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Participation is limited to 100 participants due to the capacity of the Zwarte Doos and will be determined by the first come, first served principle. The registration will close on Thursday June 11^th, after which you’ll be notified by email about your participation.

Program

13:30                     Opening by Koen Janssen

13:45                     Valorization through ICMS by Nicholas Tito

14:15                     Pitches by FOI fellows: Timo Grob, Joric Oude Vrielink, Mohammad Kojourimanesh, Mohammad Khorsand, Alexander Oliva

14:45                     Healthcare collaborations, C3TE by Noortje Bax / Edwin Heijman

15:15                     Break: coffee and posters

16:00                     Valorization through Defense, Security & Resilience by Egor Bondarev

16:30                     Valorization in ME by Jesse Scholtes & Renato Calzone

17:00                     Drinks

18:00                     End

Introduction 

A key aim of Eindhoven University of Technology and the department of Mechanical Engineering is to create impact through the innovations resulting from our research. An important route to achieve this, is through valorization by collaborating with industrial partners and, increasingly, by the founding of startup companies spinning off from our research – linking our (fundamental) research to practical applications for the real world. 

On Thursday June 25^th, the Mechanical Engineering department will host its annual Innovation Day in the Filmzaal, Zwarte Doos. An event dedicated to highlighting how our research generates societal impact through valorization. The program will feature talks on healthcare and defense collaborations, and valorization through ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø institutes and centers. We’ll give a special podium to our Faculty of Impact fellows. In addition, there will be poster presentations, and plenty of opportunities for networking.

The event starts at 13:30 and will conclude at 18:00, with drinks included. The event is open to all professors, PhD students, postdocs, supporting staff and technicians from Mechanical Engineering, as well as invitees from outside the department. 

More information about the program 

13:30 – 13:45     Opening by Koen Janssen

13:45 – 14:15     Valorization through ICMS by Nicholas Tito

Launching collaborations with industry on the grounds of fundamental science

Let's face it: developing (paid) collaborations with industry partners is exceptionally challenging for universities today. The chasm is large between deep (and typically fundamental) research pursued within universities, and the product-focused R&D tackled in industry. In this contribution to ME Innovation Day, I will speak on how we traverse this chasm at ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø's Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS)---itself a fundamental research institute catalyzing collaborations with industry partners. I will complement the story with tips and tricks from my own experience in scientific business development for startup companies.

Nicholas Tito is the Partner & Program Manager for ICMS, and Lead of Strategy & Operations for the ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø Flagship: Advanced Materials.

Nick's career as a scientist, entrepreneur, and business developer stems from a passion for bringing brilliant science to life beyond the universities and institutes where it is discovered. He completed his PhD in Chemistry at Dartmouth (USA), and post-doctoral fellowships at Cambridge University and ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø + ICMS. He then shifted into the startup world, evolving at Amsterdam-based startup ‘RheoCube’, and co-founding a startup for antibody computational modelling.

On the side, Nick plays and composes classical piano music (check out his work on Spotify!), and has an active fitness schedule. Fun fact: Nick got a grant from NASA when he was 18 to study the physics of snowfall.

14:15 – 14:45     Pitches by FOI fellows: Timo Grob, Joric Oude Vrielink, Mohammad Kojourimanesh, Mohammad Khorsand, Alexander Oliva

Instant insight into kidney health – Timo Grob

At DXcrete we are committed to providing people with chronic kidney disease instant insight into their kidney health. Enabling them to live their lives with the highest quality of life possible.

Timon Grob is a MedTech innovator advancing personalized healthcare through connected wearables and health monitoring solutions. Drawing on a materials science background and 20+ years at Philips, he now develops sweat‑based diagnostic solutions at DXcrete.

Navigating academic-based entrepreneurship of medical technology - Joric Oude Vrielink

Translation of an academic idea to a viable business is challenging but has much potential of creating societal impact. Joric will share his experience and insights gained throughout his last 10 years. 

Joric Oude Vrielink holds a PhD in Surgical Robotics (Imperial College London) and is a Faculty of Impact Fellow for translating medical technology into a viable business opportunity. He has worked in both clinical environments and academic environments to bring medical technology from idea to bedside. He is founder and CEO of Syntric Medical. 

From Research to Entrepreneurship: The Journey of ATA Mute and its Co-founder - Mohammad Kojourimanesh

Mohammad will share his journey from lab research to entrepreneurship and the creation of ATA Mute. He will also discuss how the Faculty of Impact has supported and facilitated this journey, contributing to the growth and development of ATA Mute.

