Director of Advanced Systems & Demonstrators Principal Technical Fellow – Electrification Dean of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Pratt & Whitney and Delft University of Technology have signed a master research agreement (MRA) enabling bilateral collaboration across a range of sustainable aviation research opportunities advanced manufacturing and industrial design Through the strategic framework of the MRA Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney will initiate multiple research projects involving TU Delft graduate research facilities students and staff over the next five years Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney are RTX businesses “Collaboration between RTX engineers and university research institutions plays an important role in developing our understanding of emerging technologies while also supporting the next generation of talent that will drive our industry forward,” said Michael Winter “Our MRA with TU Delft – our first agreement of its kind with a European university institution – will focus on advancing technologies to support more sustainable aviation which is key to the future of our industry.” Among the first projects initiated as part of the MRA Collins and TU Delft are collaborating on a high speed intelligent inspection system to enhance manufacturing processes for lightweight and recyclable aircraft materials Pratt & Whitney and TU Delft will develop novel engine configurations that utilize thermal energy recovery technologies in order to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions for commercial aircraft “We’re excited and very happy to sign this new agreement It gives us the opportunity to step up our collaboration on sustainable aviation with the engineering teams of Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney,” said Professor Henri Werij Dean of the faculty of Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft “Collaboration with leading aerospace companies is absolutely crucial to take the necessary steps towards reaching the goal of climate-neutral aviation by 2050.”  The new research agreement builds on long-standing engagement between Collins, Pratt & Whitney and TU Delft, including through European framework program such as Clean Aviation, under which Collins and TU Delft are part of the COCOLIH2T  project aimed at developing technologies for storing liquid hydrogen fuel on commercial aircraft The companies sponsor TU Delft’s aerospace student association VSV Leonardo da Vinci and facilities there is a close collaboration with the Aerospace Innovation Hub at TU Delft as well as regular internship opportunities at Collins Aerospace’s aircraft interiors development facility in Houten For questions or to schedule an interview, please contact [email protected] TU Delft's latest news A team of scientists and students from TU Delft has taken first place at the A2RL Drone Championship in Abu Dhabi - an international race that pushes the limits of physical artificial intelligence challenging teams to fly fully autonomous drones using only a single camera The TU Delft drone competed against 13 autonomous drones and even human drone racing champions using innovative methods to train deep neural networks for high-performance control The gained knowledge on highly-efficient robust AI  will contribute to many robotics applications a drone has beaten human pilots in an international drone racing competition marking a new milestone in the development of artificial intelligence two drone racing events took place simultaneously: The Falcon Cup Finals for human pilots and the A2RL Drone Championship for AI-powered the best AI drones also competed against the best human pilots The AI drone developed by TU Delft first won the A2RL Grand Challenge It then went on to win the knockout tournament against human pilots beating three former DCL world champions and reaching flight speeds up to 95.8 km/h on the very winding track The team of scientists and students from TU Delft achieved this by developing an efficient and robust AI system like AI defeating world champions at chess or Go this achievement happened in the real world the Robotics and Perception Group at the University of Zürich was the first to beat human drone racing champions with an autonomous drone that impressive achievement occurred in a flight lab environment and the track were still controlled by the researchers – a very different situation from this world championship where the hardware and track were fully designed and managed by the competition organisers The goal of the 2025 A2RL Drone Championship in Abu Dhabi was to push the frontier of physical AI by stimulating research on robotic AI under extreme time pressure and with very limited computational and sensory resources The drone had access to just one forward-looking camera a major difference from previous autonomous drone races This is more similar to how human FPV pilots fly and leads to additional perception challenges for the AI The AI that won against the three former DCL world champions was developed by a team of scientists and students from the MAVLab at TU Delft’s Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Team lead Christophe De Wagter is both exhausted and exhilarated I always wondered when AI would be able to compete with human drone racing pilots in real competitions I’m extremely proud of the team that we were able to make it happen already this year I hope that this achievement and this type of competition in general forms a springboard for real-world robot applications One of the core new elements of the drone’s AI is the use of a deep neural network that doesn’t send control commands to a traditional human controller These networks were originally developed by the Advanced Concepts Team at the European Space Agency (ESA) under the name of “Guidance and Control Nets” human-engineered algorithms for optimal control were computationally so expensive that they would never be able to run onboard resource-constrained systems such as drones or satellites ESA found that deep neural networks were able to mimick the outcomes of traditional algorithms while requiring orders of magnitude less processing time As it was hard to test whether the networks would perform well on real hardware in space a collaboration was formed with the MAVLab at TU Delft “We now train the deep neural networks with reinforcement learning “This allows the drone to more closely approach the physical limits of the system we had to redesign not only the training procedure for the control but also how we can learn about the drone’s dynamics from its own onboard sensory data.” The highly efficient AI developed for robust perception and optimal control are not only vital to autonomous racing drones but will extend to other robots Christophe De Wagter: “Robot AI is limited by the required computational and energy resources Autonomous drone racing is an ideal test case for developing and demonstrating highly-efficient Flying drones faster will be important for many economic and societal applications ranging from delivering blood samples and defibrillators in time to finding people in natural disaster scenarios we can use the developed methods to strive not for optimal time but for other criteria such as optimal energy or safety This will have an impact on many other applications Postbus 5 2600 AA Delft The Netherlands Contact and accessibility Vacancies Reading assistant BrowseAloud Intranet Student portal Donate Disclaimer Privacy & Security How I’m using Delft tiles to add history and charm to my renovation Choosing the finishing details for your home is equal part the fun and the hard part of a remodel these small choices take it from a building site to an actual home so you want to ensure you're making the right decisions I stumbled upon Delft tiles on one of my nightly rounds of Pinterest (I'm a terrible sleeper) and instantly fell in love Marrying vintage charm with a sense of history these iconic blue and white tiles offer so much more personality than modern iterations So I'm making a case for a revival of Delft tiles – and the experts agree You might recognize delft tiles but not actually know their 'name' per se these iconic (mostly) blue and white tiles are elaborately yet intricately painted with small icons and scenes that tell a story 'delftware' describes earthenwares made famous in the 1600s from Delft These beloved blue tiles were inspired by the blue and white porcelain imported from China but depicted scenes of typical Dutch life: windmills They're small, saccharinely sweet, and bring bags of personality to kitchens and all throughout the home Merlin Wright, design director at Plain English Design explains how their co-founder Tony Niblock has long admired Delft tiles for their ability to work in all types of homes 'from the humble cottage to the grand mansion' The plain tiles can be used for larger areas where their slight irregularities add tonal and textural interest.' 'Originally found in grand 18th and 19th-century houses, the resurgence of Delft tiles is yet another example of the country house aesthetic finding its place in today’s home,' says tile designer Petra Palumbo who makes Delft tiles with a contemporary twist purpose-led designs with a nostalgic yet modern aesthetic because anyone can apply the designs to their lives,' she explains 'Each combination of motif or illustration is entirely personal This is what originally drew me to the idea of sourcing my own Delft tiles I realized I could go down the mass-produced or bespoke route and create a series of tiles that had real personal meaning to me When I first started looking into Delft tiles for my renovation I was drawn in by the sweet color palette and pretty motifs But it was actually the storytelling that really sealed the deal vintage Delft tiles were hand-painted with everyday vignettes capturing the essence of life centuries ago But modern artists who still create them by hand will allow you to play around with custom options that can show off your greatest loves: from the house you grew up in 'I think they’ve enjoyed a resurgence in recent years because more people are looking for homewares that will last for years to come,' Petra continues 'Delft tiles are available in so many designs – for example mine are quite playful and tongue-in-cheek – which I believe people like because they increasingly want sentimental that they can relate to their unique lives.' Becoming increasingly popular in vintage kitchens I set about looking into creating a backsplash for my own space out of Delft tiles But thanks to their unique and statement-making design I knew this wasn't a tile I wanted to use on a large scale Additionally, I am also on a mission to convince my husband that a Delft fireplace surround or hearth is absolutely the way forward for our newly painted blue living room Not only do they work perfectly for the scheme but add so much more to a space than a zellige or cement tile and will help us to create an unexpected and personalized moment in the heart of our home I find myself drawn more and more to the idea of designing a home that feels deeply personal with their rich history and hand-painted charm Whether through reclaimed finds that whisper of the past or custom-made pieces that capture moments meaningful to me they bring a sense of artistry and story that’s hard to replicate So perhaps it really is high time for a Delft tile revival – not just for their pretty charm but for the way they allow us to tile (and often rather boring material) to craft spaces that feel uniquely ours Design expertise in your inbox – from inspiring decorating ideas and beautiful celebrity homes to practical gardening advice and shopping round-ups you will then be prompted to enter your display name HOBOKEN, N.J., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantum Computing Inc. ("QCi" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: QUBT) integrated photonics and quantum optics technology company today announced it has received its second purchase order in the Company's LiDAR-based R&D offering This latest order comes from the Department of Aerospace Structures and Materials at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands TU Delft is a world renowned public technical university consistently ranking in the top 20 of technical universities globally winning multiple awards such as JEC Composites Innovation Award 2025 and Airbus-BMW Quantum Computing Challenge This purchase order is for a Quantum Photonic Vibrometer (QPV) that can be used in sensing applications in challenging operational environments over a range of distances Assistant Professor Vahid Yaghoubi played a crucial role in the technical evaluation of the Quantum Photonic Vibrometer (QPV) to ensure its capabilities align with the advanced research needs of TU Delft in Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) we are always looking for cutting-edge technologies that push the boundaries of non-destructive testing QCi's Quantum Photonic Vibrometer stood out due to its advanced photon-counting capabilities and ability to perform contactless measurements we found its unique advantages over traditional LDVs to be highly compelling for our research applications This purchase marks a significant step in developing next-generation NDT/SHM techniques by integrating quantum sensing technologies into our work," stated Assistant Professor Dr with the leadership of Professor Vahid Yaghoubi will be benchmarking QPV against results from other classical vibrometers to verify and validate its performance and characteristics Using leading edge photonic sensing techniques to achieve high speed QCi's QPV operates at an eye-safe wavelength and can accurately characterize vibrational spectra with an amplitude as low as 110 nanometers we have an exciting opportunity to provide our American-made technology and services to such an esteemed underscoring market demand for more sensitive and effective vibrometer solutions that cannot be attained through traditional technology Our quantum photonic technology exponentially suppresses background noise creating accurate outcomes while supporting a variety of research applications," stated Dr and rapid iteration prototyping for the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology joined QCi at its global headquarters in Hoboken train and deploy the device as part of a series of planned collaborations and publications Associate Professor Eskue will collaborate with QCi experts for his upcoming publication Advancing Industry 5.0 that he is currently authoring This order comes less than a year after internationally renowned John Hopkins University purchased QCi's Scanning LiDAR which uses cutting edge single-photon detection technology coupled with high precision time-tagging at a wavelength of 532nm to test and evaluate underwater LiDAR technology who authored two patents for this advanced technology and has led its development at the Company added "this latest order of our quantum photonic vibrometer illustrates the demand for our safe and non-destructive