IE&IS Valorization Prize 2023 for two pioneering research teams
With the award, the Department highlights the impact both teams are making with their research.
The Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences (IE&IS) awards the annual Valorization Prize to two outstanding research teams that have generated significant impact with their pioneering projects.
Tugce Martagan & Ivo Adan, Alp Ak莽ay & Melvin Drent
In the project "," the research team led by Tugce Martagan revolutionized the biomanufacturing operations industry. By applying Operations Research models to optimize biomanufacturing operations for the first time, Tugce and her team have not only realized savings of 200 million euros at MSD Animal Health in Boxmeer, but also achieved an impressive 40% reduction in CO2 emissions.
The jury praised the team's broad approach, to which 15 MSc students contributed. And which also led to the creation of an Operations Research department within MSD and knowledge transfer to production sites in the US.
Moreover, the innovative application of operations research has been incorporated into the educational curriculum and course materials, and there are plans to expand the research to the human drug and food industry
Rudi Bekkers & Elena Mas Tur & Emilio Raiteri
With the project '', the research team led by Rudi Bekkers has made a crucial contribution to the European patent assessment system.
Working with many stakeholders and proposing a regulation to the European Parliament and Council, they have proposed an effective solution for assessing the "essentiality" of patents for technological standards. The proposal, which the European Commission plans to make mandatory, has the potential to set patent licensing rules at the European level, with an estimated market value of $20 billion per year.
The jury is enthusiastic not only about the results of the research, but also about its methodology and broad impact. The scientific contribution of the research is recognized as vital to the further development of the European system.
Research-driven
Both teams are commended for collaborating with stakeholders and solving societal problems with their research-driven approach. The 2023 Valorization Prize, including a plaque and a cash prize of 5,000 Euros, was awarded to Tugce Martagan, Ivo Adan, Alp Ak莽ay, and Melvin Drent. And to Rudi Bekkers, Elena Mas Tur, and Emilio Raiteri.
Exceptional Contributions
The IE&IS department congratulates both teams for their exceptional contributions and looks forward to the continued impact of their innovative research on various industries and societal issues.