Mark your calendar and be among the first to register for the Festival of Disruption 2026!
Following the success of last year’s edition, we’re excited to welcome you back to the Festival of Disruption on Wednesday, 3 December 2026.
Join us for a day of inspiring keynotes, thought-provoking discussions, interactive sessions, and meaningful networking with changemakers, researchers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, professionals, students, and anyone passionate about shaping a better future.
Who is it for?
The Festival of Disruption is for everyone who is curious about driving positive change. Whether you’re a student, researcher, entrepreneur, policymaker, professional, or simply eager to explore new ideas, this event is designed to inspire, connect, and challenge you.
Theme 2026
Disruption as a Catalyst for Change
This year’s festival explores how disruptive thinking can help address today’s biggest societal challenges. Together, we’ll dive into topics such as sustainability, inclusion, innovation, and social impact, and discover how bold ideas and fresh perspectives can contribute to a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future.
Date: Thursday, 3 December 2026
Time: 12:00 – 17:30
Location: TU/e | Horsten 1 | Disruptor building
We look forward to welcoming you to the Festival of Disruption!
What can you expect?
Hands-on workshops
Step into dynamic, hands-on sessions that challenge the status quo. These workshops are designed to spark fresh thinking and equip you to tackle complex, real-world challenges—head-on. Stay tuned for the full line-up!
Real-world impact
Discover how Eindhoven Engine co-creates solutions with the people who experience the problems firsthand. By leveraging technology as a force for good, we turn bold ideas into meaningful, human-centered change.
Workshops
Workshop program coming soon…
Previous versions
Registration Festival of Disruption 2026
We look forward to welcoming you to the Festival of Disruption!
Exploring Responsible AI support for Dutch social services
Creating an inclusive society requires more than good intentions, it requires making support accessible to everyone. Through our work at Eindhoven Engine, we have learned that many people with limited basic skills struggle to find the right help when they need it. Social support is often fragmented across organizations, with no single place where people can simply ask a question and be guided to the right service.
Mijke the Matchbot was developed to address this challenge. Mijke is an AI-powered conversational assistant that helps people find the right support in a friendly and accessible way. Instead of searching through websites or navigating complex systems, users can simply describe their situation and receive guidance towards relevant organisations and services.
Over the past two years, Sichen Guo pursued her EngD traineeship within Eindhoven Engine’s Inclusive Society focus area. In her final year she dedicating her work to optimizing Mijke the Matchbot.
Bridging the gap between people and support
“My research focused on how conversational AI could help people with limited basic skills navigate Dutch social services,” says Sichen. “Many support systems still require people to search, compare, and interpret information independently, which can be challenging when dealing with financial, health, housing, or social issues.”
What began as an exploration of simplifying formal letters and service information evolved into Mijke: an AI-powered matchbot that allows users to communicate naturally through conversation rather than filling out formal intake forms.
Alongside text-based interactions, Sichen also explored voice-enabled communication as a way to make the system even more accessible.
Building responsible AI
As the project progressed, the focus expanded beyond building a functional chatbot. Sichen investigated how such a system could be maintained, evaluated, and responsibly deployed over time.
Working closely with libraries, social workers, and other practitioners, she helped define five criteria for high-quality referrals:
- Relevance
- Trustworthiness
- Accuracy
- Clarity
- Completeness
These criteria formed the basis of a human-centered evaluation framework.
One of the most important findings was what Sichen calls the “Fluency Trap.” AI-generated responses can sound convincing, friendly, and professional, even when the information is incomplete or uncertain. This highlights the importance of continuous evaluation and human oversight when using AI in public-service settings.
Looking ahead
- Contact our Inclusive Society Team for more information.
Feel free to drop by and learn about the effort of students over the last six months. Registration is not needed.
More info
Advancing energy flexibility in buildings
Tackling energy challenges in buildings: the BuildInFlexergy approach
It also provides a valuable moment to receive feedback, exchange ideas, and gain insights from one another’s work. The session will follow an interactive and informal format: all interns will present their projects simultaneously, while participants are encouraged to walk around and explore the different presentations.
A digital twin prototype for healthy living
The Smart Cities project reached the next milestone as Veron Augustine Afonso translated earlier academic system‑dynamics research by EngD researcher Golnoosh Sabahifard into a validated and interactive simulation model. This new model shows how environmental, social, and behavioral factors shape healthy living in neighborhoods.
A practical tool for smarter urban decisions
Built in Vensim, the model turns complex theory into a clear, usable tool that allows stakeholders to explore “what‑if” scenarios. For example, how reducing noise or improving social cohesion affects wellbeing over time. It is modular, transparent, and ready to evolve into future digital twin applications across the region.
Shaping a more livable region
With Veron’s successful completion of this phase Maria Mihaylova will take the project forward, focusing on designing an interactive dashboard for a broad group of municipal and regional partners. This strong foundation positions the Smart Cities project as a key enabler of evidence‑based decision‑making: helping cities design healthier, smarter, and more livable communities for everyone.
- Interested in joining or learning more? Please contact Walter Baets for more information.