testing technology which can be used in an array of applications from determining the quality and integrity of materials to monitoring performance of materials during operational use." Quantum Computing Inc. (Nasdaq: QUBT) is an innovative integrated photonics and quantum optics technology company that provides accessible and affordable quantum machines to the world today QCi's products are designed to operate at room temperature and low power at an affordable cost The Company's portfolio of core technologies and products offer unique capabilities in the areas of high-performance computing About Assistant Professor Dr. Vahid Yaghoubi Dr. Vahid Yaghoubi is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft He is a leading expert in Artificial Intelligence He is the head of the Q-VAIbe research group where they leverage quantum physics and AI to develop the next generation of vibration-based monitoring techniques and efficiency of monitoring systems to push the boundaries of non-destructive testing (NDT) and structural health monitoring (SHM) in complex engineering systems Dr. Nathan Eskue is an Associate Professor of Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft Associate Professor Eskue has spoken at over fifty international conferences on technical topics such as artificial intelligence Company Contact:Rosalyn Christian/John NesbettIMS Investor Relations[email protected] This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined within Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 These forward-looking statements and forecasts generally identified by terms such as "may," "will," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "intends," "goal," "objective," "seek," "attempt," "aim to," or variations of these or similar words involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future Those statements include statements regarding the intent or current expectations of QCi and members of its management as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties including the comparative performance and market demand for quantum photonic vibrometers and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements Except as required by federal securities law QCi undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed conditions ("QCi" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: QUBT) Banking & Financial Services Computer & Electronics STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math) New Products & Services Do not sell or share my personal information: The World Health Organization (WHO) today designated the Digital Ethics Centre at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands as a WHO Collaborating Centre on artificial intelligence (AI) for health governance AI has the potential to re-shape health care save lives and improve health and well-being harnessing its benefits for good requires collaboration from stakeholders committed to robust governance The WHO Collaborating Centre designation recognizes the Digital Ethics Centre at Delft University of Technology's decades-long history of cutting-edge research on responsible innovation and its leadership in incorporating ethical values into design requirements for digital technologies This inauguration marks the continuation of a strong partnership between the Digital Ethics Centre and WHO with the two entities jointly organizing international consultations and the development of normative guidance and training in the past.   “WHO is committed to helping Member States plan and adopt responsible AI technologies,” said Dr Alain Labrique Director of Digital Health and Innovation at WHO “We are witnessing remarkable progress with AI poised to transform health systems and support individuals on their health journeys To ensure these benefits reach everyone ethically we rely on strong technical and academic partnerships that guide us in this rapidly evolving field.”  The Collaborating Centre on AI for health governance will be instrumental in WHO’s efforts to ensure the ethical and responsible use of AI for health by advancing research on priority topics and providing expert input for WHO’s guidance development and policy-making The Centre will serve as a hub for education and advocacy for science-driven research and facilitate knowledge-sharing and training through regional and country-level workshops.   “The fruit of two decades of research in digital ethics and responsible innovation the Delft Digital Ethics Centre is one of the frontrunners in operationalizing ethical values into design requirements for digital technologies such as artificial intelligence,\" Professor Jeroen van den Hoven Scientific Director at Delft Digital Ethics Centre noted \"We look forward to contributing to the global health community and advancing the responsible use of AI in health.\"  The Responsible and Ethical AI for Healthcare Lab a collaboration between Delft University of Technology and its partners will provide valuable insight into the challenges involved in the successful implementation of WHO guidance in clinical practice. \"The designation of the Digital Ethics Centre at Delft University of Technology as a WHO Collaborating Centre strengthens our collective ability to ensure AI serves public health equitably and responsibly This collaboration will play a critical role in supporting Member States to navigate the opportunities and challenges of AI and innovation in digital health,” said Dr David Novillo-Ortiz Evidence and Digital Health at WHO’s Regional Office for Europe.  The Collaborating Centre on AI for health emphasizes WHO’s dedication to evidence-based AI governance promoting its responsible use while upholding the highest ethical standards.  the Delft Digital Ethics Centre is one of the frontrunners in operationalizing ethical values into design requirements for digital technologies such as artificial intelligence," Professor Jeroen van den Hoven "We look forward to contributing to the global health community and advancing the responsible use of AI in health."  will provide valuable insight into the challenges involved in the successful implementation of WHO guidance in clinical practice. "The designation of the Digital Ethics Centre at Delft University of Technology as a WHO Collaborating Centre strengthens our collective ability to ensure AI serves public health equitably and responsibly Researchers at TU Delft and Brown University have developed scalable nanotechnology-based lightsails that could support future advances in space exploration and experimental physics. Their research, published in Nature Communications introduces new materials and production methods to create the thinnest large-scale reflectors ever made reflective structures that use laser-driven radiation pressure to propel spacecraft at high speeds which miniaturizes devices in all dimensions They are nanoscale in thickness—about 1/1000th the thickness of a human hair—but can extend to sheets with large dimensions Fabricating a lightsail as envisioned for the Starshot Breakthrough Initiative would traditionally take 15 years mainly because it is covered in billions of nanoscale holes including first author and PhD student Lucas Norder it would take around 10,000 years for our fastest rockets to reach even the nearest star outside the solar system seeks to reduce that journey to just 20 years laser-propelled spacecraft the size of microchips the project envisions humanity's first interstellar exploration beyond the solar system It is part of the Breakthrough Initiatives Starshot was launched by Yuri Milner and Stephen Hawking in 2016 ‘This is not just another step in making things smaller; it’s an entirely new way of thinking about nanotechnology,’ explains Dr ‘We’re creating high-aspect-ratio devices that are thinner than anything previously engineered but span dimensions akin to massive structures.’ The current prototype measures 60mm x 60mm and is 200 nanometres thick This represents a significant step forward in large-scale lightsail fabrication.  We’re creating high-aspect-ratio devices that are thinner than anything previously engineered but span dimensions akin to massive structures have demonstrated nanoscale control over sail structures at micrometer scales whereas our approach scales to centimeter-sized structures while maintaining nanoscale precision manufacturing.’ If scaled up the lightsail made by Norte and colleagues would extend over the length of seven football fields with a thickness of only a millimetre ‘It’s not just its high aspect ratio that makes this material special; it’s the simultaneous combination of large scale and nanoscale in the same material that makes it lightweight and reflective,’ says Norte The team combined state-of-the-art neural topology optimization techniques with cutting-edge fabrication methods to achieve this ‘We have developed a new gas-based etch that allows us to delicately remove the material under the sails These techniques have been uniquely developed at TU Delft.’ ‘Our work combines the latest advancements in optimisation to explore new ways to find unintuitive designs,’ says Dr ‘By blending neural networks with topology optimization we’ve created designs that push the boundaries of what’s possible in both nanophotonics and large-scale manufacturing.’   The proposed lightsails leverage laser-driven radiation pressure to accelerate to astonishing velocities probes propelled with the developed lightsails could reach Mars in the time it takes for international mail to arrive While such vast distances remain a goal for the future recent studies have demonstrated that similar lightsails can currently be propelled over distances as small as picometers Norte and his team are now preparing experiments to push the new membrane sails across distances measured in centimetres against Earth’s gravity but this would be 10 billion times farther than anything pushed with lasers so far.’ these materials open new possibilities for experimental physics The ability to accelerate masses to high velocities offers unprecedented opportunities to study light-matter interactions and relativistic physics at macroscopic scales ‘This EU-funded research places Delft at the forefront of nanoscale material science,’ Norte adds ‘Now that we can make these lightsails as large as semiconductors can make wafers we are exploring what we can do with today’s capabilities in nanofabrication I think it might be just as exciting as missions beyond the solar system What is remarkable to me is that creating these thin optical materials can open a window into fundamental questions such as; how fast can we actually accelerate an object The nanotechnology behind this question is certain to open new avenues of interesting research.’   Breakthrough achievement paves the way for practical quantum internet applications  Delft, The Netherlands: Quantum Internet Alliance (QIA) researchers at TU Delft, QuTech, University of Innsbruck, INRIA and CNRS recently announced the creation of the first operating system designed for quantum networks: QNodeOS. The research, published in Nature marks a major step forward in transforming quantum networking from a theoretical concept to a practical technology that could revolutionize the future of the internet.    “The goal of our research is to bring quantum network technology to all With QNodeOS we're taking a big step forward We're making it possible – for the first time – to program and execute applications on a quantum network easily” Professor of Quantum Computer Science at TU Delft’s quantum technology research institute QuTech who led the study “Our work also creates a framework opening entirely new areas of quantum computer science research.”  The ability to easily program classical computing hardware such as laptops or phones has had a transformative impact on our world and enabled the creation of a wide range of applications “The system is like the software on your computer at home: you don’t need to know how the hardware works to use it,” says Mariagrazia Iuliano By essentially removing the barrier between networking hardware and software the operating system will allow developers to create applications with ease and across a large spectrum of hardware solutions paving the way for the development of software that can bring quantum network technology to society.    meaning that applications can be run at a high level just like on classical operating systems such as Windows or Android which required coding specific to each experimental setup QNodeOS makes it possible to operate quantum processors on a network with ease regardless of the hardware platform used.  “Such an architecture which has never been created before for quantum networks enables developers to focus on application logic rather than hardware details,” explains Bart van der Vecht “This makes it easier to come up with new kinds of applications some of which we may not even be able to imagine today.”  Quantum network applications differ from applications that run on a quantum computer introducing unique challenges that the researchers had to overcome Unlike quantum computers that run single programs quantum network applications require separate programs to execute independently at different network nodes—like a client app on your phone and a server in the cloud These programs must coordinate with each other through messages and quantum entanglement a special type of quantum connection which gives quantum networks their power QNodeOS solves the unique challenges posed by this different quantum execution paradigm.   The researchers demonstrated that QNodeOS can work with multiple types of quantum hardware by connecting it to two very different types of quantum processors “Our trapped ion processors work fundamentally differently than those based on color centers in diamond yet we have shown QNodeOS can work with both of them” The creation of QNodeOS united experts from physics and engineering in taking an important step in QIA's mission to build a scalable and useful quantum network that can support real-world applications the operating system will offer a crucial framework for continued study and experimentation.   QIA is working to provide the world access to the technology’s software and hardware components One of the ways to do this will be to employ QNodeOS on the Quantum Network Explorer This will enable a far broader audience to experiment innovate and create software for quantum networks accelerating the evolution of the field.   To learn more about the research, visit Nature.  About QIA  The Quantum Internet Alliance (QIA) is a European research initiative focused on building the world’s first full-stack quantum internet prototype network By advancing technologies in quantum communication QIA aims to integrate quantum systems to create a scalable With support from Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe funding QIA brings together more than 40 leading academic all working toward the goal of realizing a functional quantum internet by 2030.    Pictures  Download the press kit with the high res pictures here.   