Twenty years of SMPE/e
In January 2026, the School of Medical Physics and Engineering Eindhoven (SMPE/e) celebrates its twentieth anniversary. What began as an innovative idea to bring technology and healthcare closer together has grown into a tight-knit community of professionals, trainees, and partners who dedicate themselves daily to educating technologists who contribute to better and more sustainable healthcare. This milestone offers an opportunity to celebrate two decades of pioneering work and to look ahead to the plans and collaborations that will prepare SMPE/e for the future.
SMPE/e was founded in January 2006 by Prof. Herman Beijerinck (APSE) and Prof. Frans van de Vosse (BmE), based on the conviction that technological innovation in healthcare can only be implemented sustainably when engineers, alongside healthcare providers, are deeply embedded in clinical practice. While academic education often looks ahead to what is technologically possible, Van de Vosse saw a different question: what can we do now for the patient?
This vision led, in the same year, to the launch of a completely new post-master program: Qualified Medical Engineer (QME). In its early years, it was a pioneering track, without formal status as a designer program and with complex funding. Training positions often ran in parallel with PhD tracks, but the involvement of healthcare institutions was crucial. The demand was clear: healthcare institutions were looking for engineers who not only understood technology but also had insight into processes, decision-making, and the day-to-day reality in the clinic.
In June 2008, the first participants received their QME certificates. Since 2012, QME has been a certified designer program (EngD) of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, which further strengthened the program and enabled structural growth.
From pioneer to connector in healthcare
As one of the first graduates of the Master鈥檚 in Medical Engineering, Marcel van 鈥檛 Veer helped lay the foundation in 2004 for a new generation of engineers in healthcare. His fascination with the role of technology in clinical practice quickly brought him to Catharina Hospital in Eindhoven, where he completed his PhD on hemodynamic measurements in cardiovascular disease. His doctoral research focused on one central question: what is the added value of the medical engineer in a large, non-academic hospital?
Parallel to his PhD trajectory, Van 鈥檛 Veer enrolled in the newly established post-master program, Qualified Medical Engineer (QME). This combination of research and design education proved pivotal for his career. After completing his PhD and QME, he became a key link between the hospital, university, and industry. In this role, he contributed to numerous innovative projects and collaborations, consistently operating at the intersection of clinical practice, technology, and research.
In the years that followed, his focus shifted from conducting research himself to enabling and supporting the research of others. As Science Coordinator at Catharina Hospital, he assists researchers with all aspects of scientific work, including study design, statistics, data infrastructure, and (international) clinical trials. In addition, he mentors PhD candidates with both medical and technical backgrounds and has given many students the opportunity to take their first steps in clinical practice. Van 鈥檛 Veer has also become a highly experienced supervisor of QME trainees.
Looking back, Van 鈥檛 Veer views his career as a natural extension of the vision behind Medical Engineering and QME: educating engineers who are not on the sidelines, but fully embedded in healthcare. This connecting role, as his story shows, may be more relevant today than ever.
Photo right: Marcel, after earning his ME master鈥檚 degree in 2004. Photo: Bart van Overbeeke.
From Medical Engineering to QME
SMPE/e is closely connected with the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BmE), where the Master鈥檚 in Medical Engineering (ME) is one of two master鈥檚 programs preparing students for careers in medical technology. The master鈥檚 program provides a solid academic foundation and serves for many students as the first step toward the post-master program, Qualified Medical Engineer (QME).
Within ME, students gain early exposure to clinical practice through clinical modules and extended internships in hospitals such as Maastricht UMC+. They learn not only how technology is applied, but, more importantly, how medical decision-making occurs. This allows them to experience the dynamics of healthcare, the impact on patients, and the challenges of uncertainty, time pressure, and ethical considerations. It also becomes clear that technological innovation must never overshadow patient well-being.
This practice-oriented approach forms the foundation for QME, where students further deepen their knowledge in designing, analyzing, and implementing technological solutions in healthcare. This creates a clear and logical learning pathway: ME as the academic foundation and introduction to the clinic, followed by QME as the advanced step where design, practice, and professional roles come together.
QME: designing and implementing in clinical practice
The QME program is distinguished by its strong integration into clinical practice. Trainees work for two years on concrete projects within healthcare institutions and are formally appointed to the institution during this period, sometimes also to a company or research group. They operate at the intersection of technology, healthcare processes, and organization, bringing an explicit engineering mindset into the clinic.
