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With Professor Dirk Heylen of the University of Twente as its director of research, the Humans & Technology Research Centre will investigate interaction between people and technologies. In its main lines of research, the centre plans to bring together computer science, psychology, industrial and related disciplines with a view to exploring new forms of collaboration and so produce innovative developments for a more liveable technological world.

André Louis MSc. is the first candidate who has received the PDEng diploma of the new programme in Energy & Process Technology (EPT) at the University of Twente. On behalf of the VMI Group company, Louis conducted his technical design project, and on March 4, he received his degree from UT-rector prof.dr. Ed Brinksma.

On 20th of February the first generation of Smart Energy Buildings & Cities technological designers graduated with a festive ceremony. In a symposium prior to the ceremony these Smart Energy Professionals all pitched their projects in five minutes to the audience.

Over 300 people attended the 3TU.Innovation & Technology conference at which the three Universities of Technology showed the technological progress made by working together in the various 3TU.Research Centres.

Van den Berg has previously served as chairman of the 3TU.Federation, until 1 January 2012.

As of October new talented engineers will start their career in the automotive high tech industry. The technological designer’s program Automotive Systems Design is organizing a diploma award ceremony for her very first generation of graduated technological designers.

The Master’s thesis of Michiel Wolbers is about decision making in innovation projects in the construction industry. Under supervision of dr.ir. Erwin Hofman, prof.dr.ir. Joop Halman and dr. Judith Timmer, he performed his project at the Innovation Management department of Balast Nedam.

Exciting developments are happening within the educational and industrial field of Health. The two youngest medical technological designer programs of 3TU.School for Technological Design, Stan Ackermans Institute, Clinical Informatics and Healthcare Systems Design, will reward a new generation of technological designers with their diploma, a Professional Doctorate in Engineering (PDEng) end of 2013.The Health domain awaits yet another talented type of technological designer.

3TU.Datacentrum and DANS have already been collaborating for some time, including activities involved in organising the biennial Dutch Data Prize and the course entitled Data Intelligence 4 Librarians. The establishment of the coalition will strengthen this collaboration, according to DANS Director Peter Doorn. “Research Data Netherlands is bringing us a step closer towards our shared mission: promoting sustainable accessibility and the responsible reuse of scientific research. This will ultimately be of benefit to science as a whole.” Wilma van Wezenbeek, Director of TU Delft Library and spokesperson for 3TU.Datacentrum, is also pleased with the initiative. “It’s a logical step to collaborate, because it will allow us to approach all issues concerning research data across disciplines and institutions in a much more efficient and customer-friendly manner.”

Both 3TU and KTH are very active in the Knowledge Innovation Communities (KIC’s) and we discussed how we could simplify the organization of the KIC’s and the benefits they can bring to our professors. In the second wave expected for 2014 KTH en 3TU, through Medical Delta, are part of the same consortium. On strengthening the relation with industry and society KTH was inspired by the PDEng degree that 3TU offers through the Stan Ackermans Institute and is currently implementing a similar degree. Furthermore collaboration on engineering education was discussed.

The meeting was scheduled because of the technical universities’ concerns about the extent, quality and international position of fundamental technological research in the Netherlands. The universities indicated that funding for research is under pressure. According to the 3TU.Federation this is largely due to declining expenditure by companies and the loss of subsidies. Furthermore, preparatory activities for the transition to the top sector policy and, at European level, the run-up to the Horizon 2020 programme are taking up more time, as a result of which new resources only become available at a later stage. The 3TU.Federation believes it important that the related decline of young researchers will not degenerate into fewer incentives and less attraction for top scientific potentials. In view of its significance for future economic activity, the opportunities available for ensuring the continuing quality of this type of research were discussed with Minister Kamp.