Scientists from TU Delft and EPFL have created a quadruped robot capable of running like a dog without the need for motors. This achievement, a product of combining innovative mechanics with data-driven technology, was published in Nature Machine Intelligence and could pave the way for energy-efficient robotics ‘Commercial quadruped robots are becoming more common but their energy inefficiency limits their operating time,’ explains Cosimo Della Santina ‘Our goal was to address this issue by optimising the robot’s mechanics by mimicking the efficiency of biological systems.’ Della Santina points to a remarkable phenomenon in nature He shows a video of a fish swimming against the current to avoid being carried away A seemingly ordinary scene until he reveals that the fish is Its movement is powered entirely by the passive mechanics of its body ‘This highlights how optimised mechanics alone can drive efficient motion,’ he says master student Mickael Achkar and principal investigator Josie Hughes They employed machine learning tools to analyse their movement and guide the arrangement of springs the robot can walk on a treadmill and adapt to varying speeds driven entirely by the treadmill’s push and without motors the researchers also equipped it with motors for added functionality ‘The motors allow the robot to react to challenges like climbing steps or avoiding obstacles,’ explains Della Santina the motor’s use is minimized thanks to the robot’s optimized mechanical design.’ This innovation represents a significant step toward creating holistically intelligent robots ‘By enhancing both the mechanical and cognitive capabilities we aim to develop quadruped robots that are not only more efficient but also highly adaptable to complex environments,’ concludes Della Santina TU Delft students and staff members will drop their work on Thursday 24 April to protest against the proposed cutbacks to higher education The protest is part of a nationwide relay of strikes in which different universities protest on consecutive days The day will start at 08:30 at Pulse on campus where the strikers can make banners This is the point at which students and staff members of all the faculties stop working and studying and leave They gather on the square in front of Pulse and the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering From 12:30 there will be a stage and a programme with speakers and a representative of the strike committee An Executive Board member and Marja van Bijsterveldt The programme on stage will be closed with a poetry reading and live music Lunch will be available with free chips and drinks The protest march will leave at 13:15 and head to the square at Delft Central Station a science market and brief lectures will be held there from 15:00 There will also be a bouncy castle for children joining the strike falls under the legal right to strike They do not have to request leave and the Executive Board has said that no salaries will be withheld Staff members are required to inform their supervisors in advance if they join the strike Exceptions are for staff members with crucial jobs such as keeping important research installations going They are advised to discuss options for a suitable alternative Teaching activities may be dropped on 24 April if the teachers join the strike students are informed accordingly on Brightspace instead students will receive instructions on going through the material themselves presentations and doctoral dissertation defences will go ahead as planned Students are not required to be present on the strike day unless it regards compulsory education Information about this will be shared on Brightspace for each subject The cutbacks which have led to the protests amount to more than EUR 500 million nationwide this means an expected drop of EUR 79 million The VSSD and FNV trade unions are worried that these cutbacks will lead to a drop in the quality of education Do you have a question or comment about this article We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns TU Delft is expanding its space research capabilities with the launch of four new and upgraded Space Engineering laboratories These state-of-the-art facilities will provide researchers and industry partners with advanced tools to push the boundaries of space exploration from simulating extreme planetary environments to advancing satellite communications and space mission engineering they will play a vital role in developing sustainable space technologies with real-world applications such as secure connectivity and climate monitoring These labs enhance TU Delft's capabilities to innovate for space—from concept to application These new facilities will position TU Delft as a strong academic partner for the European and global space sector By providing a hands-on environment for testing and collaboration we enable groundbreaking developments in planetary exploration These advances not only enable key discoveries in space but also play a role in solving challenges here on Earth from climate monitoring to secure global connectivity We are thrilled to open these new facilities which will significantly enhance our research capabilities," says Bart Root "The state-of-the-art equipment and hands-on environment allow us to actively engage in real life space research and technology while also providing students with invaluable experience in real-world applications These facilities will not only contribute to cutting-edge research but also support sustainable space innovation with applications ranging from climate monitoring to secure high-datarate communications TU Delft continues to push the boundaries of aerospace engineering enabling breakthroughs that benefit both space exploration and life on Earth TU Delft reinforces its position as a key player in the international space sector fostering collaboration between academia and industry to shape the future of space exploration Dr.ir. B.C. (Bart) Root Lab Coordinator ✉ B.C.Root@tudelft.nl Ineke Boneschansker Communications Manager +31614015119 i.boneschansker@tudelft.nl Why does AI in healthcare often does not work - and how do we make it work The TU Delft Digital Ethics Centre will advise the World Health Organization (WHO) on ethical aspects and laws and regulations surrounding AI in healthcare the Delft research centre will receive accreditation: after which it will officially be a WHO Collaboration Centre in the field of Ethics and Governance of AI in Healthcare.  Healthcare is under tremendous pressure worldwide and the deployment of AI in healthcare offers huge opportunities But the integration and implementation of AI in healthcare is not without controversy and difficulties Dutch research has shown only two per cent of all AI innovations worldwide are actually used Innovations often do not connect well with practice ethical dilemmas arise or AI still contains biases that can cause discrimination.  Department of Digital Health and Innovation at the World Health Organization (WHO): ‘AI has the transformative power to reshape healthcare and empower individuals on their health journeys The technical and academic partnership with the Digital Ethics Centre at TU Delft is crucial in ensuring that the benefits of AI reach everyone globally through ethical governance it is extremely important to uphold both ethical principles and healthcare norms and values International guidelines have been drawn up for this but they have yet to be translated into practice That is where the TU Delft Digital Ethics Centre is now going to help internist-intensivist and associate professor at Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam (The Netherlands): ‘AI can only improve healthcare if we have a good ethical foundation Thanks to the special cooperation between WHO we can apply AI responsibly and transparently in the clinic.  One example is an ongoing project within Erasmus MC: where AI helps determine when a patient can be safely discharged after oncological surgery this can not only ensure safer patient discharges but they can also go home four days earlier on average and there is a halving of readmissions.’ The TU Delft Digital Ethics Centre is the result of almost two decades of research into digital ethics and responsible innovation it is one of the world's frontrunners in this field Associate Professor Responsible AI: ‘Together with the WHO we have already drawn up frameworks for responsible use of AI and Generative AI in healthcare Now they are approaching us to make this concrete it was thought: if there are answers to be found anywhere and in particular professor Jeroen van den Hoven has been working with the WHO on this topic for several years Now we are getting official recognition for that through this accreditation.’  TU Delft Digital Ethics Centre is collaborating with Erasmus MC and software company SAS in the AI for Health ethics lab (REAiHL) Pilot projects devised in Delft can be tested in practice in The Netherlands’ largest medical centre in Rotterdam Buijsman: ‘It is important that we can see whether what we come up with also works in the day-to-day practice of the hospital We can work out the ethical frameworks and come up with technological solutions to match in Erasmus MC they can validate them and identify needs from practice.’ The AI ethics lab was created on the initiative of Erasmus MC internist-intensivist Michel van Genderen The aim is to develop a generalist framework for how AI can be applied hospital-wide safely and ethically.  government or non-profit partners and knowledge institutes.  Professor of Optimisation at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) was made a Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion in Utrecht Professor Aardal has been Professor of Optimisation at the Delft Institute of Applied Mathematics (DIAM) since 2008 She is a leading researcher in the field of applied mathematics and computer science her research has focused on the algorithmic optimisation of complex systems for example in logistics or for the optimal positioning of ambulances and trauma helicopters Professor Aardal is much in demand on committees because of her sharp analysis commitment and overview of the mathematical domain she led the national initiative Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics This initiative aims to raise the visibility of the mathematics behind artificial intelligence (AI) and to create a better connection between AI researchers and mathematicians She has been a member of the Science Domain Board of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) since September 2021 Professor Aardal is also well known internationally She was president of the Mathematical Optimisation Society from 2016 to 2019 She is also a member of the Scientific Committee of the Society for Mathematical Research This is one of the leading institutes in the field of theoretical and applied mathematics she was elected a Fellow of INFORMS (Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences) Professor Aardal is known as an excellent educator who pays attention to the person behind the student She has also been a champion of diversity and inclusion for many years both within TU Delft and within the academic community as a whole she is a role model in a field where women are still underrepresented Professor of Web Information Systems at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) was made an Officer of the Order of Orange Nassau in Bergschenhoek/Lansingerland Professor Houben is an international pioneer in data He has played a key role in the field of web engineering which focuses on building reliable web applications for end users such as web shops or online ticket booking sites Professor Houben recognised early on the importance of data and the opportunities for artificial intelligence Houben has been Professor of Web Information Systems at TU Delft since 2008 The Web Information Systems section he founded has now grown to 30 people and is an education and innovation in the field of data and artificial intelligence Professor Houben's teaching and research takes place in close collaboration with societal and industry partners and has led to start-ups such as Twitcident Professor Houben worked hard to improve the quality of all programmes offered by the faculty between 2017 and 2021 He also played a crucial role at the time of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic when overnight all of TU Delft's on-campus education had to be transferred to online education Professor Houben is more aware than most of the enormous impact that artificial intelligence will have on society this will lead to new interdisciplinary research challenges that need to be addressed together with societal partners Professor Houben has been Pro Vice Rector of AI education and innovation in the field of AI Professor Houben is the driving force behind this initiative Professor of Water Management at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences (CEG) was made an Officer of the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands in The Hague Professor De Kreuk is an international leader in the field of environmental technology She has carried out pioneering research into the conversion and processing of sewage sludge while at the same time finding the way to practical application The granular sludge model that she developed as part of her doctoral research is still the basis for the operation of wastewater treatment plants around the world Professor De Kreuk focuses on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as the purification and reuse of water and raw materials and the removal of microplastics and environmental pollutants from water By focusing specifically on the scalability of new technologies she has also made them accessible to less developed countries she has been Chair of the Department of Water Management the first female Chair in the Faculty's history Professor De Kreuk is passionate about educating a new generation of engineers who can bridge the gap from research through to reducing the impact on the environment and adding value to society She is committed to her students and ensures that education keeps up with the times she led the development of the new master’s programme in environmental engineering Professor De Kreuk also inspires young people elsewhere for example by introducing primary school children to the world of engineering Professor De Kreuk is a role model for female scientists within TU Delft and beyond She believes in changing the culture to improve gender diversity at our university and to encourage female talent to pursue technical studies Professor of Biotechnology and Society at the Faculty of Applied Sciences (AS) was made an Officer of the Order of Orange Nassau in Utrecht Professor Osseweijer is the Dutch expert on the bio-based economy and the integration of social sciences and biotechnology She was one of the driving forces behind the public-private consortium 'Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation' she developed the research programme 'Genomics and Society' starting her pioneering work at the interface of natural sciences social sciences and humanities and societal impacts she was appointed full professor and head of her own research group Professor Osseweijer is currently leading the Water Mining Consortium The consortium brings together academic and industrial partners from twelve countries to work together to ensure global access to clean water and sanitation The consortium is exploring alternative water sources and developing innovative solutions for sustainable water management including the use of urban and industrial wastewater and seawater desalination Professor Osseweijer has a keen eye for the personal and scientific development of her students and PhD candidates She is also the university's ambassador for international cooperation with Brazil she has set up a dual-degree programme with the aim of training a total of 100 PhD candites in Brazil and the Netherlands by the end of this year With her pioneering work and expertise at the intersection of social sciences and biotechnology Professor Osseweijer has put the Netherlands and TU Delft on the map she received the Distinguished NIAS Lorentz Fellowship an award given annually to an outstanding researcher engaged in innovative interdisciplinary research "Can A.I. Be Blamed for a Teen’s Suicide?" –  the headline of this recent New York Times article adds to a growing concern that AI-driven chatbots are getting more effective in influencing or manipulating our perceptions and behaviour Researchers Himanshu Verma and Uğur Genç reveal results of a study which confirms this worry “We should both empower users with the ability to think critically and design AI-enabled systems which raise awareness about potential manipulation including social engineering and misinformation” have become an integral part of our daily lives These agents are supposedly designed to make us work more efficiently improve accessibility of services including access to healthcare and have shown to have the potential to provide mental-health benefits by combatting loneliness and depression.  