According to co-founder Frans van de Vosse, the unique character of QME lies in bringing together two worlds. While physicians traditionally base their decisions on experience, knowledge, and historical data, engineers are trained to look ahead using computational models and to predict future scenarios. Medical Engineers combine these two approaches. Qualified Medical Engineers then apply this combination in practice by introducing and effectively implementing technological innovations together with healthcare professionals.
QMEs work closely with clinicians and other healthcare professionals, contributing to workplace innovation. Their role is that of a content-driven partner who uses technology to improve processes, support decision-making, and better align care with both patients and healthcare providers.
The effectiveness of this approach is evident from the careers of alumni. Today, they hold key positions in healthcare institutions, research institutions, and companies, often serving as connecting links between disciplines.
QME in practice: success stories
A striking example of the impact of the QME program is the work of Melissa van der Sande-Niemantsverdriet. During her QME trajectory, she worked at Catharina Hospital on developing and implementing a clinical data workflow for the COMBAT-VT project. This project is a collaboration between Catharina Hospital, 黑料福利网, and Philips, aimed at better predicting arrhythmias following a heart attack.
Niemantsverdriet鈥檚 role involved collecting, structuring, and analyzing patient data so that 黑料福利网 researchers could use it to build mathematical models. These models help physicians identify high-risk patients early. She describes how, during her training, she realized where the greatest practical needs lie and how the combination of technical expertise and clinical collaboration enabled her to make a real impact in healthcare.
After completing her QME program, Niemantsverdriet currently applies her experience as a Qualified Medical Engineer at Bernhoven Hospital, within the domain of imaging management (equipment, IT infrastructure, storage, and software). Here, her acquired knowledge about data availability and interdisciplinary collaboration proves valuable on a daily basis.
For a deeper look at her work, read the on the Catharina Hospital and 黑料福利网 project, which provides more insight into arrhythmias.
In the photo on the right: Melissa Niemantsverdriet, Lukas Dekker, and Frans van de Vosse (from left to right). Photo: Jarno Verhoef/Catharina Hospital
Qualified Medical Engineers connect medical decision-making with predictive technology, making that combination applicable in healthcare practice.
Frans van de Vosse, Director of SMPE/e
QME in practice: from design to clinical impact
Ellen Nijssen also demonstrates how the QME program leads to immediate clinical added value. During her QME design project at Catharina Hospital, she worked on a model that can support cardiologists in real time when deciding whether or not to place a stent. Nijssen developed a fast 1D computational model that calculates the Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) based on standard angiograms, without the need for additional invasive measurements or CT scans.
The model combines technical modeling with clinical applicability and was validated using patient data from everyday practice. Her project perfectly illustrates the role of the QME professional: developing technology that directly supports clinical decision-making and workflow. After completing her QME trajectory, Nijssen advanced to a QME鈥檈r position at Bernhoven Hospital (like Melissa Van der Sande-Niemantsverdriet), where she is responsible for the acquisition and safe implementation of medical technology.
Read Ellen Nijssen鈥檚 project description for the QME design project 鈥淭o Stent or Not to Stent: Calculating Immediately if It Is Necessary!鈥� .
The photo on the left shows Ellen Nijssen at work in the Catharina Hospital. Photo: Bart van Overbeeke.
Clinical Informatics: digitalization with vision
Under the SMPE/e banner, the post-master program Clinical Informatics (CI) was launched in 2010. From its inception, the program addressed the rapidly advancing digitalization in healthcare and the growing need for professionals capable of overseeing and managing information flows within hospitals.
Over the years, the program has evolved in line with developments in healthcare. While hospitals remain our primary stakeholders, the program increasingly also focuses on transmural and preventive care and on other domains such as mental healthcare.
The clinical informaticist builds bridges between clinical practice, management, and IT and contributes to strategic decision-making, taking into account the frameworks of the Dutch healthcare system. Since 2023, CI has been a certified EngD program within the Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences (IE&IS), positioning the program strongly for the future. This department has, since the program鈥檚 start in 2010, provided the majority of lecturers and scientific supervisors and actively contributes to an even stronger strategic focus on Health.
