The University of Twente celebrated its 64th Dies Natalis today with an inspiring gathering on the theme of the Hospital of the Future. The focus was on pioneering technological developments, groundbreaking research and the collaboration needed to shape the healthcare of tomorrow. As every year, several awards were presented during the ceremony.
In his opening speech, Rector Magnificus Tom Veldkamp emphasised the university's shared mission: educating the next generation, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and creating social impact. According to him, this year's theme perfectly captures that ambition. Health is one of UT's important areas of impact, and during this Dies, emphasis was placed on how technology, data and human-centred design will fundamentally change how we care for each other. Veldkamp concluded the introduction with a quote: "We cannot predict the future, but we can shape it."
Practical applications that improve healthcare
One of the keynote speakers was Maroeska Rovers, scientific director of the TechMed Centre. As a professor and innovator with extensive experience in both academic and clinical environments, she outlined the technological challenges facing our region. Rovers discussed the Moonshot Project Hospital of the Future, which aims to create a future-proof healthcare system for 2040 by collaborating with regional partners such as FME, Twenteboard, hospitals in the region, and particularly the MST.
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