Get ready to be inspired – join us at the Festival of Disruption!
We are excited to share that we are entering a new phase—an era where we initially focused on identifying technological innovations to solve societal challenges. Now, we are diving deep into the complex challenges our society faces. Bring your expertise and collaborate with us to turn multifaceted, complex, and ever-changing ‘wicked problems’ into sustainable, impactful solutions.
Keynote
The balance between the technical and social dimensions of energy transition
Heleen de Coninck, professor of Socio-Technical Innovation and Climate Change at Eindhoven University of Technology
As a leading climate expert, Heleen will demonstrate how technological innovation must go hand in hand with an understanding of societal dynamics to create real progress in the shift toward sustainable energy systems.
Disrupt your Mind workshops
Get ready for disruptive, thought-provoking workshops that will empower you to tackle wicked problems head-on. We are excited to announce our first workshops:
System thinking x design thinking
Chiara Treglia (Tini studio)
An interactive workshop on the integration of System and Design Thinking methodologies, designed to help you learn and work towards creating sustainable solutions with significant impact.
Wicked problems & the role of academia: the 4th generation university
Maarten Steinbuch, Marcel Bogers & Miko Balthaus (TU/e)
How can the university contribute to solving the complex problems of modern-day society? Is its current form up to the task? Do we need to look at new forms of academia? Come find out at this interactive workshop on innovation models, the knowledge society, and the 4th generation university!
Embracing Complexity in Transitions
Amber Geurts & Marlien Sneller (TNO Vector)
In an era of multifaceted societal challenges, the quest for disruptive solutions is more critical than ever. However, the dispersed efforts are not able to create the right environment for complex changes. For this to change, we need to embrace complexity in transitions and develop our collective capacity to act for innovative sustainable solutions to develop and become dominant. This workshop invites you to explore the intricate web of solutions and stakeholders, and their interconnections, in crafting effective transition pathways that disrupt conventional markets. Join us in recognizing the complexity of this challenge to drive meaningful change.
Intro to CSRD: Building Sustainability Impact
Sahar N. Soudani & U.J. Chiang (Impact X)
Gain insight into a basic introduction to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and its importance in driving sustainability impact.
Managing sustainability performance of companies in the context of circular and sustainable transitions
Yvonne van Lith (Fontys)
In this workshop, we will outline the ecosystem for circularity in Brabant from the viewpoint of Fontys as an educational institute engaged in applied research. We invite you to share your insights into the main questions around three central topics: collaboration in the value chain, regulations and directives that help or hinder circularity, and awareness and engagement in society.
‘Aahh ik snap het niet!!’
Bridge builders team (Eindhoven Engine)
Experience the complexity of having a lack in basic skills in our society and take action together with us! Discover your perspective and help build an inclusive society.
Livable region: What’s on our mind?
Walter Baets (Eindhoven Engine)
In this experience-based workshop, we co-create with you a common understanding of a livable region. We aim to challenge current visions of the livable region in order to co-create a more systemic understanding.
Join the circular café – Co-creating a circular society
Institute 4 a Circular Society (EWUU Alliance)
The need to move from a “take, make, waste” approach to a sustainable, circular society has never been more urgent. Our current habits of production and consumption are draining resources, driving climate change, polluting the environment, and threatening biodiversity. We believe the solution lies in transdisciplinary research—bringing together researchers, stakeholders, and society to tackle these complex issues collaboratively.
In this relaxed Café-style workshop, you’ll work in small, transdisciplinary groups to explore key circular dilemmas in water, food, and land use. Over several rounds of discussion, you’ll co-create ideas, insights, and solutions. In this interactive format, your unique ideas count, whether they come from your personal experiences or professional work. We want to show you how collaboration with others from diverse fields can spark new, innovative ideas!
You’ll also learn how the institute for a Circular Society, part of the EWUU alliance, can support your circularity journey. We’ll introduce our programs and resources like seed funding, research support, and “pressure cooker” sessions—all designed to help turn your ideas into action.