As the complexity of these agents increases their ability to mimic human interaction is growing This leads to more personalised and engaging experiences At the same time it enhances their persuasive and manipulative power.  together with Senthil Chandrasegaran and Tilman Dingler at TU Delft have published a study which measures in what way a conversational agent influences user’s empathy “Our aim was to understand whether and to what extent the conversational agents have the ability to affect our perceptions of trust and the agent’s authenticity The aim of this study was to understand whether and to what extent the conversational agents have the ability to affect our perceptions of trust and the agent’s authenticity the researchers created a ChatGPT-powered conversational agent that solicited donations for a fictional charitable foundation Uğur Genç: “In a crowdsourced study with 344 online participants across Europe interacted freely and knowingly with this conversational agent It was the agent’s goal to persuade the respondents to donate to this foundation Some agents had an optimistic and others a pessimistic tone-of-voice After their three-minute conversation with the bot participants received 10 euros in fictional (virtual) currency They were asked how much they would donate to the fictional charity and whether they trusted the agent and felt empathy towards this foundation’s cause.” Results show that participants donated more to the ‘optimistic’ agent compared to the ‘pessimistic’ agent The results also show that respondents with an ‘empathetic’ profile people who consider themselves as being able to have empathetic feelings towards others  they feel more emotionally connected to the agent which resulted in their tendency to donate more to the agent’s charity The researchers also found that interaction with the ‘optimistic’ agent led to higher perceived trust as compared to the ‘pessimistic’ agent and felt empathy towards the charity’s cause the ‘optimistic’ agent was also perceived to be less risky as compared to the ‘pessimistic’ agent These results echo the concern that AI is able to exploit users with certain empathetic traits and may disproportionally influence the vulnerability of people who are very emotional “Different personality traits can make individuals more or less vulnerable to such influence” “This might affect everything from everyday decisions to ideological beliefs “Responsible conversational agent design and red teaming procedures are essential safeguards there will always be instances of malintent or malfunction either from the creators or within the systems themselves.” Responsible conversational agent design and red teaming procedures are essential safeguards That is why the researchers emphasise that it is crucial to develop a nuanced and fine-grained understanding of how intelligent and interactive conversational agents influence user behaviour Only then we can design and develop tools and mechanisms to mitigate the harmful effects of these agents We need to foster the quality of critical thinking among the users of these conversational agents so that they are aware of potential manipulative influences and harms   The research team is currently investigating whether digital nudges can be designed and embedded in our daily user interfaces which can facilitate users to think critically and self-regulate their behaviour to prevent themselves from being manipulated Contact: Landbergstraat 15 2628 CE Delft +31 (0)15 27 89807 Route planner Links for students: BSc Industrial Design Engineering Master programmes IDE | Student portal Other links: Our people Employee portal Opening Hours Disclaimer Privacy & Security TU Delft is organizing the inspiration event “Together for Brain Health – from Insight to Impact.” This afternoon will focus on the latest developments in brain research at TU Delft and is specifically intended to bring together scientists we offer our guests a unique glimpse into our research – from understanding the brain to preventing You will gain insight into both our short- and long-term research ranging from fundamental knowledge to tangible technological applications We will present six duo-presentations by our researchers alongside practical partners (such as Erasmus MC) in which they will highlight their joint projects and the impact they are making where you can explore ongoing research projects we will serve a walking dinner in an informal setting – a great opportunity to engage in conversation with researchers and other guests about collaboration and shared ambitions but also to demonstrate that TU Delft is a renowned and valuable partner in the field of brain health ISSN 3049-902X          Research Professional | Pivot-RP  Image: @canada_by_alexis Under-fire Dutch university says ensuring integrity and social safety is a “long-term process” Delft University of Technology is to revise its code of conduct this year in order to promote a secure and ethical academic environment for staff and students In a comprehensive “implementation plan” submitted to the government’s education inspectorate on 31 January Delft said the new code of conduct would be published in the second half of the year In order to read the full article you will have to authenticate Depending on which product your institution is subscribed to you will have to authenticate via either your Pivot-RP or Research Professional account if your organisation is only subscribed to Research Professional News and not one of our funding databases then you will have to authenticate via the third option 'Continue with Research Professional News only' if you are unsure which database your institution is subscribed to This article on Research Professional News is onlyavailable to Pivot-RP Research Professional and Research Professional News only users Research Professional News is an editorially independent part of Clarivate TU Delft had the pleasure of hosting the Work Package ‘Future Skills for Engineers and Scientists’ (WP4) team on campus The two-day event marked a key milestone in advancing the development of future competency-based education within the Alliance.  The programme began with a warm welcome from Ena Voûte followed by an overview from WP4 Lead Grant Penny and a brief recap of the progress made up to this point The central focus of the visit was to translate the previously completed SWOT analysis into actionable strategic plans This analysis was instrumental in highlighting each university’s strengths and weaknesses and how these intersect with potential opportunities and threats in our broader context The first exercise involved cross-referencing elements of the SWOT analysis—such as Strengths with Opportunities and Weaknesses with Threats—to generate potential course outputs This helped frame how our institutions are positioned within the Alliance and Europe’s shared environment and sparked ideas on how we can best leverage or respond to these to various dynamic.  the group applied SMART principles (Specific Time-bound) to further define and refine the ideas For example: Develop online training programmes (e.g lunch webinars) for teachers and students in the alliance about the human ecological and economic side of technologies within the next 5 months so to improve the “social” side of technical education we drew inspiration from three student groups:  Image: Thirdman Dutch university’s research centre will advise on ethical The TU Delft Digital Ethics Centre has been given official accreditation as a collaborative partner of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare whose role is to advise on the ethics and governance of AI in this sector the accreditation—received on 6 March—gives recognition to a partnership that has already existed for several years.  in collaboration with Nikhef and industrial partners are set to develop cutting-edge vibration isolation sensors to make semiconductor manufacturing more efficient and sustainable This initiative is funded by NWO and aims to tackle the growing environmental pressures associated with the rapid expansion of the semiconductor industry Semiconductors are the backbone of modern technology powering everything from medical devices to satellite monitoring systems the increasing complexity of microchips and the industry's rapid growth have led to heightened resource consumption and environmental challenges the Compact High-Performance Sensors (CHiPS) project focuses on creating advanced vibration isolation systems—a critical component in semiconductor production processes Producing microchips involves precise positioning of silicon wafers during repeated lithography and inspection steps fast-moving stages rely on vibration isolation systems as even the smallest vibrations can disrupt processes requiring resolutions below 1 nanometer These challenges demand advanced active vibration isolation techniques Central to this system are inertial sensors capable of detecting and counteracting ground vibrations with sub-nanometer precision "Our goal is to design highly sensitive sensors that can measure tiny movements with extreme precision and much more sensitive than current technology," says Nandini Bhattacharya the sensors will help reduce material waste significantly lowering the environmental footprint of semiconductor manufacturing The precision offered by these sensors contributes to the production of smaller more efficient chips that consume less power in the electronical devices they are used in.  The consortium driving this project brings together scientists from diverse fields including gravitational wave detection and smart systems engineering for industry This unique combination enables the application of advanced techniques from fundamental research to industrial contexts The cross-disciplinary approach fosters innovation and ensures the development of tools with unparalleled sensitivity and performance While the primary application of these sensors is in the semiconductor industry the technology could later be adapted for robotics-based medical instruments and other high-precision applications Although these uses fall outside the current project's scope the foundational work sets the stage for future innovations With this strengthening of nuclear education and research TU Delft aims to make a major contribution to the training of nuclear engineers and experts in support of the government's plans to expand the number of nuclear power plants in the Netherlands PhD students will also be appointed for nuclear research and to assist students with their graduation projects the Mechanical Engineering faculty is building a bridge between mechanical engineering and its specific application for nuclear power generation The Nuclear Energy Technology chair will be embedded within the Department of Process & Energy The focus will be on developing new designs and integration into the Dutch energy infrastructure The Materials Sciences and Engineering (MSE) department will house the chair Materials Science for Nuclear Reactors Materials in nuclear applications are exposed to extreme conditions such as high temperatures and radiation doses New nuclear systems typically lead to even more extreme conditions for the material Being able to extend the lifetime of materials is of great importance being able to predict accurately on a timescale relevant to nuclear systems The newly appointed professors will also ensure a new generation of mechanical engineers with solid basic knowledge of nuclear technology The Radiation Science & Technology department has unique expertise in the use of ionising radiation such as positrons and neutrons for research and education It has direct access to a research reactor equipped with advanced beamline instruments irradiation facilities and radiological laboratories and to the HollandPTC where a proton beam can be used for research In addition to innovative and sustainable nuclear energy research focuses on materials science for energy conversion and storage health technology for imaging and diagnostics The department offers education to students in physics TU Delft Applied Sciences https://www.tudelft.nl/tnw TU Delft Mechanical Engineering https://www.tudelft.nl/me TU Delft Reactor Institute https://www.tudelft.nl/tnw/zakelijk/faciliteiten/tu-delft-reactor-institute/nucleair-onderwijs enabling the brain to learn and adapt at incredible speed Researchers of the University of Technology in Delft (TU Delft) have developed a 3D-printed ‘brain-like environment’ where neurons grow similarly to a real brain they mimic the soft neural tissue and the brain extracellular matrix fibers This model provides new insights into how neurons form networks as well as a novel tool to understand in future how this process may change in neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s respond to the stiffness and geometry of their surroundings Traditional petri dishes are flat and rigid fibrous extra-cellular matrix environment of the brain To resemble the geometric and mechanical properties of this environment the team of associate professor Angelo Accardo designed nanopillar arrays using two-photon polymerization a 3D laser-assisted printing technique with nanoscale precision each of which thousand times thinner than a human hair are arranged like tiny forests on a surface the researchers tuned their effective shear modulus a mechanical property sensed by cells when crawling on top of micro- or nano-structures' arrays “This tricks the neurons into "thinking" that they are in a soft even though the nanopillars’ material itself is stiff While bending under the crawling of neurons the nanopillars not only simulate the softness of brain tissue but also provide a 3D nanometric structure that neurons can grab onto much like the extra-cellular matrix nano-fibers in real brain tissue,” says Accardo This influences how the neurons grow and connect with each other the researchers grew three different types of neuronal cells derived either from mouse brain tissue or from human stem cells In traditional flat petri dishes and 2D biomaterials all three cell types grew in more organized patterns forming networks at specific angles.  