors, scientists could be heard explaining how their technology works and what they’ve been working on lately. And the occasional ringing of the bell, as a sign that another new event was about to start. ‘s innovation day Holst Centre at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven there was one that was full of knowledge, encounters and business contacts.
The future is invariably the common thread in all stories in these kinds of events. And that was also the case this time. But what does it have in store for us? Artificial intelligence? robot? sensors? Or maybe all? The scientists at the Holst Center innovation day showed what the future could look like for us and our loved ones.
“It’s great to be back here, especially for our teams, because they’ve done a lot of great work and now they can show their results,” said Kathleen Philips, general manager of imec in Eindhoven and general manager of Holst Centre. “If you’re not able to face your critical customers and give them a chance to challenge you, you’re missing out on some of the rewards. Because you want them to ask the right questions and give you feedback.”
The purpose of the event was not only to showcase research and scientific work, but also to network and make connections. “We also want to inspire people to come up with new solutions for all the challenges we have,” said Ton van Mol, director at TNO and Managing Director at Holst Centre.
Tech to see
The various booths at the event were there to enable visitors to see and experience for themselves which technologies have been developed in recent times. The stands ranged from printing electronics in glass to a sensor for real-time predictive analysis of concrete quality. “Our big problem today is health and you will see quite a bit of Medtech, such as the sensor patches and chips that can be used in medicine,” said Philips.
Sebastiaan van Dyck was one of the people with a booth. He is a project manager at Arranged BV, a company in Belgium. The technology they are developing is a dice tray in which a scanning surface has been incorporated. It can be used for board games or table-top RPGs. “We have the patent and we are developing this in collaboration with Holst Center because they are very good at this imaging technology,” said Van Dyck.
Inspirational Speeches
The Innovation Day program featured speakers who discussed their work and the purpose of their companies. The topics they covered varied from medical wearables to photonics and spin-offs and start-ups.
Marko de Jager is Principal Scientist of Medical Wearables for Ambulatory Monitoring at Philips Research. He discussed the importance of remotely monitoring patients and providing healthcare solutions. “For example, a diabetic may need a glucose monitor, but may also want to be prescribed an activity tracker as part of a care program to improve his lifestyle and help him cope with his illness,” said De Jager during his lecture. These technologies and developments offer the opportunity to create a new future for hospitals, where care is provided for urgent cases, while other types of care are delivered at a distance.
Also on stage were the chairman of PhotonDelta René Penning de Vries and Dr Nico van Meeteren, director and secretary-general of Health-Holland. Penning de Vries spoke about photonics and why this is such a great opportunity. Nico van Meeteren discussed the need to change science and how to combine different platforms in one package.
Read more about what photonics can bring to our society
This is our 2022 series covering the many applications of photonics in agriculture, medtech, data communication, automotive and more.
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This year’s event brought together several people to seek partnerships and showcase their technologies. But it also had another goal: to allow visitors to enjoy being together again. “It’s great for the teams because they feel seen and valued,” concluded Philips.
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Holst smart chair should improve vitality in the workplace – Innovation Origins
As we lead an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, vitality in the workplace is receiving more and more attention. It seems that everyone wants a healthy and sustainable working environment.
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Innovation Origins will discuss a number of concrete examples from the Holst Center Innovation Day in the coming days.
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