Safety & Security

Researchers at the University of Twente possess extensive expertise in chip technology. But the production of chips is not only complex from a technical perspective; it is equally intricate when it comes to the organisation of international production chains and geopolitics. Melle Scholten, affiliated with the UT Public Administration programme, argues that this complexity unintentionally contributes to global peace. How does this work, and how long can such a system endure?

No whining, just perform. For many athletes, that's a lesson they learn early on at their sports club. Standards like that travel with them, from youth teams to the Olympic podium. But they also have a downside: an increased risk of physical, psychological and sexual misconduct. The Winter Games show a glorious result. But how safe is the road to get there?

New Year’s Eve, loud bangs from milk churns in the meadow, a mug of hot chocolate in hand: a true Twente tradition. In several regions, carbide shooting is firmly rooted in the turn-of-the-year celebrations, complete with clear safety regulations to keep the custom both enjoyable and secure. Will carbide shooting gain popularity now that private fireworks will be banned from 2026? And is it actually safer?

It’s almost 2026. As we prepare to ring in the new year, think back to the turn of the millennium in 2000. Remember? The world was gripped by the ‘millennium bug’. Computers were expected to go haywire, stock markets to crash, planes to fall from the sky. In the end, it wasn’t so bad. What people often forget is that this was thanks to billions spent on preparation.

Smart cities promise to make us safer. Cameras on every corner that detect violence and algorithms that alert the police before anyone calls. For many, that sounds reassuring. But how safe do these systems really make us, and more importantly, for whom?

As a small country, the Netherlands has historically always opened itself up to the rest of the world. In that respect, we are living in turbulent times. Trade wars between the United States, the European Union and China are creating uncertainty in both financial and goods markets. The war in Ukraine has exposed the fragility of our global supply chains. And the conflict in Gaza has revealed deep divisions within Europe. What lies ahead for the Netherlands in the coming years? We discuss the current state of affairs and the geopolitical future with Melle Scholten, political economist affiliated with the Public Administration programme at the University of Twente.

We do almost everything online these days, from banking and grocery shopping to booking holidays. So why do we still vote with paper and pencil? In the Election Questions 2026 series, UT researchers explore how science helps us understand the dilemmas voters face. This time, we spoke with Roland van Rijswijk-Deij, full professor of Data-Driven Internet Security, about one key question: why haven’t we gone digital at the ballot box?

Entering a drug lab without knowing which gases are being released is life-threatening. “That risk needs to be reduced,” says University of Twente researcher Dimitar Rangelov. Together with Saxion University of Applied Sciences, the Police Academy and the Technical University of Sofia, he is developing an AI-driven forensic investigation system that makes crime scene work faster, safer and more accurate.

Losing everything in a matter of hours. Your house underwater, no safe place to go. For millions of people around the world, this is not an exception but a reality that happens more often than we think. Even in Europe, disasters are becoming more frequent, and it is becoming increasingly clear how vulnerable our homes are.

AI helps clinicians quickly find the information they need, filtering hundreds of reports and documents, automating processes, and preventing something from being overlooked. But traditional AI isn't safe enough when it comes to high-level tasks, such as diagnosing. Here, explainability is crucial. Unlike non-explainable models that operate like black boxes, explainable AI follows a clinically acceptable reasoning and reveals how it arrives at a decision, so doctors can evaluate whether its output is trustworthy.

Drones have become more commonplace in today’s society. You see them fly over more often, to take breathtaking shots at festivals or to use them to inspect the facades of buildings. However, there’s also a flip side to it, where drones are also used for criminal activities and warfare.

Propaganda used to be distributed through leaflets or broadcast over the radio. Today, it reaches us with a click on our smartphones, and it is tailored to our preferences. The way we consume information has changed - and with it, the way we form our beliefs about political and social institutions. Assistant professor Adam Heschke is worried about what comes next.

Earlier this year, Prof. Tiedo Tinga was invited to speak at the Dutch Parliament (Tweede Kamer) about strengthening the connection between academia and the Ministry of Defence. The topic of discussion was how scientific research could address some of the Ministry’s challenges.

Have you ever stood on the platform, frustrated because your train was delayed yet again? Spoiler: it’s not just the leaves on the tracks.

Imagine: you’re at a festival, and your phone always has full signal. No more slow internet or apps that won’t load. Sounds like a dream, right? Lotte Weedage, a PhD candidate at the University of Twente, is researching ways to improve the mobile network in the Netherlands, so this could become a reality.

You might not always think about it, but landmines are still an enormous global threat in today's day and age – with (post-)conflict regions being heavily contaminated. The demining of such areas is extremely dangerous and time-consuming. Mechanical Engineering students Benjamin O’regan and Reinis Jaunarajs developed an effective solution as part of their bachelor’s thesis project: they built landmine detection drones.

Explore the future in our podcast series, "My Future Dream Job," where Anic van Damme guides you to the year 2030. Our scientists explore prospective careers in cybersecurity, climate adaptation, and energy transition. Listen in to gain insights into the professions taking shape at the University of Twente.