Eindhoven Engine receives 50K grant for sustainable upscaling of Mijke the Matchbot
We are pleased to announce that Eindhoven Engine has been awarded 50K. This funding will support the sustainable upscale of Mijke the Matchbot. Mijke is our AI‑powered digital assistant. She is designed to make service delivery more accessible, reliable, and inclusive across the region.
What is Mijke the Matchbot?
Mijke the Matchbot is an AI-driven digital assistant developed at Eindhoven Engine that helps individuals find the right public or social services quickly and easily. The feasibility of the concept has already been validated: Mijke can guide users through complex information, streamline referrals, and reduce barriers to essential support. The next step is ensuring that this innovation can scale responsibly, securely, and effectively within the European context.
Focus of the new project: two core developments
1. Exploring locally hosted LLMs for European‑aligned privacy and autonomy
A key part of this project is assessing the feasibility of running large language models (LLMs) locally, rather than relying on external cloud services. This approach enables:
- Privacy-by-design, with sensitive data fully protected
- Greater autonomy and resilience for public organizations
- Predictable, controllable operational costs
- Alignment with European data governance requirements and regulations
This exploration is essential for ensuring that Mijke can be deployed widely and responsibly within public and social sectors.
2. Creating a continuous user feedback loop
To ensure long-term quality and trustworthiness, the project will design and test a structured user feedback system. This mechanism enables real-time improvement of:
- Referral accuracy
- Reliability of information
- Overall accessibility of the digital assistant
By embedding user experience directly into ongoing development, Mijke will evolve in step with the needs of residents, professionals, and service organizations.
The next step is ensuring that this innovation can scale responsibly, securely, and effectively within the European context.
In collaboration with Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) feasibility studies and pilots will be conducted within the Eindhoven Metropolitan Region (MRE). The project aims to deliver a scalable, privacy-friendly, and inclusive digital solution that strengthens accessible public and social service delivery and supports long-term regional impact.”
Eindhoven Engine receives another 50K to accelerate climate‑neutral Brainport region by 2040
We are proud and delighted to announce that our project Brainport Circulaire Waterhub – From Isolated Initiatives to Collective Water Management has been awarded a 50K Kennis‑in‑Actie grant for Collectief Waterbeheer Oost‑Brabant. This support marks an important milestone in our joint program with Rijkswaterstaat to help the Brainport region become climate neutral by 2040.
A shared challenge, a collective opportunity
The rapidly growing Brainport region faces a significant water challenge. Urban expansion, industrial demand, and the effects of climate change mean that by 2040 we must retain more water locally and extract far less. At the same time, our region is uniquely positioned to lead the way. Brainport’s strong collaborative culture, where government, businesses, knowledge institutions, and society work hand in hand, creates fertile ground for innovative solutions.
This project embraces that strength. Together, we aim to transition from fragmented water initiatives to a cohesive, future-proof model of collective water management. Our ambition is to enable the same water to be used multiple times across companies, public authorities, agriculture, and households, before returning it to nature in the highest possible quality.
Collaboration at the heart
Eindhoven Engine will serve as project lead, working closely with a diverse and committed consortium:
- Eindhoven Engine
- Kloostersland
- Sustainable Dynamics
- TU/e Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences
- TU/e Mechanical Engineering
- vanderPoll office
This powerful coalition embodies the Brainport spirit: multidisciplinary, innovative, and united by a common purpose.
Ambition in action
This six-month exploratory project started in February 2026 and brings together technical expertise, scientific insights and practical experience. Through co-creation, we will investigate the process step to create a regional circular water system with stakeholder, laying the groundwork for broader implementation across Oost‑Brabant.
The grant enables us to deepen this journey and make the lessons learned available for other locations.
This is an elective course for EngD trainees in Designing Human–System Interaction and Automotive Systems Design.
The challenges of today are wicked in nature: we have no upfront idea where the solution might be found. Most of the technology management approaches and methods are not based on this reality of a complex, systemic world, and therefore do not always equip engineers ideally.
To make sense of today’s reality, engineers must take charge. They need to shape the future instead of being swept along by it. This means understanding what innovation truly requires in a world that is constantly shifting and filled with uncertainty. And above all, they must be ready to navigate the rapid disruption driven by exponential technologies. They need to know how to construct business models that matter, using technologies for positive impact. Additional to their technological specialization, engineers need to develop an understanding of, and a competence in, turning the great potential of (exponential) technologies into business models to bring to market.
More about the course >>
The Career Expo is an exciting event created especially for TU/e students—but the doors are also open to non‑TU/e students who want to explore the expo floor and connect with the wide range of participating companies.
Across two inspiring days, students can introduce themselves to more than 180 forward‑thinking companies ready to answer questions, share insights, and explore potential opportunities in their field of study or business. It’s a unique chance to discover new directions, broaden perspectives, and kick‑start a meaningful career journey.
Eindhoven Engine is committed to tackling complex societal challenges—often referred to as wicked problems. As an independent organization, we strive to contribute to a livable and sustainable Brainport region. Supported by our stakeholders Fontys, TNO, and Eindhoven University of Technology, we focus on four key areas: Livable Region, Future‑Proof Care, Sustainable Semicon, and Inclusive Society.
We can’t wait to connect with students who are passionate about technology, creativity, and making a difference—see you at the expo!