Mohammad Kojourimanesh is a scientist entrepreneur specializing in acoustics and thermo-acoustics, with deep expertise in noise-reduction technologies. He is the co-founder and CEO of ATA Mute, a ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø spin-off developing advanced acoustic solutions to enable quieter and more sustainable technologies.

A Lab-on-a-chip Platform for Automated, Real-Time Cell Monitoring Using Minimal Samples - Mohammad Khorsand

We present a smart lab-on-a-chip platform that integrates digital microfluidics with biosensors to monitor cell behavior in real time. By using minimal sample volumes and automation, the system enables more efficient, precise, and scalable biological analysis.

Mohammad Khorsand is a postdoctoral researcher in the Microsystems group and Faculty of Impact Fellow. His research focuses on integrating biosensors with digital microfluidics to enable automated and real-time monitoring of biological systems.

The Next Frontier in Automation: Giving Robots a Sense of Touch - Alexander A. Oliva

Robots are transforming our world — but they still lack one essential human ability: the sense of touch. Discover how enabling robots to feel can redefine automation, reduce inefficiencies, and reshape how we move goods worldwide.

Alexander A. Oliva is a Postdoctoral researcher and Faculty of Impact fellow in the Robotics group at ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø’s Mechanical Engineering Department.

He  earned his PhD (2022) from INRIA and University of Rennes 1, France, working on the coupling of vision and force control for robotic manipulators in physical interaction.

14:45 – 15:30     Break: coffee and posters

15:30 – 16:00     Healthcare collaborations, C3TE by Noortje Bax / Edwin Heijman

From Engineering to Healthcare Impact: C3Te as Bridge and Enabler

In this talk, we present C3Te as a bridge and enabler connecting ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø engineering research with clinical partners and the healthcare industry. As Project Development Officers, we support researchers in building strong multidisciplinary consortia, navigating funding pathways, developing long-term roadmaps and valorization strategies. By fostering strategic partnerships, we help translate promising engineering innovations into clinically relevant and impactful healthcare solutions.

Noortje Bax and Edwin Heijman are Project Development Officers at the Center for Care & Cure Technology (C3Te) at ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø. Our role is to help ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø researchers build strategic partnerships, fundable MedTech solutions with real clinical impact, and valorisation across the care and cure domain, making C3Te the go-to point of contact for healthcare and industry partners looking to collaborate with ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø engineering.

16:00 – 16:30     Valorization through Defense, Security & Resilience by Egor Bondarev

Driving Your Research Results to Real-World Applications in Defense and Security

The talk provides an overview on the funding and collaboration opportunities with industry in the area of defense, resilience and security. The landscape of research and valorization programs is presented and most active innovation companies in EU are outlined. This overview will help to align your funding, start-up and valorization plans with the existing EU ecosystem.

Egor Bondarev is a professor in Computer Vision, heading the AIMS research group at ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø. His research focuses on two core challenges: a) detection of subtle anomalies in human behavior or industrial assets without relying on labeled anomaly datasets; and b) the fusion of multi-modal sensor data, such as 2D, 3D, thermal, acoustic into accurate 3D spatio-temporal scene analysis to enable real-time situational awareness.

16:30 – 17:00     Valorization in ME by Jesse Scholtes & Renato Calzone

From Ideas to Impact: How ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø Powers the 4th Generation University

Valorization is the bridge that helps your research travel further—into real‑world use, stronger partnerships, and visible impact. At ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø, this is increasingly central as the university advances towards a 4th generation university: fully embedded in its regional innovation ecosystem and working with industry, government and society to co‑create solutions for major challenges while supporting regional growth. In this session, you will gain a concise overview of ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø’s main valorization routes and how to apply them to your work—so you can identify a fitting pathway, connect with the right expertise, and position your results for meaningful uptake and impact.

Renato Calzone is an experienced venture builder and innovation strategist, currently leading the Knowledge Transfer Office at Eindhoven University of Technology. He has a strong track record in building high-tech startups, fostering academic spin-offs, and building innovation ecosystems. Renato’s work bridges research, entrepreneurship, and societal impact, with a focus on DeepTech and sustainable development.

Jesse Scholtes is an innovator capable of bridging the gap between research and industry, having experience in taking novel technologies towards industry and in operation settings, currently he is leading the Valorization Office activities within the department of Mechanical Engineering. In this position he develops and supports research valorization activities - connecting researchers with industry and public partners to turn ideas into real‑world impact.

17:00 – 18:00     Drinks