• Bert Pauli, Chairman of our Supervisory Board, reflects on our common achievements of 2021 and looks ahead to 2022.
• The OpenCall 2022 is open! Join the online roadshow on 10 January if you are considering to submit a project proposal.
• The launch of our Eindhoven Engine Academy course “Business Model Innovation in an Exponential World”.
• An update of one of our projects POWErFITTing.
• Joelle van den Broek has taken over the role of TNO Liaison Officer from Dick Koster. Check out her view on taking up this role.
• An update on the building of the Eindhoven Engine Community: Moving fast!
• And also, the Fontys Engineers Meet & Match 2022. For companies which are looking for trainees or graduates from Fontys University of Applied Sciences.

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I am Joëlle van den Broek, and I have joined the Eindhoven Engine team as liaison officer for TNO, succeeding Dick Koster.

I have been working in the field of Innovation for 30 years in various domains and roles. The common thread in my work is bringing together parties, people, knowledge and ambitions to realize new products and system innovations for complex social issues. Interdisciplinary or even cross-sector collaboration is often required and the issues are certainly not only technology related. My background as an Industrial Designer (TUD) helps to build the creative and surprising bridges that are often needed to take an innovation to the next steps.

Joëlle van den Broek, TNO liaison officer Eindhoven Engine

“My motto is ‘always look with a fresh look outside – in.”

Orchestrating Innovation

In my current position at TNO as Principal Strategic Consultant, I advise authorities, companies and my own TNO board about the opportunities and possibilities of new smart developments in Traffic and Mobility. Together with them, I set up large public-private programs to realize these possibilities. At TNO we call this ‘Orchestrating Innovation’.

This is also what I want to bring to the Engine: see what is happening in the outside world and initiate new collaborations by connecting the issues that partners have to knowledge and technologies. And, in so doing, accelerate new innovative solutions.

Because of my broad background and network, both outside and inside TNO, I can connect TNO colleagues and the issues they are working on to the approaches taken by the Engine and external private and public parties. And vice versa, I expect that with the refreshing approach of the Eindhoven Engine, I can bring added value to the innovation themes of my TNO colleagues!

Finally, a few words about myself: I am an Eindhoven importee, for over 20 years already. I am married and have three children. Also in my spare time I like to envision new things and like to spend time outside in the countryside or in my garden.

My motto is ‘always look with a fresh look outside – in’. Create impact by focusing on the problem that needs to be solved, work together to bring existing technologies and new insights to each other. Then you can come up with great solutions!

The seminar series (course) on Business Model Innovation in an Exponential World, co-financed by PATO*, is available on our website as of 15 December. In the best of open-source tradition, we have made all of the content available with a roadbook, workbook, webinars and additional resources so that any individual or group can freely use it. 

If you and your team know how to walk the path of a particular innovation and you know what your ideal outcome should be, a good systems engineering approach will adequately support you. But if you are dealing with a wicked problem in which you know the rough problem area but have no idea yet of all possible solutions, systems engineering is not going to help you. In such a case, you need to spend more time on understanding the problem area as systematically as possible and not jumping too quickly to solutions. At the same time, there is the imperative of rapid, agile innovation as the exponential reality does not leave you with too much time either. Additionally, the objective is not only to come up with innovative solutions to a wicked problem; market viability and societal impact are crucial if you would want your innovation to become real.

With that in mind, we have designed and developed this Business Model Innovation in an Exponential World course. In a short period of time, it helps you and your team to understand the problem area profoundly, identify a few meaningful scenarios that lead towards solutions, pay attention to their sustainability and circularity, and translate them into a business model canvas. Ideally, every project should start with this approach, but it could be equally useful after the first exploration of potential solutions.

Transformational journeys

The course supports you and the team in undergoing two transformational journeys. One journey deals with each participant’s personal transformation, as if we are not critical regarding our assumptions, prejudgments, experiences and so on, we will continue doing what we have always done and innovation will be difficult. The second transformation journey is one based on a particular project or problem. The team will walk through a six-step approach based on design thinking and systems thinking, using the collective intelligence of the team to lead to a prototype/business model of a few viable solution scenarios.

Both journeys are supported by webinars, giving background to the approach and illustrating the assignments. A ‘script’ is made available that participants can follow, detailing the methodology. At each step of the assignments, resources can be used to support the learning of the participants if needed.

Real transformation is complicated and takes time. Although we make the entire methodology available for free use by anybody, we are simultaneously aware that such transformation journeys will be much more impactful if correctly supported, coached and mentored. Based on this approach, Eindhoven Engine Academy can support you in the design and mentoring of a tailormade transformation journey for your particular project or company. 

