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What will robots on the farm of the future look like? And how can smart eco ducts facilitate the movement of wild animals? Answers to these questions will hopefully be provided by students of the Designs for Agrifood & Ecological Systems of Wageningen University & Research (WUR). A post-masters course specifically focussed on designing for a sustainable future.

A sensor on steel bridges designed to detect fatigue cracks and monitor the progression of this damage. That's the headline-making feat of the TU Delft start-up Villari in the Netherlands.

The latest 3D model for developing new types of steel has been presented at the Digitally Enhanced New Steel Product Development (DENS) research programme half-yearly event. Researchers from TU Delft, Eindhoven University of Technology, the University of Twente, and the Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung in Düsseldorf have spent the past three years working on the model. Each of the phases involved in the production of steel now can be simulated in the model. The ultimate aim is to develop the ideal steel – strong and easy to deform.

We are eagerly awaiting the quantum computer. It promises to be a computer with unprecedented computational power and that will open new doors. Start-up Orange Quantum Systems is speeding up the development process with a unique collaboration in the brand-new quantum value chain.

The deans of the 4 TU’s have selected the themes of the High Tech for a Sustainable Future (HTSF) 2021-call: ‘Materials and high-tech sensing technologies for the ageing built environment’ (1); ‘Low-cost sensing technologies for health’ (2) and ‘Sociotechnical approaches towards data-driven sustainable food systems’ (3). The purpose of the HTSF call is to challenge researchers to develop high tech solutions for the societal challenges we are facing.

A naturally biodegradable alternative to microplastics in e.g. body scrubs and detergents. That is what Iamfluidics, a spin-off from the University of Twente, is in the process of developing.

Student team CryoCOP has won the 4TU Carbon Removal Student Award with their innovative idea that helps to rebalance the earth’s carbon cycle. CryoCOP aims to develop a technology that can perform in a carbon-negative way. Their idea is to 'capture pure CO2 using a cryogenic process at a disruptively low price'. CryoCOP has beaten the other finalists MIONA and NYMPHAE in the Dutch student competition organized by the 4TU.Federation.

VSParticle, a TU Delft spin-off, develops a printer that spits out almost any kind of conceivable new material in a few minutes. It is a revolutionary advancement in research that should boost innovations.

From now on, any livestream sports event can look like a directed TV broadcast. Studio Automated, a TNO-spin-off, transforms an integral image into an exciting montage using AI and computer vision.

From now on, the four universities of technology in the Netherlands are combining their knowledge and expertise in the field of medical & health technology in a new 4TU centre: 4TU.Health. The ambition for this centre is to be a strategic discussion partner in the field of health and care with regard to designing solutions for tomorrow’s health & care challenges. Technology is one of the keys in solutions for ensuring our healthcare remains sufficiently staffed and affordable.

Do you want to collaborate with your 4TU colleagues and make societal impact? Then submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) for the HTSF call 2021!

Hy2Care, a spin-off of the University of Twente in the Netherlands, is developing a special gel to repair cartilage in knees. This should improve the quality of life for a lot of young patients.

The 4TU.Federation, made up of the four Universities of Technology of the Netherlands, is committed to strengthening and pooling technological knowledge in the Netherlands. The first edition of the HTSF programme was shaped around these ambitions and will end in December 2022. The 4TU.Federation now aims to award a new set of theme based research programmes through the next call.

Check out now: the new edition of the 4TU Career Special. Full of tips on applying, do’s and don’ts, stories about job hunting in corona time, articles about young entrepreneurs and columns that make you think.

The team of the HTSF Soft Robotics programme are working on soft robots that are safer and better equipped to function in a human environment. This is a new specialisation that involves many fields of expertise.