The study, published in Advanced Functional Materials and featured on its cover also revealed new insights into neuronal growth cones Accardo: “These hand-like structures guide the tips of growing neurons as they search for new connections the growth cones spread out and remain relatively flat exploring their surroundings in all directions — not just along a flat plane but also in the 3D space resembling what happens in a real brain environment.”  we found that the environment created by the nanopillars also seemed to encourage neurons to mature” Neural progenitor cells grown on the pillars showed higher levels of a marker of mature neurons “This shows that the system not only influences the direction of growth but also promotes neuronal maturation.” why not just grow neurons on soft materials like gels typically suffer from batch-to-batch variability and do not feature rationally designed geometric features The nanopillar arrays model offers the best of both worlds: it behaves like a soft environment with nanometric features and holds extremely high reproducibility thanks to the resolution of two-photon polymerization,” explains Accardo By better replicating how neurons grow and connect the developed model could offer new insights into the differences between healthy brain networks and those associated with neurological disorders Parkinson’s disease and autism spectrum disorders The work is a joint effort between three departments within the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (PME the Faculty of Applied Physics (ImPhys) and the ErasmusMC The research was supported by a Mechanical Engineering Cohesion and a NWO XS grants The QAIMS team at TU Delft have won the Golden Application prize ‘pushing the boundaries of quantum tech for mobility’ in the prestigious Airbus-BMW Global Quantum Computing Challenge PhD researcher and main contributor to this challenge: “We’re grateful and proud to receive this prize It’s a fantastic recognition of the potential of applying quantum computing to the design of composite materials.” Team leader Boyang Chen Associate Professor from the Department of Aerospace Structures and Materials accepted the award on behalf of the team in Silicon Valley today  Chen: “In two years of research we have come up with a brand new methodology that we’ve demonstrated to be highly competitive at the industrial scale and  with marketable software that companies could start using today to make better lightweight composite materials.” The QAIMS team for this challenge consists of researchers Arne Wulff and Yinglu Tang from the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Matthias Möller from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Sebastian Feld from the Faculty of EEMCS and QuTech fellow PhD candidate in the same group who provided valuable support on data generation and benchmarking The QAIMS team is the first in the world to apply quantum computing to solve an old riddle in the design of fibre-reinforced composite materials: how to determine the optimal sequence of angles at which the material’s layers are stacked  These fibre-reinforced composite laminates are strong and lightweight materials that can be used for all kinds of load-bearing structures such as aircraft fuselages and wings The lighter weight of these composites can help reduce fuel consumption and emissions of cars or aircraft Many components in the renewable energy sector have a layered structure for which a “stacking sequence” of design choices needs to be made The team competed in the competition with a self-contained software package they developed as part of their research Chen: “When we pioneered this research just two years ago we viewed it to be more at the fundamental level where its application at the industrial scale would normally come after additional phases of more applied research after only two years we have already established a ground-breaking methodology that is demonstrated to be highly competitive at the industrial scale and have developed marketable software that companies could start using today to make better lightweight composite materials.” The software is ideal for manufacturing companies with established design processes in place for determining fibre stacking sequences for which they use current software or past experience The quantum computing software helps them determine the optimal sequence faster and better The software was created open source and is available to all who want to use it But says Chen: “There are lots of opportunities for start-ups to use our software and integrate it into a unique structural design tool that is highly commercially viable.”  This is a competition for industry and university participant teams that focuses on quantum technologies for industrial applications and mobility The QAIMS team participated as the only university finalist in the category Golden Application (Pushing the boundaries of quantum tech for mobility) an enviable cycling culture … There are lots of reasons to take a city break in the Netherlands without needing to set foot in the overtouristed ‘other’ capital and swap platforms for a 23-minute ride to The Hague The “city of peace and justice” (who wouldn’t love that?) is home to the Dutch parliament – in the 13th-century gothic Binnenhof – two of the royal family’s three residences housed in the neo-Renaissance Peace Palace several of the Netherlands’ most famous paintings are in the Mauritshuis the best-known of The Hague’s many art galleries It feels as if there can be barely anything left over for Amsterdam but The Hague has a further asset that for many would trump the rest: miles of wide sandy beach 15 minutes away by (of course) bike The Hague claims to be the greenest city in the Netherlands and plans to be carbon neutral by 2030Yet despite – or maybe because of – all this It feels like a city for locals – and perhaps visiting politicians and lawyers So we swerve the chain hotels and live for a few days like those fortunate locals in a stylish duplex conversion on the edge of the 19th-century Statenkwartier neighbourhood It’s a 10-minute tram ride to the beach and the same to the centre The cycle lane outside our Valeriusstraat pad is well used with knee-high moppets confidently swooshing along beside their parents So we join them, on bikes rented from Haagsche Stadsfiets It’s a joy from the start as cycling is so delightfully normal here: no one’s in Lycra “We don’t allow anything to interfere with that like special clothing or helmet laws.” Old women are riding around in frocks; we see men in blazers and even one in a DJ and bow tie Anyone who missed last year’s blockbuster Vermeer exhibition in Amsterdam can make up for it at the Mauritshuis gallery – Girl With A Pearl Earring is luminous in the ‘flesh’We are the only customers at one beachside cafe at 10:30am on a sunny Saturday and there is almost no one on the acres of pale gold sand Den Haagers seem to take the weekend at a relaxed pace Scheveningen was a fishing village in medieval times though now the old streets of brick terraces are thoroughly gentrified The only reminder of harsher lives is a statue of a fisherman’s wife North-east of here is a stretch of dunes threaded by well-maintained paths we cycle back into town via Westbroek Park and Scheveningen Woods – just two of a claimed 460 green spaces in The Hague The city’s flag is equal stripes of yellow and green “All 550,000 inhabitants have a tree to hug,” says Remco The Girl With A Pearl Earring holds attention in the Mauritshuis gallery Photograph: Courtesy Mauristhuis MuseumJust south of the woods we come upon the city’s most-photographed building Seat of the international court of justice and the permanent court of arbitration it manages to be a harmonious mix of Disneyland castle Byzantine church and London’s St Pancras station maybe because every nation that supported its building also contributed an element there are Persian rugs and the iron railings around its grounds are German The worst fighting the world has known began shortly after it was finished in 1913 Exploring the city centre by bike is easy too: there are bike racks everywhere though Remco warns us to always cross tram lines at a 90-degree angle Every Den Haager has caught a tyre in one at some stage Delft Photograph: Bloodua/Getty ImagesThe 13th-century Binnenhof site of parliament and the prime minister’s office but citizens are not being kept at arm’s length Platforms in the lake outside are being used for temporary exhibitions and from a free-to-climb viewing tower at its western end people can peer over the palace walls at the work in progress and enjoy a 360-degree view of the city Anyone who missed last year’s blockbuster Vermeer exhibition in Amsterdam can make up for it at the Mauritshuis gallery Girl With A Pearl Earring is luminous in the “flesh” but a bigger surprise is the painter’s View of Delft with foreground waterside houses in shadow but sunshine highlighting roofs and towers in the streets behind I also enjoy a couple of Rembrandts and Fabritius’s storied Goldfinch featured trips and local tips for your next break as well as the latest deals from Guardian Holidays Our evenings are spent dining sustainably. The Hague caters well for vegetarians and vegans, be they pizzerias, burger joints or Indonesian specialists. Read moreOur best meal is at Ethica named after the philosophical treatise by Baruch Spinoza who spent the latter part of his life in The Hague Self-taught chef Robin Collard takes green cuisine to another level made with produce from his organic garden or sourced locally but he also serves meat from wild animals that are in surplus in the Netherlands such as hares and birds that have to be shot for aircraft safety at Schiphol Even liqueurs and soft drinks are house-made Pre-starters of Ukrainian borscht with crispy buckwheat and fresh peas and beans in barbecue sauce leave our bouches very amused The wild garlic tuile Robin served atop a duck breast starter was pungent We don’t see a red light district and aren’t offered any drugs – yet another reason to come here rather than Amsterdam Accommodation was provided by Airbnb. Train travel from London to Rotterdam was provided Eurostar IDE Home IDE Latest news The QS Ranking is one of the most prominent university rankings Many international students take such rankings into account in their choice of university The QS Art & Design ranking is based on a combination of academic reputation (90%) and employer reputation (10%) in relation to the combined subject area of art and design. More information on the 2025 subject rankings can be found here The QS ranking looks at the discipline of design in combination with art At TU Delft’s Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering (IDE) design is more typically combined with engineering Indeed, the faculty is located physically and intellectually at the heart of Delft University of Technology – a world leading university which ranks 5th in Europe for Engineering and Technology according to the Times Higher Education Ranking The 300+ design researchers and 2,000+ students who make up IDE’s academic community have access to a wide array of laboratories and technical expertise both within the faculty itself and in the seven other science and engineering faculties spread across the campus The integration of technological possibilities with a deep understanding of the human condition and the economic and operational needs of organisations is fundamental to the approach of Delft design engineers who ultimately graduate with Bachelors and Masters of Science.  dean of IDE: “It is great to be recognised as a world leading design institute: 11th in Art & Design and 5th globally when compared with other technology-orientated institutions offering Bachelors and Masters of Science This result is testament to the quality and impact of IDE’s research innovation and impact; it is justly deserved We hope that potential students see it as validation of their decision to study design engineering at TU Delft Join us and help design for our shared future!”  The future and the technologies that shape it belong to us all Highlight Delft presents Highlight Delft Weekend a free-entry art weekend showcasing immersive light art and technology exhibitions.  Highlight Delft Weekend (14 & 15th of February) is a free-entry art weekend showcasing artworks by leading artists and makers Philip Beesley Highlight Delft Weekend invites everyone to experience the creative and technological developments taking place right now light installations and a creative maker lab that invites everyone to experience an exciting vision of the future and robot creation lab that invite everyone to experience an exciting and hands-on vision of what is possible.  After 3 years of close collaboration with TU Delft Science Centre and other artists Philip Beesley will personally unveil his newest permanent installation ‘Sentient Constellation’ to the public for the first time during Highlight Delft Weekend.  