As of 2022, we will offer this seminar series internally to our Eindhoven Engine projects. For the public market, we will offer a four-day, fully-present seminar on this content in the spring. Follow our socials to find out more about this offering. For now (15 December), make use of this opportunity and, if needed, contact us to discuss tailormade solutions.

In a short period of time, it helps you and your team to:

• Understand the problem area profoundly
• Identify a few meaningful scenarios that lead towards solutions
• Pay attention to their sustainability and circularity
• And translate them into a business model canvas

Despite the difficulties of the pandemic, 2021 went well for Eindhoven Engine: four new projects have been added, Eindhoven Engine Academy is gathering pace and OpenCall 2022 is ready to run. Bert Pauli, Head of the Supervisory Board, looks back on a positive year and ahead to our upcoming ambitions.

Strength in adversity

Of course, it hasn’t all been plain sailing. Co-location has largely been exchanged for online activities, while events such as the hackathon have been postponed. But in challenge lies opportunity, and the pandemic has allowed us to pilot a system which supports people in asking questions and finding one another. Regular talks with projects and virtual networking have also allowed us to follow the newest developments in Brainport and beyond, helping us to expand our reach even with reduced physical contact.

“Overall, we are very satisfied with our progress and currently have 19 projects,” says Bert. “The Academy is helping them with design thinking, systems thinking, leadership development and business model innovation, while community activities are increasing serendipity between people from different projects – from outside of the box, so to speak and helping to increase crossover potential.”

Partners in equilibrium

Such crossovers between projects – whether in terms of individuals, knowledge or resources – are a crucial part of the Engine’s work and have continued this year with the addition of projects from OpenCall 2021. These also highlight our diversity as an organization, ranging from climate systems and digital twins to energy towers and noise measurement. By encouraging collaboration across domains, we aim to answer interlinked questions facing humanity and our environment.

Engine

on the move

From left to right: Arnoud de Jong, Katja Pahnke, Guustaaf Savenije, Maarten Steinbuch, Bert Pauli, Elke den Ouden, Staf Depla (Superadvisory Board and Directors Eindhoven Engine)

“I’m happy to see that the newest call has increased our number of partners, including both SMEs and bigger organizations,” continues Bert. “It’s also boosted the visibility of our shareholders: TU Eindhoven, TNO and Fontys. This is a trusting relationship with various perspectives on why the Engine is important, including the valorization of new ideas and access to bigger consortia in the region. The Engine is a showcase for entrepreneurship and agile innovation and it’s good to have all these partners in equilibrium.

“The Engine is a showcase for entrepreneurship and agile innovation and it’s good to have all these partners in equilibrium.”

Bert Pauli, Head Superadvisory Board Eindhoven Engine

Investing in the future

Looking to 2022, the most important task is to allocate the 2.4 million euros received via the Regio Deal to as many as seven new projects. With a little luck, this will coincide with the return of co-location, furthering crossovers between these projects and those already running. The biggest ambition of the Supervisory Board and the Eindhoven Engine management is now to develop a financing structure and business model for after the conclusion of the current call structure in 2025.

“In the Regio Deal,” Bert concludes, “we focus on a balance of projects, outreach and Academy activities. What we see now is new developments in which Eindhoven Engine can play a role, such as the National Growth Fund. We’re already involved in proposals for quantum technology, next-gen high-tech and Data-driven Mobility and Smart City (DEMS) and can contribute to networking, ecosystem development and orchestration. This could help with our goal of finding other financing possibilities to keep on accelerating innovation for years to come.”

It is obvious that the COVID-19 situation has not very kind to us lately: more working from home, the postponement of the much-anticipated Eindhoven Engine Hack2Impact hackathon and no physical seminar get-together. However, we were able to meet the community in person over the last few months and it was great; we saw more interaction between the projects. An awesome example was Hans Brombacher, PhD candidate in the POWErFITTing project, who performed a study at the co-location with the help of the community. Famke Paulussen, student in the Future of Work project, was also able to hold interviews about hybrid working with the help of you, the community. I’m convinced that having met each other in real life will definitely help with finding each other online as well!

Elevate one another to the next level

In the last week of November, we also had a good session about how to further expand our Eindhoven Engine Community of Practice and create more value for and with one another. There was a good discussion about what a community should be (and what not!). I can’t resist sharing, in my view, the most outstanding points mentioned. In a community, there is no place for working in silos; everyone should be equal and it should definitely not be a place to come and steal ideas but rather to help elevate one another to the next level by sharing experiences and knowledge. The need to meet is there. It is now up to all of us to make the time worth it!

