About the project

Smart Manufacturing aims to improve factory efficiency by optimizing production processes, but SMEs often lack the capacity to create innovation in this domain. Bringing together Eindhoven Engine, Fontys, TNO and Brainport Industries Campus, the SmartMan project comprises research into various facets of smart manufacturing, including robot-assisted manufacturing, data sharing, industrial AI, virtual reality and autonomous transport. Student projects were executed at SMEs with the goal of developing knowledge, technology and methods for combining quality, automation and flexibility in manufacturing.

During the project, SmartMan successfully supported approximately 80 companies by collaborating with students on innovative assignments. A total of 123 assignments, including internships and graduate projects, were completed. These assignments aimed at implementing business innovations proved successful, with students making significant contributions to the innovation within these companies.

About the project

FITTing Persons’ vitality and optimizing their Work Environment

In an increasingly competitive global economy, physical inactivity and burnout rates are increasing. Sustainable employability based on good physical and mental health is therefore crucial, preventing absenteeism and also reducing healthcare costs. POWEr FITTing optimizes the relationship between vitality and the (home) office environment through the combination of data acquisition, integration and application for the validation and acceleration of user-oriented solutions. By taking into account individual, societal and contextual factors, this enables employees to remain both healthy and productive. This benefits companies, individuals and wider society.

About the project

The iHeat@Home project contributes to a breakthrough innovation in thermal energy storage: a heat battery which is better, cheaper, smaller and greener than any competitor. This will accelerate the energy transition, promote the development of renewable energy sources, reduce grid investments and create new business. This is all happening here in the Brainport region.

iHeat@Home focuses on solutions for real-time data on the heat battery’s state-of-charge and its optimal data management, with three coherent solutions:

1. The basis for a sensor which is robust and cheap
2. Communication protocols and data managemen
3. Integration in a validated, user-ready heat battery. The aim is to bring this technology to the market by 2023.

About the project

NEON EE, part of the NEON research program that focuses on the societal challenges of climate change, clean energy and smart mobility. The models, or digital twins, being developed provide information on ways to reduce CO₂. With the information acquired, research is being conducted into a low-carbon future through realistic and cost-effective ways. NEON EE will enable these models to be brought to market even faster. Within Eindhoven Engine, several parties will test the tooling, nourishing it with more and more data and therefore enabling it to present an even more realistic picture.

About the project

Co-creation in Living Labs as impact Engine. Living labs as catalysts for circular societal impact

The CoLLidE project focuses on the market introduction of reusable food packaging. The Circulware system, developed by project partner Haval, replaces single-use food packaging with reusable and recyclable, bio-based packaging and will be applied in a living lab in this project. This will enable the use of the new packaging to be investigated from a technical, economic and social perspective. In the living lab, entrepreneurs, students, researchers, public authorities and companies will collaborate and learn together. The living lab will act as a catalyst for circular societal impact and will also investigate how a behavioral change towards food packaging can be achieved.

• More information and updates on the project

About the project

Currently, there are 55 million people worldwide with dementia. This number is expected to rise to 78 million by 2030 and 138 million by 2050 according to the WHO. There is currently no medical solution for dementia. In addition, there is a shortage of caregivers. This is putting the healthcare system under pressure. Technology should and can provide the support needed for dementia sufferers and their caregivers.

Warm technology

The WECARE project focuses on extending human care by applying the Warm Technology concept to interactive agents, such as chatbots and companion robots. Warm Technology ensures that this technology is made accessible and appropriate for the environment of people with dementia and their caregivers, thereby also taking this environment into account. In this project, work is being done to develop more advanced behaviors and representations in interactive agents.