Envisioning Futures with Dementia: Exploring Aesthetics and Ethics of Personalized Agents
Adhi Raja & Rucha Khot (TU/e)
As technology like chatbots and social robots becomes more personalized and woven into daily life, their potential to create inclusive, empathetic, and compassionate social experiences for people with dementia grows. We invite designers, engineers, caregivers, ethicists, and anyone interested in learning about these fields to join us in a hands-on, multidisciplinary exploration aimed at shaping empathetic, dementia-friendly technologies using roleplay and generative AI techniques. Adhi Raja
Program
| 11:30 – 12:30 | Walk-in – Sandwiches & drinks |
| 12:30 – 12:50 | Welcome – Maarten Steinbuch & Janne Brok, Directors Eindhoven Engine Wicked problems demand impactful solutions – Walter Baets, Wicked Problems officer Eindhoven Engine |
| 12:50 – 13:30 | Keynote: The balance between the technical and social dimensions of energy transition Heleen de Koninck, professor of Socio-Technical Innovation and Climate Change at TU/e |
| 13:30 – 14:00 | Break |
| 14:00 – 14:45 | Disrupt your Mind workshops round 1 |
| 14:45 – 15:15 | Break |
| 15:15 – 16:00 | Disrupt your Mind workshops round 2 |
| 16:00 – 16:45 | Wrap-up theater |
| 16:45 – 17:30 | Network | drinks & bites |
Our focus areas
Currently, Eindhoven Engine focuses on the following four wicked problems:
- Inclusive Society
Bridging the gap for the 2.5 million people in the Netherlands who lack basic skills. - Livable Region
Tackling the energy transition and ensuring access to electricity for everyone. - Future-Proof Care
Rethinking healthcare with an emphasis on prevention and vitality. - Sustainable Semicon
Innovating in circularity and reducing CO2 emissions in industries.
We start by making these problems understandable and then transform them into sustainable, impactful solutions. We always use technology with a purpose, and our solutions are co-created with those experiencing the problems.
What you will gain
- First hand learning from the experience of Eindhoven Engine
- Learn how we co-create solutions with the very people who live these problems, using tech as a tool for meaningful change.
- Enhance your awareness around impact, meaning and the positive role that tech can play
- Develop your agile innovation skills and business model innovation
- Become comfortable in the complexity of our current world, in order to develop your capacity to solve wicked problems
Get ready to be inspired. Get ready to disrupt. Sign up now and see you on November 28!
“Wicked problems demand impactful solutions—let’s co-create a future where innovation meets purpose.”
The project focuses on smartly addressing grid congestion, improving connectivity and creating a sustainable testing ground for innovations. The battery plays a crucial role in optimizing energy flows on campus and enables sustainable growth.
This reveal is for invited guests only.
Innovative solution for grid congestion: GENIUS project
As energy demands continue to rise, many regions, including the Brainport region, are facing significant grid congestion challenges. These issues hinder the efficient use and storage of renewable energy, putting strain on the local electricity network. With ambitious sustainability goals in place, there is an urgent need for innovative solutions to optimize energy management and ensure a stable grid.
Introducing the GENIUS project
A promising answer to these pressing issues is the GENIUS project (Grid Efficiency and Network Integration for Universal Sustainability). With €1 million in funding, the GENIUS project is set to pioneer energy efficiency and tackle grid congestion challenges. This initiative is a collaborative effort involving 13 partners, including Eindhoven Engine, and is part of its Livable Regions program
A blueprint for nationwide application
The project aims to smartly address grid congestion, enhance connectivity, and create a sustainable testing ground for innovations. With the GENIUS project, the TU/e campus will become a smart lab for energy transition solutions. Ultimately, this project will served as a blueprint for efficiently managing energy demand. The goal is to develop solutions that can be applied to approximately 3,500 industrial sites across the Netherlands, ensuring a more stable and efficient energy network.
For more details, check out the article published by Innovation Origins.
New project videos: Advanced piezo-electric wafer stage project
Keeping up with the demand for manufacturing growth is the main challenge for the entire semiconductor industry. The Eindhoven Engine OpenCall project ‘Advanced long-range piezo-electric wafer stage’ therefore aims to demonstrate the feasibility of an ultra-short stroke stage using lightweight and compact piezo-electric actuators.
Ron de Bruijn – PhD candidate TU/e
My research is about wafer stages that are driven by piezoelectric actuators. These actuators make a mechanical contact between the rest of the machine and the wafer stage. Minimal disturbance or vibration in the rest of the machine could actually affect a wafer position.
Gregor van Baars – Projectlead TU/e & Systems engineer TNO
ASML is extremely successful with their current technology. The question lies in how much room there is for expansion. This research begins from a completely different standpoint, offering significant advantages but also presenting numerous challenges.
Program
- Opening ceremony
- Welcome by President TU/e Robert-Jan Smits
- Speech Wopke Hoekstra European commissioner for climate action\
- Reaction Heleen de Coninck (TU/e) and Ingrid Thijssen (VNO NCW)
- Short intermezzo
- Panel discussion on the TU/e green growth start-up community
- Short intermezzo
- Formal Opening Academic Year by rector-magnificus Silvia Lenaert
Celebrating five years of Eindhoven Engine
We had an incredible time celebrating our five year milestone, surrounded by great company and reflecting on our journey. From our ambitious beginnings to our impactful present. The celebration kicked off with an inspiring speech by TU/e Rector Magnificus Silvia Lenaerts, highlighting the importance of valorization, the strength of our partnerships, and our commitment to addressing societal challenges.
A special treat was the stunning musical performance by the talented artists from Impressariaat Kunsten van Fontys, adding a perfect touch to our celebration.
