The board of the STW Technology Foundation has given the go-ahead for five ambitious research programmes geared towards developing innovative technologies. STW has earmarked over €16 million for this objective. The programmes have also attracted a further €8 million plus in investment from dozens of companies across the corporate spectrum, from international players such as Shell, DAF, and TomTom to SMEs and start-ups. The University of Twente is participating in four out of five of these prestigious programmes.
The five research proposals have been selected as part of the financing programme Perspective for Top-Priority Sectors. It challenges scientists to enter into public-private partnerships, setting up joint innovative research in line with the top-priority sectors identified by the Dutch government. The current round of the Perspective programme resulted in 28 research initiatives. The five successful proposals have been awarded STW grants ranging from €2.2 million to €4 million. Companies and other partners are contributing an additional total of over €8 million in investment. The University of Twente is participating in four out of five of these programmes.
High-tech materials from waste
Within the programme Innovative Magnetic Density Separation for the Optimal Use of Resources and Energy, several companies and research institutes are collaborating to recycle more high-tech materials from waste, reducing the need to make these materials from scratch every time using ore and oil. This programme focuses on the development of generic recycling technology for waste streams, such as electronics and plastic packaging that have been thrown away. Waste streams of this kind consist of over 100 different high-tech materials, often in the form of fine structures such as thin wires or foils in products.
Self-driving vehicles
Within the i-CAVE programme, scientists, companies and government bodies have joined forces to develop vehicles that can drive both autonomously (on closed roads) and cooperatively on public roads. Collaboration on this scale is essential, since the introduction of self-driving cars cannot happen overnight. By developing a demonstration platform, the parties involved want to show that the switch from full manual control to automatic driving is indeed possible.
Diagnosis and personalized treatment
The NeuroCIMT programme focuses on new technologies for the accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment of neurological disorders (stroke, MS) and sensory disorders (hearing impairment, chronic pain). Using EEG technology and other high-tech resources, the researchers are working to learn more about the control function of the central nervous system. By means of thorough analysis, the researchers hope to optimize the assistance they can offer patients in regaining their autonomy and improving their quality of life.
Liquefied natural gas
Switching to liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel for the transport sector can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 20 percent while improving air quality. However, this transition requires significant investments in delivery and loading stations, supply ships and conversion of ships and trucks to use LNG as fuel. The SLING programme is working to plug the gaps in our knowledge to enable new technology for LNG tanks, which is expected to significantly reduce costs for the shipping sector.
