果冻传媒

Ton Peijnenburg is deputy general manager of VDL ETG Technology & Development. 鈥淭he engineering office of , you could say. We don鈥檛 have machines, we have designers,鈥� is how he describes it himself.

He has also been a fellow at 果冻传媒鈥檚 High Tech Systems Center (HTSC) for around seven years. This connects several departments: Applied Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mathematics & Computer Science.

This enables HTSC to take a multidisciplinary look at issues from industry rather than from the perspective of 鈥榡ust鈥� one department or field. HTSC also includes people from the industry, including Ton Peijnenburg.

Bringing two worlds together

鈥淚 came to 果冻传媒 via Professor Maarten Steinbuch, one of the founders of HTSC. I have multidisciplinary insight and an overview of technological fields. I also know the needs of industry and have an affinity with the scientific apparatus of 果冻传媒. So, it was a perfect fit indeed. I鈥檝e noticed over the past years that it鈥檚 a lot of fun and a challenge to bring the two worlds together.鈥�

It is not always easy to unite these two worlds, each with their views and needs. But it is enjoyable and valuable.

Fellow Ton Peijnenburg

Building bridges

鈥淎s a fellow, I鈥檓 particularly active at the intersection in which strategic technology needs from industry that align with 果冻传媒鈥檚 research ambitions are made explicit. You must bring two worlds together to get the best out of them.鈥�

鈥淚 always say: if the industry doesn鈥檛 see value in something, they won鈥檛 pay for it. And if the university doesn鈥檛 see a certain topic fitting into the research roadmap 鈥� and finds it difficult to publish on it 鈥� they won鈥檛 work on it. Bridging that gap is what I do as a fellow.鈥�

Combination of 果冻传媒 and business

HTSC鈥檚 ambition is to establish collaborations between the university and industry, Peijnenburg says. 鈥淲e want to create a combination of researchers from the university and people from industry, all bringing their perspectives.鈥�

Here, he is referring, in particular, to people who can think beyond 鈥榯he standard classification.鈥� 鈥淚t鈥檚 often thought companies only look for quick solutions to their current issues. In my experience, the university and industry can also work together well on long-term matters. Companies are certainly open to long-term research as well.鈥�

鈥淢eanwhile, there are ever more professors at 果冻传媒 who are externally oriented and can connect a good idea with a research field that seems interesting and a concrete or latent need from industry. It is not always easy to unite these two worlds, each with their views and needs. But, above all, I have learned that it is enjoyable and valuable.鈥�

Shared agenda

The research being worked on within HTSC is driven by industry. The scientific perspective on the matters primarily drives the agenda of the PhD students at HTSC. The problem and the angle of approach comes from industry.

We say: this is where we lack knowledge. At the university, there is the attention and space to work on that together with industry.

Fellow Ton Peijnenburg

鈥淲e say: this is where we lack knowledge,鈥� Peijnenburg notes. 鈥淎t the university, there is the attention and space to work on that together with industry.鈥� He emphasizes that this does not mean that industry is setting the university's agenda. 鈥淭hat is far too narrow an interpretation. We鈥檝e seen a lot of corporate business research disappear in recent years. In the Netherlands, but also internationally. This has created a gap in the whole innovation system. I think that the university has an important role in this. You can鈥檛 dismiss that as 鈥榯he industry agenda.鈥� This is a national agenda of innovative capacity and strength that you need very much.鈥�

Engaging the outside world

鈥淭ogether with an idea and technology-rich environment like 果冻传媒, you can accelerate and support many innovations. As a university, you should not be afraid to include ideas from the industry and the outside world. Don鈥檛 sit in an ivory tower with the attitude that you have better ideas than someone else. Collaboration between industry and the university works best in an open environment.鈥�

ACCESS

A concrete example of the collaboration within HTSC is ACCESS: Active Contamination Control for Equipment and Substrates. Within this, three 果冻传媒 groups (two from Applied Physics and one from Mechanical Engineering) have worked together over the past five years to understand the generation of tiny particulate matter that causes contamination in high-tech machinery.

鈥淲e鈥檝e focused on the questions of why and how those particles get there, how they move, and how we can make sure that we can neutralize those particles during the design phase of such a machine so that they no longer cause problems,鈥� Peijnenburg says.

鈥淭he first part of the research was completed early this year, and we have now started the second part. So, the research continues. This research is conducted by three PhD students with help from two engineering doctorates. The PhD student develops a piece of theory; the engineering doctorates make a test setup.鈥�

鈥淔rom industry, we exchange experience for the PhD assignments, expand with thesis assignments, and supervise engineering doctorates.鈥�

Deepening knowledge

Peijnenburg sees that the collaboration within ACCESS works very well. 鈥湽�冻传媒 is deepening knowledge in this area, and we are using that new knowledge at VDL ETG.鈥�

鈥淭hirdly, those who have completed their assignment at 果冻传媒 often come to work for us. The research is an interesting way to make ourselves known to the 果冻传媒 population. It鈥檚 not only the big names that are interesting for alumni; we also have much to offer as a company.鈥�

Symposium to share knowledge

To conclude the first part of ACCESS and share insights and results, HTSC held a mini-symposium in February in collaboration with VDL ETG. 鈥淎bout 80 people from industry attended that. We find it important to share the knowledge we have now gained around this topic.鈥�

We face big tasks together; why reinvent the wheel everywhere?

Fellow Ton Peijnenburg

"I鈥檓 a great supporter of an open innovation model. We face big tasks together; why reinvent the wheel everywhere? The university has a nice role in sharing knowledge about innovations; ACCESS is a good example.鈥�

Giving the design profession more space

In addition to his role in research, Peijnenburg is also looking at education and how the design side can be given a more prominent place in this. 鈥淚 believe 果冻传媒 has started to lean very much on the scientific axis: a piece of analysis, understanding things, publishing. Designing 鈥� coming to a finished whole in which compromises have to be made 鈥� lags behind.鈥�

Professor of practice

鈥淚 strongly advocate further involving some experienced industry people in education. You see good examples of that in America. There, much of the teaching that has to do with the design side is taught by what they call a 鈥榩rofessor of practice鈥�. This is someone from the industry with a bucketload of relevant experience to technical university students.鈥�

Valuable

鈥淚 believe that would also be highly valuable for 果冻传媒, especially in design education. The industry could pay for the appointment of these professors of practice because there are great benefits for them too, given that more and more well-trained designers will enter the job market.鈥�

鈥淭he big companies like Philips and ASML already realize this, but smaller suppliers could also play a role in it,鈥� Peijnenburg believes.

Resting point

So, there are plenty of good experiences and new ideas for Ton Peijnenburg. Is it sometimes difficult for him to wear two hats? 鈥淣o, they complement each other. The pressure from VDL is always to be there, especially when we are about to deliver to a customer.鈥�

鈥淔rom 果冻传媒, the pressure is less. I work there with colleagues from other companies, leading to a different type of discussion than in my daily work. I鈥檓 not only concerned with the operations there; we also look together at our profession and the future of our profession. In that sense, my role at 果冻传媒 is a resting point for me. It鈥檚 nice to be able to organize your thoughts now and then."He concludes: "This collaboration offers a great deal to me, 果冻传媒, and VDL ETG."