welcoming people of all ages and stages to interact with the possibilities of our collective creative future Highlight Delft and its partners dedicate this unique and one-time-only 2025 edition to the public When water freezes into ice or boils into vapour, its properties change dramatically at specific temperatures. These so-called phase transitions are fundamental to understanding materials. But how do such transitions behave in nanomaterials? In Nature Communications a team of scientists led by TU Delft presents new insights into the complex nature of phase transitions in magnetic nanomaterials Their findings reveal the coupling between magnetic and mechanical properties paving the way for ultra-sensitive sensors together with scientists from the University of Valencia and the National University of Singapore they developed a method to gain deeper insights into the highly complex phase transitions of such materials the team vibrated the material at high amplitudes while sweeping the temperature This revealed how the material’s vibrations change near its phase transition temperature and where the laser light acts as the drumstick—continuously making it vibrate while its rhythm subtly shifts with changing temperature,” explains Farbod Alijani associate professor at the TU Delft Faculty of Mechanical Engineering which are natural turns in particles that make them act like small magnets with the spins snapping into an orderly pattern you slowly change the temperature from warm to cold you notice not only when the drum starts to feel different but also that this change isn’t smooth (linear) —it unfolds in an intricate and irregular (nonlinear ) manner The researchers essentially measured this nonlinear change during the phase transition they could detect the temperature at which this sudden transformation occurs and study how the drum’s mechanical behaviour changes in detail “We pinpointed the phase transition temperature at around -160°C,” says Makars Šiškins we found that the changes in the mechanical response driven by the temperature shifts are directly coupled to the material’s magnetic and elastic properties.” These membranes are exceptionally sensitive to both internal and external forces Šiškins adds: “This sensitivity positions them as ideal candidates for sensors capable of detecting even very small environmental changes or internal  stresses in the material itself.” The team plans to apply this methodology to unveil the secrets of phase transitions in other nanomaterials we will investigate whether we can detect so-called spin waves with the nanodrum You can think of spin waves as carriers of information in a magnetic material much like electrons are for conductive materials.” Alijani will focus on translating these findings into practical applications “Understanding these nonlinear processes lays the basis for innovative nanomechanical devices including ultra-sensitive sensors,” he notes Have you ever wondered how insects are able to go so far beyond their home and still find their way The answer to this question is not only relevant to biology but also to making the AI for tiny TU Delft drone-researchers felt inspired by biological findings on how ants visually recognize their environment and combine it with counting their steps in order to get safely back home They have used these insights to create an insect-inspired autonomous navigation strategy for tiny The strategy allows such robots to come back home after long trajectories while requiring extremely little computation and memory (1.16 kiloByte per 100 m) tiny autonomous robots could find a wide range of uses from monitoring stock in warehouses to finding gas leaks in industrial sites The researchers have published their findings in Science Robotics have the potential to perform many interesting real-world applications they are extremely safe even if they accidentally bump into someone so that they can quickly cover a large area for instance in greenhouses for early pest or disease detection making such tiny robots operate by themselves is difficult since compared to larger robots they have extremely limited resources A major obstacle for the use of tiny robots is that for performing real-world applications they will have to be able to navigate by themselves For this robots can get help from external infrastructure They can use location estimates from GPS satellites outdoors or from wireless communication beacons indoors it is often not desirable to rely on such infrastructure GPS is unavailable indoors and can get highly inaccurate in cluttered environments such as in urban canyons And installing and maintaining beacons in indoor spaces is quite expensive or simply not possible for example in search-and-rescue scenarios The AI necessary for autonomous navigation with only onboard resources has been made with large robots in mind such as self-driving cars power-hungry sensors like LiDAR laser rangers which can simply not be carried or powered by small robots which is a very power-efficient sensor that provides rich information on the environment these approaches typically attempt to create highly detailed 3D maps of the environment This requires large amounts of processing and memory which can only be provided by computers that are too large and power-hungry for tiny robots This is why some researchers have turned to nature for inspiration Insects are especially interesting as they operate over distances that could be relevant to many real-world applications while using very scarce sensing and computing resources Biologists have an increasing understanding of the underlying strategies used by insects insects combine keeping track of their own motion (termed “odometry”) with visually guided behaviors based on their low-resolution but almost omnidirectional visual system (termed “view memory”) Whereas odometry is increasingly well understood even up to the neuronal level the precise mechanisms underlying view memory are still less well understood multiple competing theories exist on how insects use vision for navigation One of the earliest theories proposes a “snapshot” model an insect such as an ant is proposed to occasionally make snapshots of its environment the insect can compare its current visual percept to the snapshot removing any drift that inevitably builds up when only performing odometry “Snapshot-based navigation can be compared to how Hansel tried not to get lost in the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel when he threw bread crumbs that were eaten by the birds the stones are the snapshots.” says Tom van Dijk the robot has to be close enough to the snapshot location If the visual surroundings get too different from that at the snapshot location the robot  may move in the wrong direction and never get back anymore one has to use enough snapshots – or in the case of Hansel drop a sufficient number of stones dropping stones to close to each other would deplete Hans’ stones too quickly using too many snapshots leads to large memory consumption Previous works in this field typically had the snapshots very close together so that the robot could first visually home to one snapshot and then to the next.” “The main insight underlying our strategy is that you can space snapshots much further apart if the robot travels between snapshots based on odometry.” Full Professor in bio-inspired drones and co-author of the article “Homing will work as long as the robot ends up close enough to the snapshot location as long as the robot’s odometry drift falls within the snapshot’s catchment area This also allows the robot to travel much further as the robot flies much slower when homing to a snapshot than when flying from one snapshot to the next based on odometry.” The proposed insect-inspired navigation strategy allowed a 56-gram “CrazyFlie” drone to cover distances of up to 100 meters with only 1.16 kiloByte All visual processing happened on a tiny computer called a “micro-controller” which can be found in many cheap electronic devices “The proposed insect-inspired navigation strategy is an important step on the way to applying tiny autonomous robots in the real world.” “The functionality of the proposed strategy is more limited than that provided by state-of-the-art navigation methods It does not generate a map and only allows the robot to come back to the starting point for many applications this may be more than enough for stock tracking in warehouses or crop monitoring in greenhouses gather data and then return to the base station They could store mission-relevant images on a small SD card for post-processing by a server But they would not need them for navigation itself.” Guido de Croon, email: g.c.h.e.decroon@tudelft.nl Marc de Kool, email: A.J.M.deKool@tudelft.nl On 5 March the partners in the Airbus MultiFunctional Fuselage Demonstrator project received their JEC Composites Innovation Award 2025 for ‘Aerospace Parts’ at the JEC World show in Paris On behalf of the faculty of Aerospace Engineering TU Delft and SAM XL Aydin van den Bergh and Hein Koelman were part of this celebration of the most successful and innovative collaborative projects in the Composites industry The JEC Composites Innovation Award 2025 in the category ‘Aerospace Parts’ goes to the Airbus-led MultiFunctional Fuselage Demonstrator project funded by CleanSky2 A team of aerospace structures specialists at our faculty in close collaboration with the smart advanced manufacturing field lab SAM XL assembled the lower half of the full scale thermoplastic composite demonstrator built in the project Lead researcher Irene Fernandez-Villegas: “Our part of the project is a great example of how we can speed up and scale up innovation on lightweight structures in aviation by real-time collaboration among researchers This collaboration with our partners made it possible to successfully assemble the lower half of the fuselage here in Delft Lightweight structures are the way forward to significantly reduce fuel consumption and therefore emissions of aviation I am proud that our contribution is recognized and honoured by the composites industry And want to congratulate all partners in the project with winning this ‘Nobel Prize of the composites industry.” Dr. I. (Irene) Fernandez-VillegasAssociate Professor✉ I.FernandezVillegas@tudelft.nl On 24 April it will be TU Delft's turn in the relay strike directed against cuts in higher education This was decided by the unions in consultation with their constituents on 20 March The Executive Board agrees with the importance of taking action against the cuts and supports the strike TU Delft will remain open as usual to allow education and research to continue if necessary Special events will be organised on campus that day 08:30 Making picket lines and banners11:30 Coordinated walkout of all faculties12:30 Stage program with speeches and live music13:15 March to the center of Delft15:00 Science market and mini-lectures More information: Click here tov visit the aob-website a new collaboration between TU Delft and the Dutch Driving Test Authority (CBR) was officially launched Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at TU Delft signed the agreement for the research project led by David Stefan This project aims to explore how data can enhance the assessment process conducted by driving examiners during practical driving tests driving tests are assessed by human examiners supervised by Professor Joost de Winter of TU Delft seeks to support this assessment process using data-driven technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) These technologies can assist examiners by providing real-time insights via a visual dashboard which can also be used post-test to deliver targeted feedback By integrating data from sources such as GPS critical aspects of driving behaviour can be analysed with greater precision “This research aligns with TU Delft’s ambition to leverage science for societal impact By combining our expertise with that of the CBR we are working together on solutions that enhance both road safety and the driving test process,” said Professor De Winter The collaboration between TU Delft and the CBR marks a step forward in mobility and safety innovation Both parties are eager to see the results and the potential impact of these technologies on driving tests this research could also contribute to improving road safety by identifying risky driving behaviour earlier and with greater accuracy In March TU Delft conducted unique measurements with a high percentage of (more) sustainable aviation fuel During education flights for third-year students with teaching and research aircraft PH-LAB there was a mixture in the tank of regular kerosine with 38% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) EU directives require airlines to add on average 2% SAF in Europe in 2025 Researchers at TU Delft are using the flights to measure the potential effects of SAF on emissions and local air quality.  is used by TU Delft for educational flights every year in March Students in the third year of the Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering made a flight as part of the Flight Dynamics course to experience theory in practice.  Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a more sustainable alternative to fossil kerosine Another form of SAF is synthetic kerosine made from hydrogen and CO2 extracted from the air as well as other harmful substances such as particulates and sulphur It therefore also helps to improve local air quality and it could potentially reduce the warming impact of aircraft contrails The SAF on which TU Delft has flown was supplied by Shell and purchased from Jet Aviation The fuel was made of mostly used cooking and baking oil. As much as 38% SAF was added to regular kerosine airlines say they blend about 1% SAF with their kerosine The EU requires them to increase that to 2% on average in 2025 Researchers at TU Delft will use the SAF flights to do research on emissions The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering is doing a lot of research into sustainable aviation A key theme is investigating the effects of emissions from aircraft on the atmosphere and on local air quality researchers measured how many particulate and gaseous emissions are released during engine idling on the platform sensors on a climate measurement tower in Cabauw and satellite images are also being explored for mapping the effect of flying with SAF on the formation and evolution of condensation trails Flying on SAF is one of the projects of Rotterdam The Hague Innovation Airport research institutes and governments in and around Rotterdam The Hague Airport is committed to the transition to a cleaner T.J. (Hans) Mulder, MSc  Head of Sustainable Flight Test Laboratory, Research Testpilot ✉ T.J.Mulder@tudelft.nl Dr.ir. G. (George) Kelesidis Assistant Professor ✉ G.Kelesidis@tudelft.nl Dr. V.R. (Vincent) Meijer Assistant Professor ✉ V.R.Meijer@tudelft.nl Upon the departure of the Vice Rector Magnificus last year a possible new governance model for TU Delft was discussed in the run-up to the recruitment of a new Executive Board member It was considered whether the current combination of Rector Magnificus and President of the Executive Board (EB) was still appropriate or whether these two positions should be assigned to two different EB members The governance model has therefore been evaluated also at the request of the Works and Student Councils and under the leadership of the Supervisory Board (SB) as the position of rector and that of president both require a great deal of time and commitment the current governance model will be adjusted The focus of these roles is very different: the rector focuses on the internal (academic) organization while the president has an external focus towards stakeholders Both will require a great deal of time and attention in the future interviews have taken place with the current Rector Magnificus/President Pro Vice Rectors and the Council of Professors The Confidential Committees of the Works and Students Councils have also been consulted the SB