Pieter Van Gorp, Scientific Director of the EngD program Clinical Informatics at 黑料福利网:
The profile of clinical informaticists aligns perfectly with the bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 programs of IE&IS. This includes faculty and researchers with expertise in optimizing human potential in complex organizations, scalable behavior change for health promotion, redesigning care processes and architecture, translating strategy into operational processes, innovation management in healthcare, decision support, the use of predictive models in business contexts, robotics in healthcare, and the business application of various forms of AI.
Clinical Informatics in practice: AI, implementation, and healthcare processes
A strong example of the impact of the post-master program Clinical Informatics is Sade Krijgsman-Faneyte, who combined her trajectory with a focus on the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical practice. During her EngD project, Faneyte worked at Maasstad Hospital, where she was tasked with designing solutions for the challenges related to implementing AI software as a medical tool. Her work resulted in the Healthy AI roadmap, a practical framework for assessing and guiding the quality, safety, and effectiveness of AI applications in healthcare.
In this project, Faneyte demonstrated that technology cannot stand alone but must fit within the care process and address a real problem. Central to her approach was the life cycle of medical AI software, ensuring that clinical decision-making with AI could be applied in practice. By carefully introducing AI software and actively involving multidisciplinary teams, her approach focuses on promoting responsible use and adoption of AI by healthcare providers.
After completing her program, Faneyte continues to drive digital transformation with AI at Maasstad Hospital and has joined the Dutch Association for Clinical Informatics (NVKI) as a board member. She also combines her hospital role with her work as a Senior Artificial Intelligence Consultant at Romion Health.
Read more about her work and the role of clinical informaticians at the intersection of technology and healthcare in this article.
Photo left: In 2022, Sade Faneyte receives the 100th diploma of the Post-Master鈥檚 program in Clinical Informatics. Photo: Angeline Swinkels.
Clinical informaticists connect care, technology, and organization in a way that perfectly aligns with IE&IS.
Pieter Van Gorp, Scientific Director Clinical Informatics
The team behind SMPE/e
SMPE/e is more than a training institute; it is a community of passionate professionals. The core team consists of Frans van de Vosse (QME), Ivonne Lammerts (QME), and Pieter Van Gorp (CI). For many years, they have dedicated themselves day and night with heart and soul to continuity, quality, and innovation in education and research, always mindful of the people behind the programs.
The daily operations are further supported by a dedicated coordination team, including Annebee Langenhuizen (SMPE/e), Katharina Tietze (CI), and Roanne Wijnen (QME). In their coordinating roles, they ensure cohesion, structure, and continuity within SMPE/e. Their contributions often happen behind the scenes but form an essential foundation for the school鈥檚 success.
Surrounding this core team is a group of highly engaged instructors and supervisors, often long-term affiliated with SMPE/e. Their experience in academia, healthcare, and industry provides both trust and substantive depth.
Together, they form a cohesive unit in which vision, expertise, and organization reinforce each other, and where both the professional development of trainees and the post-master education for external professionals are central.
Looking ahead: learning together, growing together
With this strong foundation, SMPE/e looks not only back with pride but also forward. Healthcare faces major challenges: staff shortages, budget cuts, increasing complexity, and a growing role for technology and data. In this context, there is a strong need for professionals who can bridge the gap between technology, clinical practice, and organizational processes, ensuring that innovations have a real impact for patients.
Frans van de Vosse observes these developments daily in practice and emphasizes that they have direct implications for the education of future engineers:
Healthcare is under increasing pressure due to rising demand, staff shortages, and rapid changes. Care is shifting increasingly toward home care, prevention, and cross-domain collaboration, while increasingly complex technologies and digital systems must be integrated. SMPE/e must continuously develop its EngD programs to educate engineers who can effectively implement these medical innovations across all healthcare domains.
This ongoing movement requires programs that truly move with clinical practice. SMPE/e sees it as its mission, together with healthcare institutions, industry, and alumni, to continue investing in future-proof EngD programs in which technological innovation goes hand in hand with implementation capability.
This ambition will also take concrete form in the coming years. The SMPE/e event on June 19, 2026, therefore not only marks an anniversary but is primarily intended as a networking event that looks ahead to new collaborations, projects, and training formats. During the event, successful projects will be shared, and attendees will get a first look at developments in healthcare and the plans that will allow SMPE/e to continue fulfilling its role in the future.
Twenty years of SMPE/e demonstrate that sustainable innovation begins with learning together and continues through educating together, working together, and growing together. At SMPE/e, technology is always a means, never an end, guided by the well-being of both patients and healthcare providers.
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