Human-data interaction to enhance office well-being
Hi, my name is Hans Brombacher and I am a fourth year Industrial Design Ph.D. candidate. My work focuses on the topic of human-data interaction to enhance office well-being and is part of the POWEr FITTing project of Eindhoven Engine.
Three case studies
In the landscape of workplace technology, sensing systems play a crucial role in gathering data for understanding building performance and employee activities. However, a common challenge arises: individuals often feel disconnected from these systems, being treated merely as passive recipients of data. Three case studies propose practical solutions to address this issue.
Case 1. SensorBadge
Case 1 introduces SensorBadge, an ego-centric sensor platform allowing employees to actively participate in data collection and analysis. This approach emphasizes the importance of seamlessly integrating sensor technology into daily routines while ensuring individuals have control over their data. The study underscores the need for clear and understandable data representations to facilitate informed decision-making.
Case 3. Click-IO
Case 2. SensorBricks
Human-centered design
These case studies demonstrate the importance of human-centered design in workplace sensing technologies. By prioritizing user engagement, control, and understanding, these approaches pave the way for more meaningful insights and improved well-being in the modern workplace.
Integration of findings
Within our final study, which will start soon, we will integrate the findings of these studies into a unified artifact, prioritizing human-centric design principles. This aims to enhance data literacy, facilitate real-time feedback on well-being, and ensure employee control over data. Implementing such an ecosystem in diverse workplace settings could provide valuable insights into its effectiveness and ethical implications, ultimately fostering a more fulfilling and productive work environment.
Join us in celebrating 5 years of Eindhoven Engine!
During our birthday party, we’ll share the milestones, successes, and challenges we’ve experienced within the organization and our projects. Come and join the festivities. It promises an afternoon of celebration, where we’ll introduce our next steps as we transition from technology push to society pull, offering an opportunity to embrace disruption.
We look forward to your arrival and toasting together to our anniversary.
See you on May 29th!
Empowering Epilepsy Care: Decoding Transcranial Electric Stimulation
Hi all, my name is Steven Beumer (30 years old) and for the last four years I’ve been doing my PhD at the TU/e, specifically the Electromagnetics group of Electrical Engineering. I was born and raised in Geldrop, a small village next to Eindhoven, so studying at this university was almost a no-brainer.
My research is focused on using transcranial electric stimulation for epilepsy patients that cannot be treated using medicine or surgery and is part of the PerStim project. This project was conceived from the wish to be able to reduce the treatment gap in epilepsy and thus lower the burden of this disease on the patients and society.
Electrical stimulation is simple, but very complex
Together with the Ghent University Hospital, Kempenhaeghe and Philips we started to research the use of electrical stimulation for epilepsy treatments. Through extensive literature studies, we found that the working mechanism of this technology is still poorly understood. Thus, we set out to answer a fundamental question using clinical studies: “Are we stimulating the brain with currents that go straight through the skull, or is it taking a more complicated route like the facial nerves?”
This method holds great promise for the future because of its affordability, simplicity, and potential for home use, which could ultimately reduce the need for frequent hospital visits.
To support these studies, I was tasked with making patient models, optimizing the electrode positions as well as analyzing the data. Together with students from Fontys and the TU/e, we built a full workflow to do this in a very quick and efficient manner. Eindhoven Engine enabled us to cooperate with the students from the Fontys. Their working mentality and different way of approaching problems were fundamental to significant parts of this work. Our clinical studies are still running, but preliminary results have shown that the answer to the abovementioned question might be that the stimulation works via both the direct and the indirect paths.
Looking into the future
Even though the use of transcranial electric stimulation is more complex than initially assumed, we have just started to unravel the actual working mechanism and I wholeheartedly believe that as we gain a deeper understanding, we can improve the methods and their efficacy. This method holds great promise for the future because of its affordability, simplicity, and potential for home use, which could ultimately reduce the need for frequent hospital visits.
My time at the university is running out, but I am still as fascinated by the world of brain stimulation as I was when starting this project and I’ll keep working in this field to improve the understanding of these techniques and unlock their potential for patients.
Festival of Disruption filled with energy and enthusiasm
The Festival of Disruption’s second edition thrived with energy and enthusiasm. Kicking off the day, architect and urban designer Floris Alkemade offered a compelling perspective on how to embrace transformative changes.
Engaging workshops
Following this inspiring start, attendees were presented with seven engaging workshops, each delving into methods to expedite innovation, including ‘Design doing’, ‘Accelerating transitions via disruption’ and ‘1+1=3.’ Moreover, they had the chance to stay up to date on the latest developments in Eindhoven Engine’s OpenCall projects and the Emergence Lab initiative focusing on low literacy. As the day drew to a close, the atmosphere was charged with excitement during the wrap-up quiz, concluding a day, filled with learning, inspiration, and networking.
Did you miss out on the festival or do you want to relive the day? Get an impression of it here!