found a slight preference for a ‘separate model’ over the current ‘combined model’ Both models obviously have advantages and disadvantages The combined model is more common internationally the current governance model is no longer the most ideal when looking at the future of TU Delft Much is happening at TU Delft that requires attention both internally and externally For example the Supervisory Board has therefore decided to adopt a model with separate roles for the rector and the president The distribution of roles and portfolios within the Executive Board will change as a result of this proposed decision The recruitment process for the new Executive Board member to replace Rob Mudde included a specific provision for a newly hired Vice Rector Magnificus (VRM) candidate to be appointed to the position of Rector Magnificus (RM) This would require an additional appointment procedure It is expected that Tim van der Hagen will hand over his duties as Rector Magnificus (after eight years) and President (after almost ten years) in January 2026 The first term of office of EB member Marien van der Meer will come to an end next summer and will not be renewed “After the summer it will be time for me to do something else we can start recruiting my successor well in advance and the continuity of the administration will not be jeopardised.” Marien van der Meer will stay until the end of her term “TU Delft is a fine organisation with dedicated staff I am going to miss TU Delft and all those working here for working together.” The SB is very grateful to Marien van der Meer for her contribution over the past years “Marien took up her post in a complex period and has created a positive dynamic within the Executive Board from which the whole of TU Delft has benefited,” says the Chair of the Supervisory Board “This is a difficult puzzle we are putting together “We see that this new governance model will help TU Delft to fulfil its ambitions and to take the necessary care of its internal organisation businesses and stakeholders will receive the managerial attention they deserve.” the EB will be fully equipped to start working according to this new model the Supervisory Board adopted a proposal for a decision The proposal for a new governance model will now be submitted to the Works and Student councils TU Delft laatste nieuws Sandra Verhagen and Robert Lanzafame travelled to India to give an education workshop at the Indian Institute of Technology The workshop focused on a 1st year MSc course in the Civil Engineering & Geosciences faulty: Modelling This course is required for all incoming students (~300) and incorporates a number of innovative teaching approaches to teach students fundamental engineering methods and programming The workshop was co-hosted by IIT Madras Professor Meher Prasad who had become aware of MUDE through one of our students from India and visited TU Delft This culminated in an invitation to share our experiences  with his colleagues at IITM who were also interested in setting up courses that emphasize the integration of programming and use of open source tools in the curriculum to support learning the “traditional” engineering subjects They were especially interested in preparing their students to be more technically savvy after graduation Over 20 IIT M staff attend from various faculties (mostly civil and mechanical) and they were excellent “students” in the workshop They received a homework assignment 1 week in advance so this was set up as a miniature MUDE course The three days of the workshop were oriented around 3 specific perspectives: 1) MUDE as a student There were many fruitful discussions about education along the way many of the participants were creating their own online interactive textbooks Here is one quote from the workshop feedback: “The workshop was very well thought out It has be a great learning experience and inspired me to pursue it in my own teaching.” There is a significant amount of interest from IITM in create their own books and using them in education Plans are in place to share and collaborate on material via permissive open access licenses the MUDE Book (once the copyright checks and attribution are finalized) but there is also a lot of interest in the Computational Modelling book (see below) and other books on the TU Delft Open Interactive Textbook platform From the MUDE side it was an excellent opportunity for getting feedback on how other university educators value our didactical approaches We have already begun making changes to the workshops and materials used in TeachBooks which is our online-book-focused initiative that grew out of MUDE and is quickly becoming an active community since our kick-off last Spring We plan to meet online periodically in the coming year to exchange experiences and ideas IIT M colleagues will use the workshop to give a new course in Fall 2025 for their MSc students and we envision a future mini-conference on developments and lessons as related to MUDE Postbus 5 2600 AA Delft Contact en bereikbaarheid Vacatures Voorleeshulp: BrowseAloud Intranet Studentenportal Doneer  Disclaimer Privacy & Security Gautham Ram went to IISc in Feb 2024 and it was a follow up to the earlier visit to IISc in October 2023 as part of the TU Delft India delegation he held a series of bilateral meetings with Dr and staff and PhD students of the EE Department to explore topics of mutual interest in power converters and batteries for electric vehicles and ideas for future collaborations He attended the EE department’s weekly seminar and delivered a talk on the ongoing research activities at TU Delft he delivered four lectures on electric and hybrid vehicles delving into their well-to-wheel emissions performance evaluation and development of battery pack and charging system which develops second-life battery packs for EVs discussing research in the domains of power converters for battery charging and diagnosing used battery cells Vishnu Iyer to TU Delft is planned in the future Vishnu Iyer jointly supervised the research of PhD candidate Siddhesh Shinde from TU Delft and Neha Rajput from IISc The performance of high-power density magnetics is critical in the area of power electronics and EV charging Traditional power-magnetics constitutes about 50-60% of the weight and volume of state-of-the-art power electronic converters Compared to discrete inductors and transformer-based design an integrated magnetics design can reduce overall component count and has the potential to reduce the losses doing so requires complex design tradeoffs to ensure the decoupled operation of the inductor and transformer without compromising their performance and improve the magnetic component and converter efficiencies compared to using discrete components Two competing approaches were identified – one is aimed at increasing the leakage inductance of the transformer and utilise the same for power transfer and soft-switching and the other approach utilises a common magnetic core for realising both the transformer and inductor During the research visit Neha Rajput to TU Delft an integrated magnetic structure was conceptualised that uses one or more magnetic materials such as ferrites and powdered alloy cores to provide a controlled leakage path to get a desired leakage inductance A design algorithm for the integrated magnetic structure was developed that utilises an improved magnetic equivalent circuit model considering factors such as leakage inductance The proposed concept is implemented through an integrated magnetic structure using ferrites and the design was validated using extensive 3-D finite element magnetostatic simulations The current results have been submitted for the ECCE Asia 2025 conference Future work will include the prototype fabrication and experimental verification of the proposed design nanocrystalline-based magnetic designs will also be explored and compared with the ferrite design in terms of loss Neha Rajput visit to TU Delft was partially supported by the IEEE PELS Graduate Studies and John G that was jointly applied to by the IISc team (Prof Within the PhD research of Siddhesh Shinde whose promoter is prof an integrated magnetic structure that utilises a common magnetic core for both the inductor and transformer for a 11 kW Dual Active Bridge converter has been developed that is used for the DC-to-DC power conversion stage of an EV charger Modelling and experiments were done in the ESP lab in TU Delft and weekly meetings were held online to deliberate the findings The experimental proof of concept showed the improved high-power efficiency benefits of the integrated structure The current results have been complied into an article that will be duly submitted the integrated structure will be optimized further to improve efficiency in high-power regions and a second variant of the integrated structure with an inductor split between the primary and secondary sides of the transformer will be developed next TU Delft is co-PI in the HIROS project Hindon Roots Sensing (HIROS): River Rejuvenation through Scalable Water- and Solute Balance Modelling and Informed Farmers' Actions As a part of the DST-NOW Cleaning the Ganga consort HIROS is researching sustainable agricultural water management in the Hindon basin.   TU Delft researchers recently joined the project’s  mid-term meeting in Dehli The event involved stakeholder sessions at the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology (DST) a dinner at the Dutch Ambassador to India’s residence a poster event for PhDs/post-docs and a site visit at Atali village The event included interaction with high-level and implementing stakeholders, as well as interactions between university partners from all three Cleaning the Ganga projects (University of Twente Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkotta TU Delft also hosted team members from IIT Roorkee and CSSRI in Delft for the International HIROS Learning and Knowledge Sharing Workshop.  The IHE Delft Institute for Water Education offered a short intensive course (workload of 84 hours) on Remote Sensing for Agricultural Water Management in its premises in Delft The course’s attendance was not restricted to WaPOR stakeholders yet it is a central contribution of IHE to the capacity building of national stakeholders of the project 20 of the course participants were part of the WaPOR project Though there was overlap between this training and the month of Ramadan which regarded some of the participants all were very engaged and reported learning a great deal from this opportunity and feeling more confident in their use of WaPOR data in their professional context All participants were successful and were awarded certificates of completion Some photos of the course and an example of a slide from participant presentations (here team Mali displaying their findings on locally defined water and crop productivity targets for the Sélingué irrigation scheme).  the majority of the Senate voted in favour of cutbacks in higher education it came as no surprise on Tuesday when the coalition parties in the Senate voted in favour of Minister of Education Eppo Bruins’ budget Paul van Meenen (D66) had stated that the Education Culture and Science’s budget was ‘an attack on the future of our young people’ The universities intend to fight the decision on the grounds of the administrative agreement that the previous Cabinet had made with them in which extra financing was promised the Senate also expressed doubts about this A spokesperson announced that TU Delft will not join the legal case ‘Dutch universities share a position on the cutbacks as a whole there are differences in the details and this is why some universities will take legal action and others will not We understand that they are standing up for their interests TU Delft will not go to court and will keep the talks going with the Ministry,’ writes the spokesperson While the Education, Culture and Science budget has been accepted, the resistance against the policy continues, including outside the courtroom. Students will demonstrate (in Dutch) again ‘The futures of our children and grandchildren are being cut back.’ The FNV trade union (‘A black day for Dutch education’) confirms local demonstrations and strikes such as Tuesday in Rotterdam and Thursday in Tilburg It will be TU Delft’s turn to strike on Thursday 24 April. The Executive Board supports the action, says an intranet message so asking for a day off is not necessary and no salary will be withheld practical sessions and doctoral dissertation defences will continue People in critical positions who wish to go on strike are advised to work with their supervisors to find solutions Teachers are requested to let their students know in advance if their lectures will not go ahead These lessons will not be given another time and students will have to go through the material themselves The same month as he presented his credentials to His Majesty King Willem-Alexander the new Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of the Netherlands He joined us for a joint student-academic event Kumar Tuhin met President of the Board and Rector Magnificus of TU Delft Tim van der Hagen to discuss furthering TU Delft-India collaborations Academics from across our faculties also joined this informal discussion In collaboration with TU Delft Alumni Relations and the Indian Student Association (ISA) This was the first MILAAP edition to bring together TU Delft academics The event began with short introductions by H E Mr three TU Delft academics shared insights from their research Nandini Bhattacharya shared how her Indo-Ducth perspective has strengthened her work and gave details on her work with industry partner on monitoring the flow of blood using scattered laser light Murali Ghatkesar talked about his seed fund collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science on rapid identification of micro and nanoplastics Nihit Goyal explained how lessons from the Indian LED lighting transition can be an example for policy transitions beyond India’s borders There followed a panel discussion on "How to improve academia-industry collaborations" and a networking dinner for all participants TU Delft staff also joined the Indian Embassy’s Celebration of India’s 76th Republic Day in January 2025 and interacted with the Ambassador again.  This workshop will serve as a unique opportunity for the European community and beyond to exchange and debate on the latest advancements in the field.  The sixth edition of the NuFuel workshop will be hosted in Delft (Netherlands) on 16-17-18 September 2025 and Janne Heikinheimo from VTT Technical Research Centre Of Finland.  