“The need to meet is there. It is now up to all of us
to make the time worth it!”

Joris Dufils, Eindhoven Engine community

Healthy employees make for a healthy company, which explains why leading European industrial regions like Brainport are keen to understand what defines a healthy work environment. The recent health crisis has made painfully clear how our society and economy are impacted when our well-being is threatened. Working from home has increased sitting time by almost 60 minutes a day. By thinking ahead, Brainport is harnessing partners’ talents, including Fontys, Hockey Club Oranje-Rood, IMEC-NL, TWICE, TNO Holst Centre and Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) to make the region not only the smartest region but also full of vitality. By collaborating in the FITT project, these organizations actively invest in healthy environments to develop intelligent, preventative and data-secure solutions that keep people active, healthy and resilient.

In the years leading up to the COVID outbreak, many Dutch companies faced rising figures for employee sick leave. In 2018, large corporations reported workforce absenteeism of around 5%, SME’s slightly lower at 3.8%. Both mental and physical illness was on the rise. And a study by TNO worked out that each workday lost through illness cost the company 250 Euro.

Inactivity in the workplace is a significant problem that poses serious health risks. So how can we stimulate people to exercise regularly? Intuitive technology can be integrated into all kinds of environments, fine-tuned to meet people’s needs—for instance, unique work walk routes, equipped with smart technology to stimulate an active way of working.

FITT technology explained

The challenge of keeping people vital and resilient has become more relevant than ever in the current pandemic – and with home working, it shows that a working environment is not confined to the office space. The growing popularity of smartwatches with inbuilt biosensors to measure heart rate and oxygen levels have caught the imagination of those who want to lead a healthier lifestyle. Even though they are rarely clinically certified, such devices do create awareness.

Technology has already helped increase people’s health awareness with wearables like smartwatches, but these are devices are mainly used by the health-conscious. With the technology developed by FITT partners, we can intuitively embed preventive technology into people’s daily routines. We are applying our expertise in body-monitoring solutions to deliver high-quality, multi-sensor data to create invisible, unobtrusive technology that we can integrate into the workplace. The hybrid electronics available within Holst Centre, where chip technology and free form electronics come together, are very suitable.

With the technology developed by FITT partners,
we can intuitively embed preventive technology
into people’s daily routines.

Environmental quality at work is more important than ever. At the test location, air quality, including aspects like particles, temperature and humidity, is constantly measured in real-time. This ensures that the smart climate control system based on algorithms can create an optimal but still generic working climate. Even the colour and intensity of the lighting can be adjusted to the tasks and biorhythm. The challenge is to tailor the environment to suit a specific person. Therefore, we need reliable data of someone’s physical state with sensors mounted close to the body instead of on the skin. The final step is to close the loop and improve someone’s wellbeing and productivity by adjusting the working environment.

The FITT partners have jointly created test office spaces at the High Tech Campus Eindhoven to put this technology to the test in a real-life working environment. It is known as the Workplace Vitality Hub, located on the High Tech Campus Eindhoven.

POWEr FITTing Project at Eindhoven Engine

Marieke van Beurden, Program Director Human Vitality & Technology at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), is the new Workplace Vitality Hub manager and leads the Eindhoven Engine POWErFITTing project. “This project is one of the first FITT vitality projects to be set up around the new vitality hub. We’re making active use of the broad network that the Eindhoven Engine offers.That starts by organizing brainstorming sessions between education organizations like the Eindhoven University of Technology and Fontys University of Applied Sciences and the large sports federations like the Dutch national hockey club Oranje Rood. But we are also finding practical applications for research projects using social feedback like Stimulight, which makes exercise data visible. So what we learn at the test site can also be directly applied in both classrooms and sports center.”

“Our link with the hockey club is not only fascinating but also quite logical. The Oranje Rood Hockey Club has a business network of around 120 SME companies operating in the Brainport region. These members are showing interest in making an active contribution to vitality awareness in the region. So that’s why the POWErFITTing project organizes vitality seminars and visits, as well as student hackathons around relevant technologies in the working environment.”

[In Dutch]

Het onderzoeksproject ‘Advanced long-range piezoelectric wafer stage’ voor ASML is ruim twee jaar geleden van start gegaan onder de vlag van TUE’s High Tech Systems Center, en later ondergebracht en verruimd in de Eindhoven Engine. Dit artikel geeft een update van dit ALP-project, waarbij nieuwe concepten voor waferstages worden gezocht buiten de comfortzone van de gevestigde ontwerpprincipes. Het idee is dat juist door er compleet tegenin te gaan wellicht een potentiële route voor de toekomst wordt gevonden.

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