Experts and junior researchers in the field of nuclear fuel All types of fuels are concerned for all generations of nuclear reactors: oxide fuels 15 February to 1st April 2025: Abstract submissions 20th May 2025: Registration opens   More information Website NuFuel 2025 Abstract submissions  Contact Back to (previous) overview TU Delft's latest news The PowerWeb Institute is proud to highlight the exceptional work of three young researchers who have been recognized as finalists for the TU Delft Best Energy Award: Paper: Power flow analysis using quantum and digital annealers: a discrete combinatorial optimization approach Paper: Understanding energy conflicts: From epistemic disputes to competing conceptions of justice Paper: Fundamental assessment of oscillatory performance of grid-forming integrated systems These awards celebrate groundbreaking research in energy innovation recognizing the contributions of young scientists in shaping the future of sustainable energy systems The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded a Vici grant of up to 1.5 million euros to four TU Delft researchers in the domain of Exact and Natural Sciences (ENS) This will enable them to develop an innovative line of research and further expand their own research group for five years Vici is one of the largest personal scientific grants in the Netherlands and is aimed at advanced researchers A total of 43 Vici grants have been awarded Finding the shortest path The shortest path between the origin and destination node pair in a network is the shortest ordered sequence of nodes one needs to traverse through the network to get from origin to destination The shortest path is an important concept in transportation Finding a shortest path is nearly impossible with conventional graph-theoretic methods when the network is only partially observable This project will develop a theory and computational inference algorithms for finding shortest paths using geometric network representations in non-Euclidean spaces Project theory will be tested in practical settings for Internet routing and biomedicine Faculty news More information Personal page AI with less data The foundation of AI is built on top of huge This data is predominantly controlled by a handful of private companies I will make use of prior knowledge to reduce the amount of data needed to train AI: All knowledge that is built-in no longer has to be learned from data More information Personal pag Taking the lead in the catalyst dance: teaching everyday metals choreography to power the future In the intricate 'dance' of chemical reactions the star performers in catalysis are often the noble metals that are most scarce and costly everyday metals to dance like their more privileged noble metal counterparts making green chemistry more attainable and efficient More information Personal page Connecting quantum dots in three dimensions Electrons confined in arrays of quantum dots can be tuned at the individual level The ambition of this project is to advance these arrays into the third dimension These systems may lead to new emergent physics be used for quantum simulations of real physics occurring in nature and for quantum computer that have the promise of solving problems out of reach for classical computers Press release QT website More information Personal page The aim of the NWO Talent programmes is to create creative space for adventurous in which they can conduct research of their choice develop their own line of research and further develop their talent The Vici target group consists of researchers at the stage of consolidation and further development of leadership/research group for which the Vici can contribute to the development of the researcher in this field Researchers eligible for a Vici grant have academic qualities that clearly go beyond what is usual and have established leadership and mentoring qualities Read the press release of NWO.    discover the entire Delft quantum community in one room all the key Delft quantum players from industry and academia will gather in the Aula Foyer: the ‘quantum faculties’ at the university and organisers QuTech and Quantum Delta Delft – and many more Part of the event includes a 45-minute programme featuring a welcome speech by Regional Minister Meindert Stolk (representing the Province of South Holland) interviews with Miriam Blaauboer and Lieven Vandersypen of TU Delft and a panel discussion with several Delft quantum technology startups The program will be moderated by QuTech Director Kees Eijkel Simply drop by on 12 May or register on the Quantum Meets event page.For the latest list of confirmed exhibitors, visit this page Location: Aula FoyerDate: 12 MayTime: 14:00-18:00 The TU Delft Library will introduce a new reservation system for its project spaces on 1 February 2025 will be phased out and will officially stop operating on 31 January 2025 This transition represents a significant step towards enhancing the Library's digital services and streamlining the reservation process the Library will switch to Time Edit Reserve as a replacement for Mapiq This system is already in use at TU Delft through Time Edit MyTimeTable for teaching schedules providing a seamless and user-friendly experience within a unified platform Reserving project spaces in the Library will stay straightforward Log in with your TU Delft NetID and use the appropriate link based on your role: If you have any questions about the new system or need assistance with reservations, you can contact Ask Your Library via the contact page or visit the Library desk Tech for Impact | Delft Technology for a Better World the university and the Delft University Fund launched this campaign to highlight impactful research taking place in Delft Alumni were invited to meet the four scientists behind this research and contribute to their important work and David Vermaas found themselves in the spotlight for an entire year these four top researchers from Delft received significant attention and donations for their essential work The campaign raised a total of over €200,000 which will be divided among the four projects Scientific research often is at the base of major breakthroughs conducting thorough research requires time The funds raised will make a concrete contribution to projects focusing on energy transition Thanks to the incredible support from alumni the researchers will be able to accelerate and expand their work in the coming period Technology and thorough scientific research are key building blocks for a better future I am proud that such ambitious and impactful research is taking place at Delft University Beyond the financial contributions and increased visibility for Delft research the campaign fostered meaningful connections between alumni and researchers alumni had the opportunity to learn more about the projects and it’s challenges and were able to ask questions to the researchers the campaign established new connections with several relevant companies and institutional funds To tackle the challenges of today and of tomorrow we can rely on the innovative strength of TU Delft Over 110,000 engineers have graduated in Delft and are making a significant impact together Would you like to continuously support impactful research and help scientists and students achieve their ambitions You won't want to forget to add this to your calendar! There is so much to do on Lichtjesavond, an evening that kicks off a whole week of Delft being illuminated by glittering lights. Be dazzled by the lighting of the Christmas tree, stroll through the Christmas market, listen to choirs sing festive tunes and keep the whole family entertained with a jam-packed agenda of merry fun A wonderful way to see the lights is to walk around the city itself and what better way to do that than to explore a market On one of the most iconic market squares in Delft you'll find the Beestenmarkt packed with fun entertainment and festivities for young and old Feel the Christmas spirit with jolly musical performances while you stroll around the market finding heartwarming mulled wine and other delicacies Visit the Oude Kerk and be awed by Christmas performances from gospel choirs hang a star to make a wish and let the kids have fun at a crafts table Get ready for a festive night! Visit the official Lichtjesavond Delft event page to find out more about the evening's agenda or how to get to the event by public transport TU Delft encourages its lecturers to develop and apply open textbooks wherever possible The TU Delft Library offers support for the publication process: from first idea to online publication with a central role for Jacqueline Michielen-van de Riet of Education Support.   the department of Education Support launched its Open Textbooks service It has since yielded tenths of open textbooks “It offers important advantages for both lecturers and students,” Jacqueline says “Lecturers can adapt the material to exactly fit their educational needs And students no longer need to purchase expensive books of which they may only use a few chapters.”  It is up to the lecturer to decide on the exact subject matter but there’s a lot more to publishing an open textbook “We offer support for all the peripheral matters in the publication process,” Jacqueline says I spent most of my time ensuring that all images used were royalty-free the idea of an open textbook is that anybody anywhere in the world can use the text and images it contains from initial idea to publication of the textbook at leading global websites for open educational resources – from drafting and monitoring deadlines to applying for ISBNs she is supported by a colleague who is present at the intake interview and by several colleagues who perform the similarity check (plagiarism scan) and design the book cover And even though the material content may be out of my league it brings me a lot of fulfilment when a textbook is completed lecturers are committed to convey their course material as effectively as possible addressing any gaps in commercial textbooks and students' prior education it does take some effort to bring lecturers and support together What has certainly helped is the onetime ‘Open Textbook in a Day’ workshop that the library organised “With or without a preexisting course syllabus the workshop offered participants a solid foundation.”  Since then, things have really taken off, largely due to word-of-mouth referrals for the support provided. Some lecturers have already begun working on their second open textbook. Those interested can of course contact the Open Textbooks service, or first consult the Guide: Create your open textbook! to which Jacqueline has contributed.  “It took a lot of pioneering to establish our open textbook support service,” Jacqueline says “We shared our experiences in several presentations within the Libraries Open & Online Education working group.” A bit like Open Education on Open education “We hope it jumpstarted similar efforts by other universities and universities of applied sciences.”  The number of open textbooks published this year will almost double compared to last year and there is no lack of appreciation either “Lecturers are clearly pleased with the support we provide We often receive thank you emails or an invitation for the official book presentation But the best reward is when a lecturer forwards us an email from someone on the other side of the world mentioning that the open textbook has been very useful.”  Next to providing ever more support, constant innovation is also a top priority for the Open Textbooks service. A project on interactive open textbooks has already been completed allows students to develop an even deeper understanding of the data and concepts being presented “We are currently exploring how to roll out support for these interactive open textbooks.”  Lecturers are clearly pleased with the support we provide TU Delft Prof Alfons van Marrewijk  visited India in January and February to research circular construction during the largest religious pilgrimage in the world he studied the circular (de)construction of the temporary megacity in the Ganges delta constructed to host Hindu pilgrims for the Kumbha Mela which he did together with architect Robert Alewijnse of DP6 Architectuurstudio is a follow up of an earlier study in 2020 van Marrewijk is also collaborating on this topic with a counterpart from the Building Technology and Construction Management division at IIT Madras.   Prof. van Marrewijk’s work was also featured in the NRC. Read more here.  A new bridge poem has been installed on the recently re-opened Hambrug A collaborative project of the Gemeente Delft and TU Delft the public art piece serves as a symbolic and literal connection between the TU Delft campus and the city The poem is presented in both English and Dutch, reflecting the international nature of Delft and TU Delft. Both versions are available to read and listen to online and local officials gathered at the Hambrug for the unveiling of the new bridge poem The event included a live reading by Cellucci and Inge Steijger (Dutch translation) Ingrid Klok spoke on behalf of the TU Delft and the Library about the significance of the bridge and the power of language emphasizing the importance of uniting people praised the initiative as a great example of how art integrated into urban infrastructure can enhance the beauty of the city Attendees enjoyed coffee and ice cream as they admired the new bridge poem and celebrated the official reopening of the Hambrug This project was made possible thanks to contributions from: Monice Janson (Graphic Design), Jasper Anker (Installation) Sonja Kamp en Blanka de Bruyne, Kornelis Fragakis (Art Conservator Culture and Science has appointed prof.dr.ir Arthur Mol as a member of the Supervisory Board of TU Delft for a period of four years Arthur Mol is Professor of Environmental Policy at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) He studied environmental sciences in Wageningen and obtained his PhD in social environmental sciences at the University of Amsterdam His research focuses on environmental policy sustainable food production and consumption Between 2000 and 2015 he led the environmental policy group at WUR Mol has also been a professor of environmental policy in China He is also editor of the book series New Horizons in Environmental Politics and a member of several journal editorial boards; previously he was editor-in-chief of the journal Environmental Politics From 2015 to 2024 he was Rector Magnificus at WUR after which he became a full-time professor again He holds various advisory positions at European universities Professor Mol seeks to connect with society including knowledge security and quality of teaching and research his focus as Rector Magnificus was on internal processes This makes him a suitable supervisor and sparring partner for the Executive while he can also contribute to the engagement between the Supervisory Board and the university community who will complete his second term of office on 1 May 2025 The other members of the Supervisory Board are A successor is being sought for Tijo Collot d'Escury who stepped down as chair of the Supervisory Board on 1 March 2025 Luc Soete is currently acting chair of the Supervisory Board The Supervisory Board is appointed by the Minister of Education The Board has a number of specific tasks as set out by law including the appointment of Executive Board members the approval of the Executive and Management Regulations decisions regarding the employee participation system